Number Plate Stories

GS 1 - A Record Breaking Number Plate

For many years the most famous and best-known record breaking number plate sold was K1 NGS. It was auctioned by the DVLA in December 1993 and went for a record-breaking hammer price of £185,000. The auction fees and VAT for this famous car registration realised a total cost of £235,000

The story is that two fiercely competitive rivals battled it out in a hushed but electrified auction room until one of them finally resigned themselves to defeat, at which point the whole room erupted into spontaneous applause and rapturous cheers. After this historic moment the auction no doubt had to continue but did so with the ramifications of this historic moment ringing in everyone’s ears. How on earth did those auctioneers rekindle the bidding after such an amazing battle of wills?

The sale of GS 1, however, may not have achieved the same level of notoriety yet but in time it no doubt will. The registration plate was auctioned on July 22 nd 2005 at Loves Auction Rooms, Perth in Scotland (GS 1 was originally registered in January 1928 by Perth County Council) and fought between two determined opponents whose resolve and desire for this excellent number plate was definitely tested that afternoon.

What was rather strange was that this was primarily an auction of antique furniture and other household items but the following brief explanation in the catalogue does explain its inclusion at an estimated price of £80-100,000.

Lot 201

A Scottish Cherished Car Registration Number – GS 1. £80,000-100,000

This rare Scottish registration number was in the possession of the late Mr John Wilkie for many, many years – since 1927 in fact – and is currently on retention with the DVLA awaiting a new owner.

The hammer price of £220,000 exceeded the previous record by a massive £35,000, placing this remarkable number plate in pole position of all-time auction prices achieved, and with the auctioneer’s commission and VAT, it pushed the total cost to £258,775, a small price to pay to be the new owner of this piece of motoring history.

However, owning the ultimate number one registration with your initials is one thing, driving around with a piece of history on your bumper another.

Stories such as these don’t come around too often, but when they do the one thing it reinforces is the huge interest in personal number plates and the resultant prices that can be achieved. It certainly proves to us here at Regtransfers that our large selection of top quality, two-letter, number one registrations is excellent value and good investment prospects.