Are you a fan of personalised number plates? They certainly divide opinion among drivers and yet demand has risen with a record £102 million spent already this year on this most ubiquitous car item.
James Saperia, owner of Wakefield-based private car plate trading company Simply Registrations, says: “Personalised plates are like Marmite – you either love or hate them. For many they are a luxury accessory, like trim for the car, that can add a touch of style from about £250.”
“But if you are willing to spend thousands of pounds you can buy an investment that should rise in price over time as demand for rare numbers and letters remains strong – just like a valuable Rolex watch.”
Since the DVLA started selling private plates in 1989 it has brought in in a total of £2 billion for the Treasury.
And now that could be boosted even further as 1,5000 personalised registrations go under the auctioneers’ hammer this week at the Oxford Belfry Hotel on May 18th - the second auction to be held this year.
Adam Griffiths, of DVLA Personalised Registrations, said: “We have experienced a record-breaking run of sales over the last 18 months or so, success that continued with our first auction of 2016 when all but three lots were sold.
“We’ve carefully put together another blend of personalised registrations to suit all tastes and, above all, budgets. This, combined with the ever-growing trend in popularity the public have with personalised registrations, we are extremely confident that our run of successful sales will continue at The Oxford Belfry. Who knows, but this could be our first sale whereby every lot is sold.”
The highest amount paid to date was £518,000 in November 2014 and in so doing became the DVLA’s highest selling personalised registration of all time. Registration 25 O, purchased by a Ferrari driver, was the first to break the £500,000 barrier.
Lots up for sale include:
CY13 ORG (£700), DEB 1X (£500), DOR 15A (£300), DUK 47Y (£300), DY14 LAN (£400), 848 E (£2,500), EGO 81G (£300), ELL 4H (£350), EV14 ANS (£400), FER 458T (£250), F24 NNY (£250), F41 THB (£250), GE13 MMA (£400), H411 EMS (£250), IG 99 (£2,200), 750 JET (£1,200), 250 JK (£2,200), 75 KAY (£1,200), 800 KG (£2,200), KR15 TEL (£700), K412 MEN (£250), 54 LSA (£1,250), 70 NGA (£1,200), NOA 1H (£500), 250 OMG (£1,200), PET 120L (£250), PHA 240H (£250), P011 PPY (£400), RAF 1X (£500), REG 911E (£250), STU 422T (£250), 247 TOW (£1,500), 321 USA (£1,200), 21 VER (£1,200), 111 WAG (£1,200), W412 MER (£250), 101 X (£2,500), 2 YES (£1,200), Y011 UNG (£400).
As well as in person on the day, bids can also be placed online or by phone.
