Re: good grief
"Mr Corbett claims to have an 'A reg'."
The British system at the time had just changed format - for about the third time - to avoid running out of registration plate numbers. The prior system was AAA123 - followed by a year letter. The new system was a year letter - followed by 123AAA.
In a pub/club they both offer a young woman a lift home. She asks for their cars' year letter - which are "A" and "X". She opts for the "A" - expecting a very new car. In the car park she is lead to an old "A" Morris Minor - while the other guy gets into a nearly new "X" Rolls Royce.