HUNDREDS of thousands of fleet drivers have been eagerly awaiting delivery of their new company cars wearing the March 05 plates this week.

The plate came into force on Tuesday and creates one of two annual peaks in sales related to new number plates.

Matthew Carrington, chief executive of the Retail Motor Industry Federation (RMI), said: ‘Despite the twice-yearly number plate change introduced in 2001, many consumers still want to be the first to have a car with a new plate. At present the outlook is more positive than many realise, but we will not know if this can continue until we reach September’s 55 plate.’

Analysis from Glass’s Market Intelligence Service, however, suggests more consumers and businesses prefer to buy in September rather than March.

In the six years since the introduction of the twin plate system, September has been the best-selling month on four occasions, a pattern that Glass’s predicts is unlikely to change for the foreseeable future.