THE NUMBER PLATES THAT ADD UP...
Sales of personalised car registrations have never been higher. What is the record sum paid for one? And which are the real collectors’ items?
NUMBER plates have been in demand ever since the first vehicle registrations were released in 1903 and the second Earl Russell sent his butler to queue overnight outside the offices of the London City Council in order to secure the number “A 1”.
In the century or so that followed millions of number plates have been issued and as the number of registrations in circulation grew so did the demand for personalised versions. Almost 335,000 personalised registrations were sold last year, more than four times the number sold 20 years ago, raising a record £102million for the Treasury.
Meanwhile the value of rare registrations – such as “one and two plates” featuring one number and two letters – has risen 20-fold over the same period.
A spokesman for the Driver And Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) says: “Many people enjoy displaying a personalised registration number and the general sale and auctions remain extremely popular with the public.
“Since we began selling them we have raised about £2.3billion. All the money raised is passed to the Treasury.”
History
While registrations have been around since 1903, the DVLA first began selling number plates in 1990. It now has a portfolio of 47million registrations available for purchase made up of number plates that failed to make it on to cars as well as newly issued registrations.
The demand for personalised plates has mushroomed over the years with 77,745 sold in 1995-96, 232,199 in the mid-2000s and 281,994 in 2014-15. Over the past year alone the total sold has soared by 19 per cent to 334,818.
How to buy
There are two main ways of buying a personalised registration: via the DVLA and through a private dealer.
The DVLA has a personalised registrations website that lists details of recently released plates to be sold at auctions held up to nine times a year. Each auction sells up to 1,500 number plates and prices typically start from £250.
The price includes the £80 payable as an administration fee to register the plate with a new vehicle. The agency also has a search facility that lists letter and number combinations matching the plate you are seeking.
But you may well not find the registration you want through the DVLA. As James Saperia, owner of Wakefield-based private car plate trading company Simply Registrations, says: “The DVLA only releases new numbers so if you want something special you often have to go through a private dealership.
“But only use one signed up to a trade body as these should have a stated code of conduct they abide by. They should act on your behalf to ensure you pay a fair price for a special plate and do not pay over the odds.”
The two main trade bodies are The Institute of Registration Agents & Dealers (MIRAD) and the Cherished Numbers Dealers Association (CNDA).
Celebrity CHoiCes
A number of celebrity drivers have bought up registrations that advertise their profession. Society hairdresser Nicky Clarke has “H41 RDO”, Veteran comedian Jimmy Tarbuck has “COM 1C” and TV handyman Tommy Walsh has “MRD 1Y”. Meanwhile boxer Amir Khan not only has “BOX IIIG” but “R6 KKO” and “A180 XER”.
Jamie Vardy, the Leicester City striker who did so much to help his team win the Premier League last season, celebrated his new £80,000-a-week contract in the summer by buying a £168,000 Bentley and attaching a personal number plate “J9 VDY” – the J9 representing his first initial and shirt number.
investment potential
A personalised number plate can be much more than a self-indulgence. Many of the most soughtafter registrations turn out to be great investments, soaring in value as the years go by.
Bradford businessman Afzal Khan bought “F1” for £440,625 in 2008 but five years later turned down a bid for it of £6million. When Russian oligarch and owner of Chelsea FC Roman Abramovich bought “VIP 1” for £285,000 in 2006, he paid a premium of £223,000 on the price it had gone for just two years earlier.
Simply Registrations’ James Saperia points out that simple plate numbers such as “7 A” can also appreciate in value. Sold for £8,100 by the DVLA in 1993, it is now worth about £300,000. Plate number “6 TW” was sold for £4,400 in 1995 but is now offered for £36,000.
The DVLA warns, however, that no one should bank on making a profit: “People should only buy what they can afford and not view personalised plates as a sure-fire way to make money. If they go up in value it is a bonus.”
most expensive plates ever
The highest price ever paid for a vehicle registration plate registration was the £7.25million bid for “1” by Abu Dhabi businessman Saeed Abdul Ghaffar Khouri in 2008.
The record price commanded by the DVLA was the £400,000 paid by Ferrari dealer John Collins for “25 O” in 2014. The plate is now fixed on a Ferrari 250 SWB once owned by Eric Clapton, which is said to be worth £10million.
tHe Coveted a 1
When car registration numbers were first released the most desirable options were offered on a first come first served basis after the applicant had queued overnight outside the London City Council offices. Earl Russell managed to secure the legendary “A 1” plate by getting his butler to stand in line and beat his nearest rival by just five seconds.
The plate was sold three years later to the chairman of London County Council and passed through a number of private hands until it was acquired by tyre manufacturer Dunlop in 1970, which put it on a Daimler limousine that was used to transport VIPs to and from its factories.
In 2000 it was sold to Prince Jefri Bolkiah, a member of the Brunei royal family, for an undisclosed sum. He also bought the registration “1 A” and installed the two plates on matching white Bentley Azures.
ColleCtors’ items
“S1” is believed to be Scotland’s first ever number plate and was originally on a car owned by one of Scotland’s first car owners, Lord Kingsburgh, in 1903. It was bought for £404,000 in 2008 by an anonymous bidder who said it would be put on an old red Skoda.
rude options
While the DVLA attempts to ensure that no risqué or rude registrations are issued, companies such as the online dealer R4V offer a range of “naughty number plates”. These include “AFF 4IR” for £5,500.
tHe Queen’s number plates
The monarch is unique for not being required to display a registration number on her fleet of state cars, consisting of Bentleys and Rolls-Royces.
That said, the Queen does own a number of plates including the registration number “A 7”.
The registration “1 HRH” is owned by an anonymous businessman who bought it in 2009 for £114,000. He said at the time: “In my mind there are not many registrations that can better ‘1 HRH’.
“While I bought it as an investment, its obvious royal links made me determined to keep it in British hands.”