SEPTEMBER used to be best known as the time when children went back to school, but according to the Retail Motor Industry Federation (RMI), this is also the best month to head for car showrooms.

“This is a great time to buy a car,” said Alan Pulham of the RMI. “There are some very good deals available and with the second of the year’s number plate changes coming this month, this could be the time to get into a new car.”

Under the new number plate system introduced in 2001, the first two letters correspond to where the car is registered in the country, for example, LA to LY for London, and MA to MY for Manchester.

The next two numbers signify in which six-monthly period the car was registered - 53 for September 2003, 04 for March 2004 and so on, and the last three letters are random.

Mr Pulham believes that prospective buyers will get a good deal when they go car hunting: “The quality of modern cars, offers like free insurance, zero per cent finance available from some manufacturers and very attractive prices all add up to a package to satisfy the whole spectrum of customer needs.”

When buying a car, drivers should also bear in mind that, since March 2001, the rate of vehicle excise duty has varied depending on the level of cars’ exhaust emissions.