In 1968 Neil Parker had published by Ian Allen Ltd a small book:  Registration Plates of Europe. This resulted in contacts being made with others who shared an interest in the subject, not least the several European members of the Automobile License Plate Collectors Association (of America).
        In 1972 a convention was held in Hereford in the U.K. at which the European Registration Plate Association, or, less formally, Europlate, was formally launched.
        Membership has been stable over recent years at about 350, with about 30 countries represented.
        From the start Europlate has produced for its members four newsletters every year;  edited for the first twelve years by Neil Parker and subsequently by John Weeks.   Europlate has also held conventions every second year, always at Easter, alternating between the U.K. and mainland Europe.

        The original publishers did not wish to continue with a second edition and thus in 1973 Neil Parker published Registration Plates of Europe and the World financed collectively by members of the Association.   This was followed in 1978 by the first edition of Registration Plates of the World, and in 1987 and 1994 John Weeks and Reg Wilson joined the team to publish the second and third editions. Finally in 2004 Neil Parker and John Weeks published the fourth edition, still privately financed by Europlate members.
        Meanwhile, in 1999 Europlate was approached by Keesing Systems BV of Amsterdam acting as agents for Interpol (the International Criminal Police Association) and contracted to produce the Interpol Guide to Vehicle Registration Plates, an exercise which terminated in 2004.

        In late 2005 work started in building this website.   The material for the book is still continuously updated and the text forms the basis for the website.   With regard to photographs we have been able to be rather more generous on the website, and, of course, they are all in colour.

Cardiff, Wales

Barcelona, Spain

Lyndhurst, England

Paris, France