I hope this is of some kind of interest for this Blog – last year from January to November 2012, I noted the registration of the many German rental cars that visit the streets of Paris.
Here is an overview of the regions and sequences used by the main German rental-car companies:
Hansestadt Hamburg
This Lander uses particular sequences in the following order
1- HH-Bx-8xxx
Overall sequence from HH-BJ 8532 to HH-CI 8795 (not observed from BA to BI then CC to CF and CH)
(Numerical sequence observed from 8033 to 8999)
1 – HH-Ox-7xxx
HH-OA 7172 to HH-OT-7726 (not observed OC to OF OH to OJ, OK, ON, OQ and OR) (Numerical sequence observed from 7019 to 7726).
Observation from HH-OA-7172, HH-OB 7019 then HH-OG 7xxx, HH-OI 7620 to HH-OL 7xxx, HH-OM 7421 then HH-OO 7xxx, OP 7xxxx & HH-OS 7xxx, OT 7726
3 – HH-Px-7xxx (May be the next sequence)
One observation HH-PE-7093
Düren
Düren uses two sequences in this order
1- DN-Hx-xxxx
Overall sequence from DN HO 3746 to DN-HZ 8852 (all series DN-HO to HZ-observed) (numerical sequence observed from 10xx to 9xxx)
2- DN-AA-xxxx (Must be the next sequence) One observation DN-AA 7032
Wiesbaden
Only one sequence observed for Wiesbaden
Overall sequence from WI-AG 8889 to WI-AK 8068 (all series observed from WI-AG to AK) (numerical sequence observed from 1791 to 9694)
München
München’s area seems to have several sequences at the same time, no specific order
M-OA to M-OJ (all series M-OA to OJ observed) (numerical sequence observed in 10xx 9xxx)
M-GA 5042 to M-GD 6556 (all series observed from M-GA to M-GD) (numerical sequence observed from 50xx to 6xxx)
M-AB to M-AG 2912 (not observed AD and AE) (numerical sequence observed from 4226 to 6556)
Neuss
Only one sequence observed from NE-RQ 4573 to 5365
Bonn
Only one sequence observed from BN-P 744 to BN-P 3168
All photos come from Bruno Vernhes’ collection
Hansestadt Hamburg Europcar HH-Ox-7xxx sequence
Hansestadt Hamburg Europcar HH-Bx-8xxx sequence
Hansestadt Hamburg Europcar HH-Cx-8xxx sequence
Düren DN-Hx-xxxx sequence
Mûnchen M-Gx-xxxx sequence
Bonn BN-P-xxx and xxxx sequence
Neuss NE-RQ-xxxx sequence
Europlate blog 
Interesting and unusual piece of research, Bruno! Vic
When such cars are sold from hire companies in to the private arena, are they re-registered, to conceal their rental history? And can a European hire car circulate anywhere within the Eurozone, or must special (insurance, deposit) arrangements
Be made? Do other EU countries identify their hire cars by registration batch or other means?
Thanks Vic, for your comments, to give an answer, I think, but I’m not sure that rental are not re-registered when they are sold to the private in Germany. I also pretty sure that rental cars can circulate everywhere in Europe specialy in the EU, without any arrangements are made.
About your last question, France in the 90’s have special sequence in the 92 dpt for rental cars. Same as german ones today. But nowadays even if the plates bear specific department number as 01-60-76 they are registered in the normal sequence without any difference with the private cars.
Outside EU but in Europe Swiss and FL rental cars have their own sequence.
+ München = M-KT 6000-7999
+ Euskirchen = EU-xx 1234
Switzerland / Liechtenstein
+ AI 20000 – AI 23999 ( Avis )
+ AI 30000 – AI 34999 ( Hertz )
+ AI 40000 – AI 41999 ( Europcar )
+ AI 50000 – AI 54999 ( Europcar )
+ AI 66000 – AI 70999 ( Sixt )
+ VD 513000 – VD 517999
Austria = Regular numbers plus MW suffix (Mietwagen)