A NUMBER plate sold to raise money for Tatton Park has fetched a world record price of \u00a3331,500 at auction.<\/p>\n
The M1 registration mark was bought by an anonymous north west-based bidder – for his six-year-old son’s birthday.<\/p>\n
Officials at auctioneers Bonhams and Tatton Park were stunned by the final selling price for the unique plate, which quickly reached and overtook the previous world record.<\/p>\n
And they were even more amazed to learn that the owner is a boy who cannot legally drive for another 11 years.<\/p>\n
The youngster is the son of a wealthy Cheshire businessman who refused to reveal himself and made his bids by phone.<\/p>\n
The previous record for a registration plate was set by VIP1 which was bought by Russian billionaire Roman Abramovich for a whopping ‘285,000.<\/p>\n
The M1 plate was auctioned yesterday by Bonhams at the Goodwood Festival of Speed in Chichester, West Sussex.<\/p>\n
Proceeds<\/strong><\/p>\n The winning bidder paid three times the guide price set by auctioneers of ‘80,000 to ‘120,000.<\/p>\n The M1 plate was the first registration issued in Cheshire and was originally handed out in 1902. It has been on a rare 1900 Benz car kept at Tatton Park near Knutsford.<\/p>\n Proceeds from the sale are going to a newly-formed charitable trust which has been set up to safeguard the estate, its farm and grounds.<\/p>\n Brendan Flanagan, general manager of Tatton Park, said: “We are absolutely thrilled with the figure achieved for the M1 plate.<\/p>\n “This will allow the new Tatton Park Charitable Trust to do so much in support of our conservation, education and access projects for years to come.<\/p>\n “It is particularly nice to know that the M1 registration will return to the north west of England.”<\/p>\n Bonhams’ expert Jon Baddeley, said: “The registration M1 has huge appeal, not only as one of the earliest registrations issued, but also one with a fabulous history. This price goes to prove that.”<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" A NUMBER plate sold to raise money for Tatton Park has fetched a world record price of \u00a3331,500 at auction. The M1 registration mark was bought by an anonymous north west-based bidder – for his six-year-old son’s birthday. Officials at<\/p>\n