About RAY 143R
Suffix style
RAY 143R is a suffix-style registration, the format issued from 1963 until 1983, with the year letter at the end.
The last letter, R, is the year identifier for vehicles registered from 1 August 1976, so this plate can go on any vehicle first registered on or after 1 August 1976. A registration can never make a vehicle look newer than it is, so it cannot go on anything older.
Private registrations move between owners through the DVLA: once a price is agreed, the registration can go straight onto your vehicle, or be held on a retention certificate until you are ready to use it.