Number Plates News

A Terrific Trio in Latest Austration Plate Auction

01 March 2010

Australian auctioneers, Shannons of Melbourne, are offering three very desirable registrations at a forthcoming sale. The plates '171', '172', and '173' are expected to create enormous interest. This is the first time that such a sequence has been available together since 1998, when the numbers '14', '15' and '16' went under the hammer.

The average price on that occasion was today's equivalent of nearly £45,000, but experts estimate their current worth to be around the £300,000 mark. Shannon's are predicting offers in excess of £60,000 for each of the latest examples. Pundits are, however, quick to point out that the less obviously attractive '241' raised a similar price at auction last year, so the estimate could well be somewhat off the mark.

Auction Manager, Christophe Boribon, considers it more than likely that all three numbers will be snapped up as a set by the same buyer. "What a great opportunity to have the status of three consecutive numbers on cars in the one family or business,." he says. "I know many people are thinking along these lines and it would be fantastic to keep this family together."

He also reinforces the interesting concept that a vehicle registration constitutes 'intellectual property' rather than a tangible asset. It is the right to display the registration that is purchased so it cannot be lost or stolen and does not need to be insured. This obviously represents a very secure form of investment against alternatives such as antiques or art treasures.

Alongside the number plate lots on offer, the auction will include a large private collection of exotic 1950s and 1960s American cars and 16 rare motorcycles dating from 1923.