When it comes to cars and luxury items, the rich aren’t against spending money. Take for example are the number of plates. How often do you notice a car’s number plate when you drive around town?
Do you pause and admire it or do you simply shrug your shoulders and go on with your life? To some, a car’s number plate is worth like an expensive and brand new car. A few of the people in the world spend thousands or millions of dollars on a specific number plate. Whether it is a gift for a loved one or your own Rolls-Royce, people are willing to spend big for these number plates.
What are Number Plates?
A number plate or license plate is a piece of metal or plastic attached to a vehicle for identification purposes. It serves as an ID of a vehicle and offers a unique identity to track the vehicle when needed. Number plates are important to track and maintain order in a society. If a vehicle is involved in a hit and run accident, the vehicle can be easily traced through its number plate. It allows order in the society for anyone can be held accountable during an incident.
The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Centre (DVLA) is a UK government agency that handles driving licenses. They organize the collection of road tax, handle driving licenses, and sell personalized number plates.
Why Do People Buy Personalized Number Plates?
Below is a list of reasons why many continue to buy personalized number plates.
Individuality
Many buy personalized number plates to show their uniqueness or individuality. You can easily be spotted or named with a particular plate number. It also has a personal meaning based on the owner. For example, the F1 can be associated with Formula 1. Others use it for branding purposes.
Investment
A number plate is a form of investment. Once you own a personalized number plate, the value of it continues to grow each year. Especially when a personalized number plate is different and unique like F1 or 1D it tends to be more expensive.
Attention
When you drive around town with a personalized number plate, people will surely take a double step and look at you. You can turn heads despite driving an old Mercedes or Audi. Due to its uniqueness like the 1D plate, people will admire your car. They may also associate it with a band, a movie, or a famous quote. These are even more eye-catching when it spells out words that people will recognize.
Status Symbol
Number plates are a statement of wealth and status. Others see it as a piece of automotive jewelry. People in the streets will recognize you as an elite while motorists will appreciate your personalized number plate. Also, it helps establish your reputation. When you go out in parties, valets regard cars with personalized number plates.
Great Gifts
Personalized number plates are the perfect gifts for a motorist. You can simply order online and have it easily processed and registered. To easily find and order a unique number plate, you can try Absolute Reg.
Absolute Reg offers the largest and most affordable collection of private number plates. You don’t have to worry about filling up DVLA forms because they will do it for you for as low as £89! Plus, they are a DVLA-registered number plate supplier with over 45 million registrations, state of the art search facility, and wide-range of number plates to choose from.
Check their website now and order online now. You just need to provide your name and address, and they’ll do the rest for you.
TOP 10 Most Expensive Number Plates
Number plates or what people call vanity plates is one of the most expensive luxury items sold in the market. Due to this, the DVLA has sold 5.9 million personalized plates and raised £1.95billion for the Treasury since they started selling it in 1989. Whatever the reasons are for these car owners to buy such expensive personalized number plates, the fact is it costs a ton of money for any normal person. So, sit tight and be amazed at just how much these expensive number plates as we discuss the top 10 most expensive number plates sold in the UK.
1. 25 O
Price: £400,000
This is the most expensive plate purchased in the UK. It is associated with the most expensive car sold at an auction which is the Ferrari 250 GTO. The plate was purchased by classic car dealer John Collins. According to reports, the plate shall be placed in an ultra-special 1961 Ferrari 250 SWB that was once owned by Eric Clapton.
2. 1 D
Price: £285,000
Runner-up to the most expensive number plate is the 1 D, and no it isn’t owned by any of the former One Direction band members. Nabil Bishara, a Lebanese Property Developer, topped the bidding war during a DVLA Personalised Registration auction in Warwickshire. The sale broke the previous record of £254,000 in 2006 for the 51 NGH. Apparently, it was a gift for his wife’s Bentley Bentayga. Talk about treating her like a total queen!
