Rush For Final 'F' Registrations

Tuesday (October 7th) was a big day for the private number plates industry. The eagerly anticipated release of the final 'F' registrations, previously held back by the DVLA, resulted in an incredible rush as buyers grabbed their phones from as early as 8am to secure themselves a plate. The result after ten hours was a massive £3.42 million worth of number plates sold, a new record for the industry.

The DVLA phone lines were overwhelmed on the day, and 40,000 call attempts were made every hour. Although the enthusiasm was expected, the DVLA did not expect the launch to be as successful as it was, especially with the current financial crisis. Damian Lawson, marketing manager for DVLA Personalised Registrations, said:

"We've been completely taken aback by the immense response. Setting a new sales record in today's economic climate clearly indicates that consumers are still ready to invest in a personalised registration."

The previous record was set four years ago with the release of 'E' registrations, also previously held back by the DVLA. Tuesday's launch surpassed this record by over £200,000.

This is the latest positive outcome for the personalised number plates industry in a run of success. Last month, an auction held by the DVLA produced many great sales, with the most prestigious being the sale of '6 B', which sold for £130,000.

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