Private number plates – The British Obsession
Although many people can spot a personalised number plate quite easily, you may be surprised at just how many of them are on the roads of Britain. The fact is that more and more people are realising the benefits of owning their very own private number plate.
The British obsession with private number plates began as far back as 1903 with the introduction of registration numbers. A new government Act decreed that all vehicles on British roads must be registered with their local authority and issued with a metal plate which must be used to display the registration number at all times. Even at this very early stage there was quite an interest brewing in these seemingly innocent registration numbers. Although not actually the first registration number to be issued, A 1 was famously snapped up in London by an Earl Russell who assigned it to his Napier car.
These days, the fascination with private number plates is still alive and well. M 1 sold at auction in Goodwood last summer for over £331,000 – perhaps even more surprising, it was reported that the buyer had purchased the number plate for his eleven-year-old son! However, the act of buying personalised number plates as a gift to a loved one is not as rare as you may at first think. Take young Bart Hastings, for example. The poor chap didn’t have the best start in life – his parents allowed his older brother, Greg, to name him after the popular cartoon character Bart Simpson. When Bart turns eighteen, however, he has C8 ART (mis-spaced as C 8ART) awaiting assignment to his shiny new car.
As with many things, the world of private number plates has its bittersweet side too. Take John Harrington, for example, who bought the personalised number plate J5 THW in memory of his late wife Tina Harrington-Wells. John and Tina had been married only five years when Tina sadly passed away aged 42, just two days before Christmas 2000. The J5 THW registration number has particular significance for John – J for his initial, 5 for the number of years they’d been married, and THW for Tina’s initials.
Incidentally, many businesses have realised the power of a personalised number plate in their marketing strategy. Take Pimlico Plumbers, for example, who have purchased a massive range of private number plates to display on their impressive fleet of vans. There’s B1 DET , LAV 1 , F1 USH , W4 TER , DRA 1N , S1 NKS and even BOG 1 just for starters! John Culverhouse, Managing Director of Luton-based Fantastic Fireworks has also been bitten by the number plates bug. Initially swayed towards buying 8 ANG, John opted for his ultimate private number plate – 5 NOV. For John’s company, it didn’t come much better than that, and they even renamed their website after the registration number! The plate has made a stunning difference to his company’s fortunes – he’s since been asked to put on displays for leading international footballers and even to go to Paris to give the new Eurostar high-speed rail link a rip-roaring welcome as the first train arrives at the Gare du Nord!
A private number plate can make a sound investment, too. A registration number bought today is likely to double in value over future years, and perhaps one of the most satisfying aspects is that you can keep your private number plate for life and display it on any car you choose. With this growing interest and intrigue into the world of registration numbers, Numberplates.com has fast become established as the UK’s leading private number plates club. It’s entirely free to join and gives access to a whole host of features and information. The website allows you to find out where and when your number plate was issued, as well as an unrivalled archive of information on previous DVLA number plate auctions and motoring memorabilia. The club is actively seeking new material too, so please do submit anything you feel may be of interest.
If you’re interested in personalised number plates or want to find out more about the world of registration numbers, please take a moment to visit the private number plates club at Numberplates.com