The 1 D was one of the most sought-after number plates in the country. The DVLA auctioneers were expecting great bidding for this plate number but they were blown away by the intensity of the bidding.
According to Damian Lawson, DVLA Personalised Registrations Marketing Manager. “We were still amazed when the bidding went as high as it did and we are absolutely over the moon with the final result.”
3. 51 NGH
Price: £201,000
The number plate 51 NGH was purchased by Mr. Singh. It broke records in 2006 when it was sold for £201,000 making it the most expensive plate sold by a DVLA auction. It was surpassed by 1 D a few years later. It’s sister plate S1 NGH was sold for £110,000 in November 1998.
4. 1 RH
Price: £196,000
The number plate 1 RH was bought by Rob Harverson, a retired businessman and multi-millionaire, who owns the other 10 more private personalized plates. He out-bid Richard Harris where he paid 30 times more than the reserve price during a DVLA auction in Barnsley.
“The sum 1 RH achieved far exceeded our expectations.” Damian Lawson, marketing manager for DVLA Personalised Registrations spoke about the bidding.
According to Mr. Harverson, “I came with £150,000 to spend but, in the end, I was just determined to buy 1 RH and nothing was going to stop me.”
5. K1 NGS
Price: £185,000
When you think about the word King, you think of a man in power and leading the people. King can also be a surname where the person is descended from kings or royals. In 1992, the number plate K1 NGS was released and was later on purchased by an Arab Sultan in 1993. The plate highlights the status of the rank of the person driving the vehicle. It truly is a perfect king number royal plate. No wonder it was purchased by a royal in the ’90s. Lastly, it is presumed to be attached to a royal vehicle until today.
6. KR15 HNA
Price: £180,000
Krishna is a widely worshipped god in Hinduism. He is known as the god of love and compassion. If you worship and believe in him, what better way to show your devotion than buying the KR15 HNA number plate?
A London-based Indian heritage businesswoman purchased the plate at an astounding price of £180,000. This plate broke records back in 2015 where the price rose from its starting bid of £27,000 to £180,000. Surprisingly, the woman did not have a car to attach it to. Perhaps it will bring her good car-ma in the future.
Also, the plate was auctioned off with KR15 HAN selling at £98,500. According to Matthew Dainton, from DVLA Personalised Registrations, “We had high hopes for KR15 HAN and KR15 HNA after a lot of interest being registered beforehand, both of these current style registrations contributed to an enthralling atmosphere in the auction hall, and it’s fantastic to see the prices they have achieved.”
7. 1 O
Price: £170,000
Tom Earle took the winning bid for the number plate 1 O at a DVLA auction back in 2009. At that time, the number plate was the third most expensive number plate in the UK. We can see from his action of holding the beloved plate over his head, how joyous he was in winning the telephone bid.
8. 1 A
Price: £160,000
The 1 A number plate was sold for £160,000 in 1989. It was sold for an incredibly cheap price back then considering its mirror number plate A 1 is worth £10 million in today’s market.
9. 1 OO
Price: £156,000
The number plate 1 00 was sold at a DVLA auction in 2006 for £156,000. Not much is known about the buyer but we can only assume he or she loves the number 100.
10. 2 O
Price: £115,000
The number plate 2 O was sold in March 2009 for £115,000. Ever since it was sold in 2009 at a DVLA auction, it hasn’t been in circulation for years.
Conclusion
If you have a car, a motorcycle, or any other unique vehicle, buying these personalized number plates is worth considering. You are not only adding a personal touch to the vehicle, but you are giving meaning to it. These number plates can be used as a gift for a loved one, a way of showing your individuality, or a simple way of adding uniqueness to your vehicle. We now understand that many people would pay hundreds or thousands of pounds for a number plate, especially a unique and well-known number of plates. In auctions, expensive number plates boost your vehicle’s value and favourability. Hence, now is the time to think about buying one. You may also check out Absolute Reg for your personalized number plate.
