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YOM plates on Cougar

JeffTepper

JeffTepper

Well-Known Member
With the original plates long gone, I decided to try and find a clear YOM set of plates from the period of late 1969. After several months, I ended up locating these early Blue plates for my '70 Cougar and successfully navigated the line staff at the local DMV to get them assigned to the car. More recently, I located a near new condition llicense plate frame from Beverly Lincoln Mercury, the now defunct dealership in Beverly Hills that delivered the car to its original owner in November, 1969.080AGA (2).jpg
 
In mid August, field office appointments for registration service were non-existant and DMV was on the first-come-first-served model. DMV's website included a wait-time feature and I found that one of the local offices was significantly less crowded at 8:00 a.m. (opening) on Tuesdays. I simply got there shortly before opening and was part of the first group let in. It took less than 10 minutes to be called up to the service window. It took a while to complete the transaction because the YOM program is not one the staff had a lot of experience with and the Reg Manual (DMV Bible) was at least a year out of date. Fortunately I had done my homework and had come prepared with copies of the amended vehicle code and screen shot of the section of the DMV web site that confirmed 1970s year models were now included in the YOM progrem. Even the Supervisor was surprised to learn of the legistlative amendments from the prior year. Once I showed them they have the authority to do what I was was asking, things went smoothly and I walked out of there with a temporary operating permit and a 60 day estimate for Sacramento to complete the approval process. The new registration card and stickers came in the mail with a week left on the 60 day permit. Occasionally bureaucracy works!!
 
Great score on the license plate frame! It probably helps that they were in Beverly Hills. It looks new, when did they go out of business?

My car was sold at Coppola Ford in Fairfield CT and I've searched for years for a piece of memorabilia from the dealership. I've thought about reproducing the dealer sticker that was on the car but destroyed during the restoration.

It doesn't help that Google searches return a zillion results to Francis Ford Coppola (who was actually related to the dealer)

CoppolaFord.jpg
 
In answer to the question, "When did Beverly Lincoln Mercury go out of business?", I don't know.

A google search did not provide a firm answer. Searching DMV Occupational Licensing archive, Beverly Lincoln Mercury does not appear to have been a licensed dealership in California for quite some time, In searcing the history of the building, there is a reference to Beverly Lincoln-Mercury-Peugot at that location in the mid 1980s, And by the late 1980's the building apparently housed a VW dealership. At some point in the past 10-15 years a Ford dealersip called that building home. In that block of time at a different address down that street, Gregg Motors was the Lincoln Mercury Dealer. As recently as 5 years ago the building owner sought City Planning Department approval for a conditional use permit allowing a high end (Bugatti, Lamborghini, etc) dealership to make structural changes to the building. This stretch of Olympic Blvd is the local "Auto Row". As recently as 6 months ago the building appears to be standing and was advertised as being for lease.
 
Thanks for the reply. I think it's cool you've found a license plate frame that's tied to the car's actual provenance. Maybe I'll get so lucky some day :)
 
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