Hello David,
As you say, BMA 139 is currently on a 2019 A5 with probably 50k miles on it now. May have been placed on the car as recent as Feb. of this year, or the car may have changed hands at this time.
Sorry Cliff, DVLA will no longer pass on correspondence.
Regrettably David, there is a hard set of economics to contend with here, and buying the number back would probably cost you a significant chunk of the car’s value, and would not be an economic proposition.
I take it you bought it after the number had been sold, and a previous owner has reaped the benefits. What I would say, with plenty of experience of dealing with cars of this age, is to keep in mind that the value of bread and butter pre war cars is plummeting, mainly due to those who were interested in them having fallen out of the tree and the demand is on its knees.
Ask me how I know!!
I would be wary of spending too much on this car, since regrettably the (even DIY) outlay is likely to render it uneconomic.
Kind regards,
Gareth.
p.s. BMA 139 would have been registered in Chester around August 1934.