Registration Numbers Club

The highs and lows of number plates

How high?

With another UK record price achieved recently for a fabulous number plate, is there really no limit to the price people will pay for a cherished registration?

F 1 sold for over £440,000 and is well over £100,000 more than that paid by a Cheshire businessman for M 1 in July 2006. Bradford entrepreneur Afzal Khan will display the F 1 plate on his Mercedes McLaren SLR.

I wouldn’t like to pay his insurance premium though. The whole package must be worth well over three quarters of a million pounds!

This rare plate was first registered in 1904 to a Panhard Levassor car owned by the Essex County surveyor, following which it went into private ownership. Essex County Council used it again from 1955 since when it has been on a variety of civic limousines. Apparently the authority will use the proceeds to fund an advanced driver training programme for young drivers.
An extremely sensible use of the funds.

The new owner believes he has bagged a bargain, claiming it is worth many times more. But where was Bernie Ecclestone in all this? Wouldn’t the plate have looked great in the Silverstone paddock at the Formula 1 British Grand Prix?

This price, however, is nothing compared to those in the Gulf States where, last year,
a businessman paid £3.5 million at auction for the single digit number ‘5’. That record was broken again this February when the ultimate Emirates plate, the single digit ‘1’, was auctioned by the Emirates Auction Company and made a staggering £7.25 million. A wealthy Arab property magnate purchased the plate and the proceeds will fund a rehabilitation centre for traffic accident victims. Again, very sensible use of the funds.

How low?

As anyone who has taken their vehicle for an MoT test recently knows, it is possible that it could have failed due to an incorrect number plate - the MoT station quoting additional regulations covering, supplier details, British Standard symbol, background, flags, colour, spacing, font etc. as the reason. However, MoT stations were told last November by VOSA not to fail any vehicle for these reasons as it appears the regulations have been rushed through and are not yet legally binding. Apparently, the situation should be remedied by early April when, according to the Agency, the additional regulations become a lawful part of the MoT test. You have been warned.

The RNC Rally 2008

The Registration Numbers Club will hold its annual rally this year on Sunday 6 July 2008 at Stanford Hall in Leicestershire, where around 70 vehicles will display cherished number plates. There will also be a members’ dinner on the previous evening at the Greyhound Coaching Inn and Hotel in the nearby market town of Lutterworth.

The RNC will share the venue with the Velocette Owners Club this year and are looking forward to a great weekend with mutual benefits to both parties. Visitors to the rally are most welcome.

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