Bentley Number Plates: Replacements for Modern Bentleys and Pre-1980 Classics

A Bentley built on or after 1 January 1980 needs a white front and a yellow rear reflective plate. One built before that date may be allowed black and silver, with conditions. We make Bentley number plates in one size, 520mm x 111mm, from £25 a pair, and this page takes each era in turn so you can go straight to yours.

Which Bentley number plates do you need: a modern car or a pre-1980 classic?

The dividing line is 1 January 1980. Check where your car sits before you pick a finish.

• Built on or after 1 January 1980: white front, yellow rear, reflective, made to BS AU 145e. That covers every Continental GT, Flying Spur and Bentayga, plus the Mulsanne, Arnage, Azure, Brooklands, Turbo R and Continental R.
• Built before 1 January 1980: the Mark VI (from 1946), the S-series, the T-series (from 1965, so check the build date on later cars) and pre-war cars from the 1920s and 1930s. Black and silver may apply, but only when the DVLA historic vehicle conditions apply too.
• Not sure? If you cannot show that the car was built before 1 January 1980 and sits in the historic vehicle class, order white and yellow.

Number plates for a modern Bentley: Continental GT, Flying Spur and Bentayga

Bentley still builds three lines in Crewe: the Continental GT and GTC, the Flying Spur and the Bentayga. People come to us for a replacement after damage, loss or theft, for a refresh, or for a new private registration.

Continental GT and GTC number plates across four generations

The Continental GT has been sold since 2003, with the GTC convertible added in 2006. We make the same 520mm x 111mm plate whichever generation you drive.

• First generation, 2003 to about 2010: a W12 engine.
• Second generation, from 2011: a V8 joined the range.
• Third generation, 2018 to 2024: W12 production stopped in mid 2024.
• Fourth generation, from 2024: a plug-in hybrid V8, so no green flash.

Flying Spur and Bentayga number plates, saloon and SUV

The Flying Spur has been a four-door saloon since 2005, and the Bentayga a five-door SUV since the mid 2010s. Both are now sold as plug-in hybrids too. Take a tape to the plate area, or to your current plate, and compare it with 520mm x 111mm before you order a deep finish.

Bentley number plates model by model, from the Turbo R to the Bentayga

Bentley green flash number plates: why no Bentley qualifies today

A green flash marks a zero-emission car on a road legal plate. Only a pure battery electric car qualifies, and no Bentley you can drive in the UK today is one.

• Petrol and diesel: no green flash.
• Plug-in hybrid (Continental GT, Flying Spur, Bentayga): no green flash. It can run on its battery for a short distance, but it still has a combustion engine.
• Torcal: Bentley unveiled it on 23 September 2026 as its first pure battery electric car, with deliveries due in summer 2027. Once one is registered, a green flash should be available.
• Until then, choose no badge or a national badge. Our page on colour badged number plates shows the options.

Which finish suits which Bentley number plates by paint colour?

Paint colour decides how much of a raised plate you see, because it changes how shadow falls on the characters.

• Dark paint (black, deep blue, dark green): raised characters throw a clear shadow, so 4D 5mm, 5D Gel and Black Diamond number plates pay off.
• White and silver paint: flatter finishes such as Standard and 3D Gel often read more cleanly, and the extra depth of 5D Gel is easy to miss.
• Anything in between: use the live preview in our builder to see the characters before you pay.
• Price check: Standard is £25 a pair and 5D Gel is £64, a gap of £39. On pale paint that is a lot to pay for a subtle gain.

Number plates for a pre-1980 Bentley: Mark VI, S-series, T-series and pre-war cars

Classic Bentleys are still on UK roads. Mark VI cars date from 1946, the S-series ran to 1965, the T-series began in October 1965, and pre-war cars from 1921 to 1939 are out there too.

• The rule: black and silver plates are allowed only on a vehicle built before 1 January 1980, and the DVLA historic vehicle conditions must apply as well.
• If either half is missing, you need white front and yellow rear reflective plates.
• Our article on black and silver number plate law explains how the two conditions work together.
• For finish, our guide to number plates for classic cars says flat Standard plates generally suit original, period-correct cars, and Standard is £25 a pair.

Be careful with the 1980s. A car that looks like a classic is not always pre-1980: the original Mulsanne went on sale in 1980, so it falls after the cutoff. The Turbo R and Continental R came later still.

Three Bentley number plate scenarios: a dark Bentayga, a 1960s S-series and a Turbo R

These are worked examples, not customer stories. Each has a real constraint.

• A dark Bentayga hybrid used daily. A plug-in is not zero-emission, so there is no green flash. 5D Gel is £64 a pair and Black Diamond is £60 as an introductory price, usually £75. Measure the space behind the plate before choosing either.
• A 1960s S-series in the historic class. The owner wants a period look. Standard at £25 a pair keeps it plain, and the black and silver article says whether the older style applies. Both conditions must be met.
• A 1990s Turbo R with a cracked rear plate. It was built after 1980, so it needs white and yellow. A single Standard plate is £15, under the £40 free delivery line. A 3D Gel pair at £38 gives you matching plates but does not qualify for free Tracked 24 delivery.

