Google is not interested in providing me the info, so I'm relying on the combined knowledge here

I'm looking at a car which has been reported (by the seller) as having 4 previous owners. The seller is a trader, so the V5 is not in his name. Looking at the MOT history, it had a personal plate assigned to it until sometime in sep 2009 when it returned to its new (or maybe it was its original) date related reg.

Now my question, does removing a personal reg from a car, increase the number of owners on the V5?

I havent run a HPI check (am about to), so the above may become clear later, but at least Google can index this thread for the future

Q.

Well, the HPI check came back clear, and shows the car started off on W123 ABC, then after a year and a half got a D1 ABC plate on it, and then back after a year and a half to the W123 ABC number only to change to a ROG123 R plate a bit later. And finally it returned to W123 ABC last september <breath out>

Oh, and it has 5 previous owners...

My Golf's had about 4 different plates as well!

Does it show that the correct plate is currently attached to the car? My Golf was still showing the previous plate, so I called the DVLA (as did the seller) and got the records updated, and then re-HPI'd and came back clear

Yeah, the W123 ABC is currently attached to the car and correctly showing everywhere.

I've since assumed that reg plates do not increase the nr of owners, but have yet to find a confirmation from an official source somewhere.

Changing 'plates does not add owners to the V5 Q.

Cheers!

As above mate, it doesn't adjust the V5.

I have just sorted all mine from my old car.