Daihatsu Number Plates: Replacement Plates for Sirion, Terios, Copen and Older Models
Daihatsu number plates from us come in one size, 520mm x 111mm, front and rear, and a pair costs from £25 to £64 depending on the finish. We make replacement plates for Daihatsu cars, from a Sirion or Terios to a Copen or an old Fourtrak. Daihatsu stopped selling new cars in the UK around 2011, so yours is a used car, most likely 15 years old or more. That changes the first job. Before you pick a finish, find out whether a plate that size sits properly in the space your car has.
Which Daihatsu models are still on the road, and which number plates suit them?
Sirion, Terios and Fourtrak are among the most numerous Daihatsus still licensed. This table is our guidance, based on body shape, age and how owners tend to use each car. It is advice, not a fitment guarantee, so measure first.
| Model (years sold in UK) | Best finish from our seven | Why it suits this car | Who it is wrong for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sirion (1998 to 2010) | Standard or 3D Gel | The everyday small hatchback. Many are daily cars now, so a plate that wipes clean makes sense. 3D Gel adds a quiet raised finish. | Anyone after a real show look. Go up to 4D 5mm or 5D Gel. |
| Terios (1997 to 2010) | 3D Gel or Standard | A compact SUV that may see mud and lanes. Mud can pack into raised edges, so a modest finish is easier to keep clean. | Owners who use a pressure washer up close. |
| Copen (about 2003 to 2010) | 4D 3mm or 4D 5mm | A small two-door roadster bought for fun. On dark paint a raised finish shows its shadow clearly. Check boot lid clearance first. | Anyone whose rear space is squarer or smaller than 520mm x 111mm. On white or silver paint, flatter finishes can read cleaner. |
| Materia (2007 to 2010) | 3D Gel or 4D 3mm | Among the youngest Daihatsus you will see, a small boxy hatchback. On a tidy car the plate matters more, so a step up is easy to justify. | Someone who wants the cheapest legal plate. Standard does that. |
| Fourtrak (about 1984 to 2002) | Standard or 3D Gel | An old-school 4x4, often worked hard. Keep the finish simple and fix it with screws. | Owners who want 5D Gel on a car that lives on farm tracks. |
| Charade (1983 to 2007) | Standard | Among the oldest Daihatsus still around. Restorers often want the look it had when new, which a traditional printed plate gives. | Anyone with a tired rear panel who wants a deep finish. Check surface and depth first. |
| Sportrak, Cuore, YRV, Move, Grand Move, Applause (1989 to 2004) | Standard or 3D Gel | Rarer cars now, so a quiet finish lets the car do the talking. | Anyone who orders without measuring the space first. |
Which finish is sensible on a Daihatsu this age, and what does the price gap buy?
Pair prices run like this. Standard is £25. 3D Gel and 4D 3mm are £38. 4D 5mm is £50. 4D Gel is £54. 5D Gel is £64. Black Diamond is £60 at its current introductory price.
The step from Standard to 3D Gel is £13 a pair. It buys raised black gel characters instead of flat printed ones. That is a small change and it suits a daily Sirion or Terios, so start with our 3D Gel plates if you want a little more than factory. It also takes the order over £30, where free Tracked24 delivery starts. A pair of Standard plates at £25 sits just under that line, so check the delivery and returns page before you decide.
From Standard to 4D 5mm is £25 a pair, and to 5D Gel it is £39. For that you get a deeper raised profile and a stronger shadow. On a dark car the shadow shows clearly. On white or silver paint there is less contrast for it to show against, which is why flatter finishes often read more cleanly there. 4D 5mm plates are the sensible first step up.
When is it worth spending more on Daihatsu number plates, and when is 5D Gel the wrong call?
Spend more when the plate is the only thing letting a good car down. On a neat Copen in dark paint or a cared-for Materia, a 4D 5mm, 4D Gel or 5D Gel pair finishes the job. Black Diamond, with diamond-cut detail on each character, suits a dark, faceted look.
Hold back in four cases. The plate may only be dirty or loose, and a wash and two new screws cost far less than plates. The car may work for a living, and a Fourtrak on farm tracks or a Terios on a muddy lane will wear a deep finish down faster than it earns its price. Your pocket may be shallow or the lid tight, which makes a thick finish the wrong choice until you know it clears. And you may be hoping a show plate will get you through an MOT. It will not.
Verdict: for most Daihatsu owners, a pair of Standard or 3D Gel plates in road legal mode is the right order. They suit a car of this age, clean easily and cost little. If you own a Copen or a tidy Materia on dark paint and want the look, 4D 5mm is the step we would take first. Skip 5D Gel on any Daihatsu that works hard or has a shallow pocket. Measure the space before you do anything else.
Which Daihatsu number plates for a Sirion, a Copen or a Fourtrak? Three worked examples
These are scenarios, not customer stories.
A cracked rear Daihatsu number plate on a 2008 Sirion before the MOT
A daily commuter, parked on the street, with a cracked corner and an MOT in three weeks. Standard is the sensible pick. A single rear is £15 and a pair is £25. The extra £10 buys a second plate of the same age and colour, which is why most people replace both. A 3D Gel pair at £38 comes with free delivery.
Daihatsu Copen number plates for an owner who goes to shows
A 2005 roadster on dark paint, used on summer weekends. The owner buys a road legal 4D 5mm pair for the drive. For the stand they add a custom show plate, which is display only. It goes on once the car is parked and comes off before the car moves. Before ordering, they measure the rear space and check the boot lid closes clear of the raised characters.
