Record Breakers and High Fliers (Constantly Updated)
On this page:
- First British/UK Registration Numbers Issued
- Most Expensive UK and World Car Number Plates (Table)
First British/UK Registration Numbers Issued
The Myth
It is commonly reported that the first vehicle registration issued in Britain was A 1. This, however, is not correct. While A 1 would have been the first registration issued by the London authority, other authorities did, in fact, begin issuing registration numbers before London did.
Many have assumed that chronology should tally with both alphabetical and numerical order. However, the fact is that the letter component of those early registrations identified the issuing authority, not the order of issue. It is ignorance of this that is to blame for the common, and erroneous, belief that A 1 was the first British car registration.*
The real story of A 1 is interesting, even though it wasn't actually the first ever number plate. In 1903, when London began issuing vehicle registrations on a first-come-first-served basis, Earl Russell sat up all night to ensure that he would be first in the queue for this historic number plate. Competition was fierce, and it is reported that Earl Russell beat his nearest rival by a matter of only a few seconds.
Noel Woodall, number plates expert and inventor of the term "autonumerology" to describe the study of the subject, detailed part of the history of A 1 in his "Car Numbers" series of books. In recent years, however, A 1 seems to have slipped "under the radar", and there is uncertainty regarding the registration's current whereabouts and status.
The Reality
Unfortunately, at this time, it is not possible to say with certainty which was the very first issued UK registration, but Regtransfers.co.uk continues to research the issue. This document will be updated as additional reliable information becomes available.
Highest Prices Paid for Car Registrations
The areas where private car registrations seem to command the most spectacular sums are the Middle East, South East Asia and the United Kingdom. The table below is regularly updated to provide as much information as possible at a glance.
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 | - |
* Some car registration reference books list the year of issue of A1 as 1904, however its acquisition by Earl Russell was reported in a December 23rd 1903 issue of Car Illustrated so the year of issue is established beyond doubt as 1903.
It is widely speculated that, should it become available, A 1 could command a price as high as £1 million.
NB: This information is maintained up-to-date to the best of our knowledge and ability. Nevertheless, errors and omissions may occasionally creep in.








