VAN fleets could lose out when the new registration plate change comes into effect in September, according to experts at CAP Network. From that date, the region each vehicle was registered in will be clearly identifiable by the plate and CAP believes some buyers won't want to take on vans from certain areas.

CAP Red Book senior editor David Hill said: 'Although the new plates will be sported by all vehicles from September, Mondeo man and the typical biker will be unconcerned about the the regional identifier. We know already that dealers will give a little more when they know the origin of the vehicle but the new system will create winners and losers, with dealers and owners from some areas benefiting as buyers pay a little extra for a favoured region's registration numbers.'

Hill also believes some vans may be worth less thanks to the same regional effect because vehicles from some areas are notorious for being in a worse condition than others.

'Traders always want to beat prices down and the explicit display of a regional identifier gives them the ideal opportunity to lower their bids and offers for some vans,' he said. 'Buyers in some regions may even consider registering their vehicles elsewhere to maximise resale values.'