California OKs Retro Plates

Highlights from Blake Z. Rong's article in Autoweek and FOX Sports SPEED:

...in March, we reported that California State Assemblyman Mike Gatto was pitching a reissue of vintage California license plates, perfect for your Kaiser-Darrin (black on yellow), your Pontiac Star Chief (yellow on black), or your Holden Hurricane, (yellow on blue).  

At the time it seemed like the pipe dream of a particularly enthusiastic legislator, one whose pet project would be guaranteed to be mired in bureaucratic forgetfulness and left to languish, like the revival of the 30-year smog exemption and the ability to import Audi RS2s. 

But California cool makes a comeback – and the money helps.  

Out of the darkness comes news that Assembly Bill 1658 has not only passed the gilded pen of Governor Jerry Brown, but will take effect at this juncture, three days into the new year. 

Enthusiasts can pay $50 to reserve any of the three almost-period-correct styles. California will need 7,500 detail-sweating obsessives to lay down deposits by Jan. 1, 2015, to make the program work; furthermore, it will need $385,000 to cover start-up costs, which the application fees will cover. If the program fails to meet these numbers, applicants will get their money refunded...  

...The plates will be available both sequentially numbered and personalized, with due consideration to not issue character sets. Imagine the Kafka-esque nightmare that would ensue. Happily, you won't have to go to your DMV to experience Gregor Samsa's nightmare, as local offices won't accept applications. If you want a nuevo-retro plate, mail a check to Sacramento, along with the accompanying form. 

This story originally appeared at Autoweek.com.   

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You can read the entire article and more at FOX Sports SPEED

Mike Gatto is the Chairman of the Appropriations Committee of the California State Assembly.  He represents the cities of Burbank, Glendale, La Canada-Flintridge, La Crescenta, Montrose, the Los Angeles neighborhoods of Los Feliz, Silver Lake, Atwater Village, and portions of the Hollywood Hills and East Hollywood.   www.asm.ca.gov/gatto