We got this car in for some brake work. Can anyone spot the deliberate error?

A mk1 that they stopped making in 1997 registered as a T-plate? That would make it at the very oldest a March 1999 car. The chassis number is closer to that of a 1993 or 1994 car. Please note we did NOT import this car! Clerical errors on registering MX5s are quite commonplace (usually on the chassis number or engine cc but this one is a bit too far out to be an error we think. And the exhaust is in a bit of a state as well. And the brake pads were metal-on-metal!