SA64BVY is a UK vehicle registration number plate (also known as a number plate or reg mark). It identifies a specific car registered in the Glasgow area of Scotland between September 2014 and February 2015, making it approximately 10 years old as of November 2025.
Yet on a crisp November morning in 2025, this distinctly Scottish plate was photographed cruising along the A417 on the outskirts of Gloucester – more than 400 miles from the Glasgow postcode it was born with. For a vehicle that started life in the west of Scotland, the sight of SA64BVY navigating Gloucestershire’s roundabouts has caught the attention of local car-spotting enthusiasts and number-plate watchers alike.
The Car Behind the SA64BVY Plate
The vehicle wearing SA64BVY is a 2014 Toyota Auris 1.3 VVT-i Icon hatchback finished in metallic blue. First registered on 1 September 2014, it left the showroom with a 1,329 cc petrol engine producing around 98 bhp, a six-speed manual gearbox, and a respectable (for its time) official CO₂ figure of 128 g/km. Practical, reliable, and unflashy, the Auris was Toyota’s answer to the Ford Focus and Volkswagen Golf in the fiercely competitive family-hatch segment.
Over its decade on the road, the car has clearly changed hands and crossed regional boundaries. While many Scottish-plated cars stay north of the border for life, SA64BVY’s appearance in the West Country suggests at least one significant relocation – whether through private sale, a company transfer, or a family move.
Why the Spotting Matters to Enthusiasts
To the casual observer, it’s just another blue hatchback. To the UK’s dedicated number-plate and car-spotting community, however, seeing a “64”-series Scottish “S” plate this far south is noteworthy. The current format (introduced in 2001) ties every registration to both a six-month period and a broad region, so SA64BVY instantly tells a story of origin and age even from 50 metres away. Spotters on forums and social media often share such “out of area” sightings, especially when the journey from issuing office to current location is as dramatic as Glasgow to Gloucester.
Breakdown of the Registration Format of SA64BVY
For anyone curious about what the plate actually means, here’s the official decode:
- SA – Regional identifier for Scotland, with the “A” subsection covering the greater Glasgow area.
- 64 – Age identifier showing the car was registered between September 2014 and February 2015 (the “64” plate was issued from 1 September 2014 until 28 February 2015).
- BVY – Three random letters assigned sequentially by DVLA (no hidden meaning – just luck of the draw).
So there you have it: a ten-year-old Scottish Toyota Auris, proudly wearing its original SA64BVY plate, quietly proving that even everyday cars can become minor celebrities when they travel far enough from home. If you spot it again around Gloucester, give it a wave – it’s come a long way.
Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vehicle_registration_plates_of_the_United_Kingdom