BS AU 145e on a Bentley: how much of a 520mm plate does your registration use?

Every road legal plate we make follows BS AU 145e, and the gov.uk rules on number plates set out the format. Characters are 79mm high and 50mm wide, and a 1 or an I takes less width than the rest. To show the arithmetic, here is an invented example registration, BN25 GTX: seven characters, neither a 1 nor an I.

• Seven characters at 50mm: 350mm.
• Five gaps of 11mm: 55mm, plus the 33mm gap after the age identifier, giving 438mm.
• Margins of 11mm at each end: 22mm, so the lettering uses 460mm.
• That leaves 60mm spare on the 520mm plate. In road legal mode the builder sets the spacing for you.

Show plates or road legal Bentley number plates: what is allowed on the road?

Show plates are display only and never go on a Bentley driven on the road. Fitting a non-compliant plate to a road vehicle risks an MOT failure and a fine of up to £1,000, according to the gov.uk guidance on displaying number plates.

Show mode gives you your own spacing, a wider choice of badges, borders and bottom text of up to 60 characters, which suits a concours stand or a photo shoot. Our show plates page has the detail. Road legal mode fixes the spacing and font, offers a side badge and a border, and gives a white front and a yellow rear. Use it for every Bentley on the road.

Fitting Bentley number plates: measure first, then screws or pads

Screws are the more reliable fix. Sticky pads work best on a smooth, flat panel in normal weather, and only then. We do not offer a fitting service, but you can add a fitting kit to your order, and our fitting guide shows both methods.

1. Measure the width, height and depth of the recess and any holder against 520mm x 111mm.
2. Check how far a raised finish will sit out, especially 5D Gel.
3. Clean and dry the panel, then fit with screws if the car has holes, or pads on a flat surface.

Not sure what your measurements mean? Call 07747 744407 before you order.

Looking after raised Bentley number plates, and the slips to catch before you pay

Raised finishes need gentler cleaning than flat plates. Most mistakes happen before the plate is made.

• Use a soft cloth and water, and avoid scrubbing at the edges of the characters.
• Copy the registration from your V5C, then read it back against the preview character by character.
• Typing the letter O as a zero, or the letter I as a 1, is the slip we meet most. Some get caught before dispatch, but the final check is yours.

Private registrations on Bentley number plates, and when your plates arrive

If you have a cherished registration for your Bentley, we make the physical plate. Our private number plates page explains how, and we do not sell registrations.

• Plates travel by Tracked24 across the UK, free on orders from £40.
• Most plates ordered before 2pm are dispatched the same day.
• Card and PayPal both work, and the delivery and returns page has the rest.

Why buy from Legal & Show Plates

We're a Bradford-based online plate maker shipping UK-wide, rated 5.0 on Google from over 300 reviews and 4.6 on Trustpilot. Order before 2pm for same-day dispatch, with a tracked 24-hour Royal Mail option available.

Bentley number plate questions: legality, hybrids, classics and fitting

Q: Are 4D number plates legal on a Bentley?

They can be. Our road legal plates are made to the DVLA's published rules (BS AU 145e), and we check ID and entitlement documents before we make one. Choose road legal mode in the builder for any Bentley that goes on the road. Show mode plates are for display only.

Q: Can a Bentley plug-in hybrid have a green flash on its number plate?

No. A green flash marks a car that is pure battery electric, and a plug-in hybrid also has a petrol engine. That covers the Continental GT, Flying Spur and Bentayga hybrids. If your Bentley takes petrol or diesel at all, pick a plain badge or none.

Q: Will the Bentley Torcal get a green flash number plate?

It should qualify once one is registered, because Bentley describes it as its first pure battery electric car. Deliveries are due in summer 2027, so none is on UK roads yet. Any council benefit for a green flash varies, so we promise no saving.

Q: Can I fit black and silver number plates on my classic Bentley?

Only if the car was built before 1 January 1980 and the DVLA historic vehicle conditions also apply. Both must be true. A Mark VI or S-series may qualify. A Turbo R or Continental R does not, because they were built later. Our article on the rule sets out the details.

Q: Is a 1980s Bentley Mulsanne treated as a classic for plate rules?

Not for the black and silver rule. The original Mulsanne went on sale in 1980, after the 1 January 1980 cutoff, so it needs a white front and a yellow rear reflective plate like any newer car. It can still be a classic in every other sense.

Q: Can I order Bentley number plates for a private registration?

Yes. We make the physical plate for a private or cherished registration, but we do not sell registrations. Type the registration into the builder, pick road legal or show mode, and choose a finish. For a road legal plate we check ID and entitlement documents before making it.

Q: What number plates suit a black Bentley?

Dark paint shows raised characters best, so 4D 5mm, 5D Gel or Black Diamond all read clearly. The step from 4D 5mm at £50 to 5D Gel at £64 is £14 a pair. Deep finishes need room behind the plate, so measure first.

Q: Should I use screws or sticky pads on Bentley number plates?

Screws are the more reliable fix, so we suggest them for most cars. Sticky pads work best on a smooth, flat panel in normal weather. A fitting kit can go in your basket.