Big Spenders!

The values of top quality number plates are growing, worldwide. With each year that passes, international records for the highest prices paid are being shattered. As you can see from the table on this page, people are already paying millions of pounds for a single registration in some parts of the world. The UK is a little more cautious, but outstanding examples can command prices in excess of a quarter of a million pounds.

Spending a few hundred pounds on a personalised number plate is something most people are quite comfortable with. The increasing number of private registrations sold in the UK each year demonstrates that. It isn’t very surprising, as a good registration can do more to personalise a vehicle than any other change. A flashy spoiler or custom paint job may be eye-catching, but no one can guarantee it will be unique. With a private registration, that is exactly what is guaranteed – uniqueness, forever.

It is, perhaps, harder for some people to understand why owners willingly pay many thousands of pounds for their ultimate personalised number plates. While there is still a fun aspect, even to the most expensive and sought-after registrations, many owners also have very serious reasons for their purchases. In fact, “investments” is probably a more appropriate word to use in these cases.

The factors that dictate the value of a registration number are many and varied. With initials, it is mostly the number of people who have those particular initials. If that number is large, then the potential demand is considerable and that can make some “initials” plates fairly valuable. With names and words, the value comes from a combination of potential demand and the quality of the number from a visual point of view. With “number 1” plates, the value is due to exclusivity and prestige.

An increasing number of sharp-eyed buyers have the knack of spotting those number plates with the most potential. They purchase them speculatively, with the intention of selling later at a profit. And it really is a serious investment, in just the same way as investment in stocks and shares, or in art. Former Top Gear presenter Quentin Willson is famously quoted as saying that a good personal registration could be “better than money in the bank”.

Furthermore, there is an emerging market in private number plates for marketing, PR and branding in business. Sir Alan Sugar and Dragons’ Den moguls Duncan Bannatyne, and Theo Paphitis all recognise the usefulness of private plates when it comes to building and reinforcing an image. Sir Alan’s AMS 1 plate featured prominently in the opening sequence of The Apprentice. Paphitis, who is famous for his association with Ryman and La Senza, has a particular eye for the branding potential of plates. He owns RYM 4N and LA53 NZA.

 

The Most Expensive Number Plates

Rank	Registration	Country	Price in local currency	Price in GBP (£)	Sale Date	More Info
1	1	Abu Dhabi, UAE	AED 52.2 million	£7.25 million	Feb 2008	-
2	5	Abu Dhabi, UAE	AED 25.2 million	£3.5 million	?	-
3	7	Abu Dhabi, UAE	AED 11.4 million	£1.58 million	?	-
4	18	Hong Kong	HKD 16 million	£1.56 million	Feb 2008	-
5	12	Abu Dhabi, UAE	AED 8.95 million	£1.24 million	?	-
6	11	Abu Dhabi, UAE	AED 8 million	£1.1 million	?	-
7	55	Abu Dhabi, UAE	AED 6.5 million	£900,277	?	-
8	16	Abu Dhabi, UAE	AED 6 million	£837.950	?	-
9	9	Hong Kong	HKD 13 million	£832,258	1994	-
10	45	Abu Dhabi, UAE	AED 5 million	£692,521	?	-
11	10	Abu Dhabi, UAE	AED 4.5 million	£623,269	?	-
12	2	Hong Kong	HKD 9.5 million	£608,115	?	-
13	88	Abu Dhabi, UAE	AED 4.2 million	£581,717	?	-
14	66	Abu Dhabi, UAE	AED 3.35 million	£463.989	?	-
15	33	Hong Kong	HKD 7 million	£448,085	?	-
16	F 1	UK	£440,625	£440,625	Jan 2008	Blog & video
17	24	Abu Dhabi, UAE	AED 3.15 million	£436,288	?	-
18	E 15	Dubai, UAE	AED 3.12 million	£432,133	?	-
19	50	Abu Dhabi, UAE	AED 3 million	£415,512	?	-
20	97	Abu Dhabi, UAE	AED 3 million	£415,512	?	-
21	S 1	UK	£404,063	£404,063	?	-
22	80	Abu Dhabi, UAE	AED 2.9 million	£401,662	?	-
23	33	Abu Dhabi, UAE	AED 2.85 million	£394.737	?	-
24	69	Abu Dhabi, UAE	AED 2.75 million	£380,886	?	-
25	76	Abu Dhabi, UAE	AED 2.75 million	£380,886	?	-
26	65	Abu Dhabi, UAE	AED 2.7 million	£373,961	?	-
27	23	Abu Dhabi, UAE	AED 2.65 million	£367,036	?	-
28	1 D	UK	£352,411	£352,411	March 2009	Info & video
29	M 1	UK	£331,500	£331,500	June 2006	-
30	8	Hong Kong	HKD 5 million	£320,128	?	-
31	38	Abu Dhabi, UAE	AED 2.15 million	£297,784	?	-
32	VIP 1	UK	£285,000	£285,000	Jan 2006	-
33	GS 1	UK	£258,775	£258,775	July 2005	-
34	51 NGH	UK	£254,000	£254,000	April 2006	-
35	1 RH	UK	£247,952	£247,952	Nov 2008	-
36	K1 NGS	UK	£231,000	£231,000	Dec 1993	-
37	1 O	UK	£210,242	£210,242	Jan 2009	Auction video
38	1 OO	UK	£197,000	£197,000	April 2006	-
39	1 A	UK	£160,000	£160,000	Dec 1989	-
40	2 O	UK	£142,249	£142,249	March 2009	-
41	1 HRH	UK	£113,815	£113,815	Jan 2009	Auction video
42	MR51 NGH	UK	£101,050	£101,050	April 2006	-
43	3 S	UK	£94,035	£94,035	Jan 2009	-
44	S1 NGH	UK	£86,000	£86,000	Nov 1998	-
45	RU55 ELL	UK	£79,314	£79,314	April 2006	-

Please note that the variable nature of currency exchange rates may cause apparent minor inconsistencies in the data above, and so the amounts quoted should be considered approximate rather than wholly accurate in every case.