More and more individuals are showing an interest in private number plates. The craze for custom number plates is increasing like never before. Adding personalised number plates to your car will make it stand out in the crowd. It will also allow you to easily identify your car among other cars when it is parked amongst other cars. It can also increase the value of your car.
Are you interested in private number plates? If you are then here are some interesting facts that will surely surprise you. Let’s take a look!
‘1’ is the Most Expensive Number Plate
Have you ever wondered what creates the most expensive personalised number plate? You will probably not be surprised to know that the digit ‘1’ has a large influence on the value. As an extreme example of this, the number ‘1’ was sold for £7.25m. It was purchased by Abdul Gaffer Khouri, who is a member of an extremely rich family in Abu Dhabi. He bought the number plate because he believed that it was the best of all personalised number plates to have on his car and he was competing with several other people who had the same thought.
The plate was sold in an auction held in Abu Dhabi in 2008. Prior to this, the most expensive number plate had been the number ‘5’ sold for £5m. It was bought by Talal Ali Mohammad.
Personalised Number Plates are the Best Investments
In recent times, everyone is looking to make an investment and realise healthy returns. Whist some people invest in stocks, others prefer investing in digital money or ‘crypto-currency’. However, have you ever thought that investing in a personalised number plate could be a great option? If you haven’t given it a thought, it is time to start thinking about this as an option. Some personalised number plates can actually provide you with the highest returns on investment.
So, if you are looking for investment opportunities, think seriously about a personalised number plate. As the craze for personalised number plates is on the rise, you can look to earn a healthy return by investing now and selling into a market where prices have consistently increased year on year over decades.
‘VIP 1’ Used for the Visit of Pope John Paul II
Have you ever heard about the number plate ‘VIP 1’? It is one of the most recognisable and desirable number plates. Currently, the owner of this number plate is Roman Abramovich, who was, until very recently, the owner of Chelsea Football Club. He purchased the number plate for a price of £285,000 in 2006. The number plate was used for Pope John Paul II during his trip to Ireland and it was displayed on the pope’s mobile. The number plate was originally owned by Kilkenny businessman Bill Finnegan in the 1970s.
‘S8 RRY’ – The Number Plate of Robbie Williams
When it comes to using personalised number plates, people think of many unique combinations with the message they give to others and to themselves. Whist some think of adding their name in a unique way, others think of displaying their anniversary or birthday. There are some people that like owning personalised number plates displaying their hobby or profession.
However, what Robbie Williams chose was unique. Robbie Williams, a popular English songwriter and singer, apologised to his fans in a unique way. He bought a personalised number plate ‘S8 RRY’. Now, you must be thinking, why did he apologise. It was because he realised that his fan base was not that impressed when he purchased a flashy Ferrari. He displayed the number plate as an apology for his self-indulgence.
Harry Tate was the First Celebrity to Get a Private Number Plate
There has always been a craze for personalised number plates amongst the wealthy and the famous. Harry Tate was one of the very first wealthy and famous people to buy a private number plate. If you are not aware of Harry Tate, he was a successful music hall artist. He purchased the custom number plate ‘T 8’. However, as of today, the owner of the private number plate T 8 is Johnny Tate, who is one of the owners of Tate & Lyle Sugar Company.
You Need Not Have a Vehicle to Get a Personalised Number Plate
Did you know that you can buy a private number plate even when you do not have a vehicle? Even without owning a vehicle, you can have a personalised number plate. You can use the number plate later when you purchase a vehicle. You can hold the number plate on a certificate valid for 10 years. In order to maintain entitlement to the number plate, you need to make sure to keep renewing the certificate of entitlement or the retention document when it isn’t assigned to a vehicle.
Conclusion
There are some interesting and surprising facts relating to private number plates. Find your perfect personalised number plate and make your car stand out and you can be confident that you will be rewarded.
