Abu Dhabi dominates a global list of the most expensive car number plates ever sold, according to a list compiled by Regtransfers website, the UK’s largest independent dealer in personalised number plates.
Buyers from the UAE capital account for 37 of the top 50 most expensive plates ever sold. The 37 Abu Dhabi buyers listed in the rankings collectively spent AED222.9m ($60.6m), or an average of AED6 ($1.6m) for their car plates.
Here is the countdown to the top 20 plates ever sold.
Plate: 24
Buyer: Abu Dhabi
Cost: AED3.2m ($871,174m)
Plate: 33
Buyer: Hong Kong
Cost: HKD7m ($900,977)
Plate: 19
Buyer: Abu Dhabi
Cost: AED3.35m ($912,010)
Bought: September 2010
Plate: 66
Buyer: Abu Dhabi
Cost: AED3.35m ($912m010)
Plate: 42
Buyer: Abu Dhabi
Cost: AED2.4m ($925,622)
Bought: June 2009
Plate: 88
Buyer: Abu Dhabi
Cost: AED4.2m ($1,143,416)
Plate: 2
Buyer: Hong Kong
Cost: HKD9.5m ($1,222,754)
Plate: 10
Buyer: Abu Dhabi
Cost: AED4.5m ($1,225,089)
Plate: 45
Buyer: Abu Dhabi
Cost: AED5m ($1,361,210)
Plate: 16
Buyer: Abu Dhabi
Cost: AED6m ($1,633,452)
Plate: 9
Buyer: Hong Kong
Cost: HKD13m ($1,673,243)
Bought: June 1994
Plate: 99
Buyer: Abu Dhabi
Cost: AED6.5m ($1,769,573)
Plate: 55
Buyer: Abu Dhabi
Cost: AED6.5m ($1,769,573)
Plate: 18
Buyer: Hong Kong
Cost: HKD16m ($2,059,376)
Bought: February 2008
Plate: 11
Buyer: Abu Dhabi
Cost: AED8m ($2,177,936)
Plate: 12
Buyer: Abu Dhabi
Cost: AED8.9m ($2,422,953)
Plate: 9
Buyer: Abu Dhabi
Cost: AED10m ($2,722,420)
Bought: September 2010
Plate: 7
Buyer: Abu Dhabi
Cost: AED16.5m ($4,491,993)
Bought: February 2010
Plate: 5
Buyer: Abu Dhabi
Cost: AED25.2m ($6,860,498)
Plate: 1
Buyer: Abu Dhabi
Cost: AED52.2m ($14,211,032)
Bought: February 2008

Jon Cherry is a Director of leading personalised number plate dealer Regplates.com. Jon has over 25 years industry experience handling some of the most expensive plates ever sold with many high profile and celebrity clients. Active since 1991 in the number plate industry, Jon is currently Chairman of the Cherished Numbers Guild, a trade body representing number plate dealers in the UK. Jon has written many articles on the industry and insight into the future of numberplates and the market as a whole.