While you can buy private number plates affordably if you have a limited budget, the rich and famous who want to flash their cash conspicuously are often willing to pay a premium for the most unique and unusual personalised registrations.
Even if you could never afford one of these yourself, taking a look at the most expensive private plates sold in the UK is entertaining in its own right, so let’s dive right in. Keep in mind that these are only the publicly available figures; some private sales may have soared much higher, but the prices remain a secret.
1) 25 O
This is an innocuous enough private number plates, but back in 2014 it was purchased for more than half a million pounds.
Part of the reason for its value is the fact that it is even more appealing when paired with rare, vintage vehicles. The buyer is known to have a collection including classic Ferraris, which may well bare the 25 O plate with pride to this day.
2) X 1
In 2012 this plate was bought for the princely sum of just over £500,000 and has continued to appreciate in value ever since.
This is another example of how simpler plates tent to command more cash than their more complex equivalents, even if with more letters and numbers it is possible to create words and phrases to dazzle and delight other motorists.
4) F 1
The previous record holder for most valuable plate when it was auctioned off in 2008, it is now thought that it could be worth well over £1 million. Indeed at one point its owner Afzal Kahn put it on the market at £15 million, although whether or not it found a buyer at this price is uncertain.
5) S 1
There is a lot of heritage associated with this number plate, as rumour has it that it was the first ever license plate to be issued in Scotland. Whether or not this is actually true is irrelevant; it still managed to make just over £400,000 when it was last auctioned around the same time as F 1.
6) 1 D
Selling for a cool £352,000, this private number plate is not in any way related to the now disbanded boy band made up of Harry Styles and his pals. No doubt in the future it will sell to someone who was once a fan of the group and has managed to find subsequent success as an adult.
7) VIP 1
This could arguably be the most sought after private number plate in the UK given the obvious connotations of wealth and luxury that it brings along with it. It should be no surprise, therefore, to hear that it belongs to none other than Roman Abramovich, the Russian billionaire who is most famous for owning Premier League side Chelsea. The £285,000 he paid for it was no doubt a drop in the ocean at the time, and it is sure to be valued much higher today.