Daihatsu Fourtrak number plates for a truck that works for a living
An older 4x4 used on tracks in all weathers. The owner wants a plate that survives, not one that wins prizes. Standard or 3D Gel, fixed with screws, suits a panel that may have been repainted or roughed up over the years.
What the law says about Daihatsu number plates: road legal against show
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. BS AU 145e has been mandatory on new plates since 1 September 2021. The official rules for number plates say the plate must be reflective, with black characters on white at the front and black on yellow at the rear.
The sizes matter on a small car. Each character is 79mm high and 50mm wide (except 1 and I), with a 14mm stroke. Characters sit 11mm apart, there is a 33mm gap after the age identifier, and the margins are 11mm. Take a current-style reg with no 1 or I, such as AB62 CDE. Seven characters at 50mm come to 350mm. Five 11mm gaps add 55mm and the 33mm gap adds 33mm, which makes 438mm. Add two 11mm margins and you need 460mm, leaving 60mm spare on a 520mm plate. So if your measured space is much under 460mm wide, a legal seven-character plate will not fit it, whatever the finish.
In road legal mode the builder sets the spacing and font for you. You can add a side badge and a border, and nothing else. On a road legal number plate the badge choices are GB with EU stars, UK, ENG, CYM or SCO.
Show plates are for display only and never for the public road. Driving with a plate that breaks the rules can mean a fine of up to £1,000 and a failed MOT, as the gov.uk number plate guidance sets out.
One more rule touches a handful of owners. Black and silver plates are allowed only on vehicles built before 1 January 1980. Almost every Daihatsu on the road was built after that, so it needs white at the front and yellow at the rear.
Is there a green flash number plate for a Daihatsu?
No. None of the Daihatsu models sold here was a pure battery electric car, and the green flash is only for zero-emission vehicles. Hybrids, mild hybrids and plug-in hybrids do not qualify either. Leave the green flash option alone.
How do you fit a replacement number plate on an older Daihatsu?
Screws are the more reliable fix, and they matter more on a car this old, because panels that have been repainted or repaired are rarely smooth. A sticky pad works best on a smooth, flat panel in normal weather.
Clean the area behind the old plate and check the holes still bite. A fitting kit can be added to your order. Our fitting guide covers screws, pads and lining the plate up, and it is a job you can do yourself or hand to a garage.
Looking after Daihatsu number plates: cleaning and ordering mistakes
Raised finishes need gentler cleaning than flat plates. Use warm water, a soft cloth and mild car shampoo, keep the pressure washer back, and do not scrub across the edges of the characters. Our guide to cleaning raised plates properly goes through it.
The most common ordering mistake is a mistyped registration. Letter O against number 0, and letter I against number 1, catch people out most, so check what you typed against your V5C before you pay.
How fast can Daihatsu number plates be delivered?
Delivery is free by Tracked24 on orders over £30. Order before 2pm and most plates are dispatched the same day. We send to the UK and Ireland, and you can pay by card or PayPal. We make plates for UK-registered vehicles.
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.
Daihatsu replacement number plate questions: fit, MOT and finish
Q: Where can I get a replacement number plate for a Daihatsu?
You can order from us online. Type your registration into the builder, choose road legal, pick a finish and check the live preview, then pay by card or PayPal. Before we make a road legal plate we check ID and entitlement documents, so have yours ready.
Q: What size number plate does a Daihatsu Sirion use?
We make one size, 520mm x 111mm. Plate spaces vary between cars and between repairs, so the reliable answer comes from your tape measure. Measure the plate and the space it sits in. If both are at or near 520mm x 111mm, order. If not, call 07747 744407 first.
Q: Do I need a special number plate for a Daihatsu Copen?
No. The legal rules are the same for every car, and a Copen needs the same white front and yellow rear as any other. The practical question is the space, so check boot lid clearance before choosing 4D 5mm.
Q: Are 4D or gel number plates legal on a Daihatsu?
They can be, if you order them in road legal mode. The builder applies the legal spacing and font to every style, and the plate is made to BS AU 145e. A show mode plate is a different thing, because it is for display only.
Q: Can I fit black and silver number plates to an old Daihatsu?
Only if the car was built before 1 January 1980. That rules out almost every Daihatsu on the road, which needs a reflective white front plate and a reflective yellow rear plate.
Q: How do I replace a cracked rear number plate before an MOT?
Order a rear plate in road legal mode, with the front quantity set to zero if the front is fine. Check the registration against your V5C before you pay, because a typo is the one fault you cannot fix by refitting. Fix the new plate with screws, and add a fitting kit if you need one.
Q: Can I order only a rear number plate for my Daihatsu?
Yes. Set the front quantity to zero in the builder and you pay for one plate. A single rear costs £15 in Standard, £20 in 3D Gel, £26 in 4D 5mm and £33 in 5D Gel. Free delivery starts over £30, so a single Standard, 3D Gel or 4D 5mm plate does not reach it.
Q: Can I order plates for a cherished registration on my Daihatsu?
Yes. We make the physical plate for a registration you already own. We check ID and entitlement documents before we make a road legal plate, so have yours ready. Type the registration exactly as it appears on your paperwork, then check the preview shows the right letters and numbers before you pay.
When you know your measurements, type the registration into our number plate maker, choose road legal and check the preview before you pay.
