• France was first country to introduce a vehicle ‘registration plate’ in 1893 with the passage of the Paris Police Ordinance
  • Over the years license plates have been made of sheet iron, tin, sheet copper, porcelain, and soybean-based fiberboard
  • The Netherlands was the first country to introduce a nationally registered license plate in 1898
  • Some early license plates had a slotted design so as not to block the air flow to the radiator
  • In Japan license plate color is dictated by the vehicle’s size and whether it is public or private