Reg Plates Auction Rules And Securing Your Plates

A Rhode Island couple is pushing for an exception to state law that would allow them to raise money for charity by selling their prized family heirloom -- number plate No. 11.

Low-numbered number plates could once fetch high prices in the state, but now owners can only transfer them to relatives. Otherwise, a lottery is held to award it to someone else.

The Pawtucket Times reported that David and Carol Anne Hayes, both in their 70s, won't be able to pass their number plate to their children, who live out of state. Instead, they asked a state House committee last week to create an exception for charitable auctions.

David told the panel he was offered $25,000 cash for the plate 40 years ago, and imagines it would be much more valuable now.

THEFT of number plates in Echuca-Moama is rising by 20 per cent annually.

Which is why Echuca West Neighbourhood Watch and Echuca police are on a mission to stop the increase or at least slow it down.

Neighbourhood Watch will be holding its second Safe Plate Day for the year at Bunnings, Echuca on Saturday, May 6 from 9am until 2pm.

Interested people can have special theft proof number plate one-way screws fitted to their vehicles.

Echuca West Neighbourhood Watch co-ordinator Len Wills said fitting the screws was an easy crime prevention measure.

‘‘We can protect vehicle owners from the inconvenience and cost that stolen number plates cause,’’ Mr Wills said.

He said Victoria police, through Neighbourhood Watch, had taken these measures to reduce crime in the community.

On May 6 Neighbourhood Watch will be offering a new service — ‘‘park and shop’’.

‘‘For those who want to have safe plate screws fitted while they visit Bunnings,’’ Mr Wills said.

‘‘There will be signs to direct drivers to the park and shop area.’’

The day is sponsored by Bunnings and safe plate screws are supplied at no cost.

Mr Wills said Neighbourhood Watch would appreciate any donations on the day to go towards community activities.

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.

number plates