Number Plates Sales from the February 2024 DVLA Auction
Once again, this February saw a very active DVLA Private Number Plate Auction. Whilst only 1000 plates were available for bidding compared with the usual 2500, prices for the most sought after plates still remained high with a total of £4,858,634 being spent across the event.
Of the 1000 private number plates that were auctioned, it was a slightly controversial reg plate that bought the most attention this month. At the latest auction, the registration "2 FU" fetched an impressive £74,565, marking it as the highest-priced registration of the event. This particular registration garnered attention due to its unique combination, "FU," which has encountered occasional issues in the past. Requests for registrations featuring "FU" have been declined by the DVLA on certain occasions, adding to the intrigue surrounding this sale.
Securing the second spot was the registration "8 XN" which fetched an impressive £54,021. Notably, recent single-digit XN numbers have seen a significant uptick in prices compared to earlier examples. The initial five registrations released in this series averaged a mere £4,100 each, highlighting the remarkable increase in value. Similarly, "6 NJM" clinched the tenth spot in the price rankings this month, commanding £27,057. Interestingly, the average hammer price for single-digit NJM numbers sold previously stood at just £6,000.
Taking the third position was the word plate "501 O" (Solo), purchased for £34,761. The fourth spot was claimed by "A911 GTS" at £32,514, likely sought after for its Porsche reference. Rounding off February's top five was yet another word plate, "HER 105S" (Her loss), purchased for £32,193. The acquisition of this plate perhaps hints at a touch of irony or sentimentality prompting the purchase.
The next DVLA Auction will take place on Wednesday 20th March to Tuesday 26th of March, and you can register your interest here.
Private Number Plate News From Around the World
Leeds Council Looking to Sell Extremely Rare U1 Number Plate
Leeds Council has recently made headlines with its decision to sell an exceptionally rare U1 number plate. This unique piece of vehicular adornment has garnered attention not only for its singularity but also for its historical significance. Believed to be one of the oldest number plates in the United Kingdom, the U1 number plate holds a special place in the annals of automotive history. Although the number plate was originally owned by Rowland Winn, a founding member of the Automobile Association, since leaving his possession, it has since been passed down through generations to each o fate Lord Majors of Leeds for their ceremonial cars.
The decision to sell the U1 number plate reflects Leeds Council's pragmatic approach towards asset management. With a growing interest in personalised number plates and a thriving market for such memorabilia, the council recognises the potential financial gains that can be achieved through this sale and how it could be spent to benefit the people of Leeds. It has been said that the funds from the sale of the plate, which is currently valued at approximately £500,000, will go towards road repairs and council costs.
Cloning of Number Plates Could Cost You Your Car
As a crime that is growing in prevalence across the world, number plate cloning is beginning to cause more trouble for car owners than ever before. With the introduction of ANPR cameras and mobile vehicle tracking, car owners who have had their plates duplicated are finding that they are receiving fines and even seizure of property because entrance in to low-emission zones and toll charges are being left unpaid.
This issue was more apparent than ever before when St Albans resident Bouchaib Moussaid received penalty notices incurred by the driver using copies of his number plates when they entered an ultra-low emission zone (Ulez) within London without paying. At the time of the crime, Mr Moussaid's vehicle was SORN off road and so the penalty notices came as a complete shock.
Despite never having driven his car in London, Mr. Moussaid found himself embroiled in a perplexing situation. Despite supportive statements from a neighbor attesting to his innocence, glaring discrepancies evident in photographs differentiating Mr. Moussaid's vehicle from the one bearing the cloned plates, and the prior notification to the police regarding the cloning incident, Mr. Moussaid's car was seized by bailiffs acting on behalf of TfL, slated for auction. Only through the intervention of The Guardian newspaper was the sale halted, compelling TfL to issue an apology for the mishap.
If you find yourself in a similar situation, please follow the following steps to ensure that you don't receive any further repercussions:
- Return tickets and challenge fines
- Contact the DVLA
- Report to the police