DVLA Transitions to Exclusive Online Auctions for Personalised Number Plates

The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) has announced a significant shift in its approach to personalised number plate sales, moving away from in-person auctions to an exclusive online format. This change marks the end of an era, as the last in-person auction took place last month at Stratford Manor.

Effective immediately, all DVLA auctions will be conducted online, with auctions scheduled to occur almost every month. The next online auction will commence on Wednesday, November 22, and conclude on Tuesday, November 28.

This transition to online auctions aims to provide greater convenience and accessibility for drivers seeking personalised number plates. The online platform will offer a user-friendly interface and a wider range of registration options, catering to diverse preferences and budgets.

Despite the shift to an online format, the anticipation and excitement surrounding personalized number plates remain unchanged. Two plates, "150 A" and "1313 A," are poised to generate substantial interest, with starting prices set at £2,500 each.

The most expensive number plate ever sold at a DVLA auction, "25 0," fetched an astounding £400,000, excluding additional fees. This record-breaking plate, purchased by John Collins, pays homage to the legendary Ferrari 250 GTO.

Prior to the standardization of number plate formats in 2001, "K1 NGS" held the title of the most expensive number plate, selling for £185,000 in December 1993.

The DVLA has implemented various changes over the years, including the introduction of local memory tags and a shift from annual to biannual registration releases.

Commenting on the transition to online auctions, Jody Davies, Head of DVLA Personalised Registrations, expressed enthusiasm for the new approach. "There is always a sense of excitement in the room as people bid for their perfect registration," Davies noted. "We anticipate a continued level of enthusiasm and engagement in our online auctions."

With the DVLA's latest move, the world of personalised number plates enters a new era, embracing the convenience and accessibility of online transactions while preserving the thrill and excitement associated with acquiring these coveted identifiers.

So what are the top selling number plates in the UK? The DVLA has been selling private plates to UK motorists since 1989. During this time, there have been a number of records set, but most of the top 10 have been bought in the past 15 years. Here’s what currently makes the list:

25 0 – A Ferrari dealer bought this for £518k in 2014. It is now on a £10 million Ferrari 250 SWB.
F 1 – A businessman, Afzal Khan, bought this for £440k in 2008 and put it on his McLaren-Mercedes SLR.
S 1 – This was bought in 2008 for £404k by an anonymous buyer.
1 D – Businessman Nabil Bishara bought this plate in 2009 (before One Direction was formed, so it is not a reference to the band) for £352k.
M 1 – Businessman Mike McCoomb bought this number plate in 2006 for £331k, apparently for his son, who was 10 at the time.
VIP 1 – Chelsea owner and businessman Roman Abramovich bought this plate for £285k in 2006.
51 NGH – This number plate, which looks like the surname Singh, was sold in 2006 for £254k.
1 RH – Businessman Robert Haverson bought this in 2006 for £247k.
K1 NGS – This reg plate, which looks like the word “kings”, was bought anonymously in 1993 for £231k.
1 0 – This very simple but striking number plate was bought anonymously in 2009 for £170k.

These are large amounts of money, but they are all small compared to the top-selling number plates found in other parts of the world. Abu Dhabi, in the UAE, has the record for the most expensive number plate ever sold. That number plate was a simple “1”. It was bought in 2008 by businessman Saeed Abdul Ghaffar Khouri for £7.25 million.

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