TAX 1 Rare number plate sells at auction for 92k

The TAX 1 number plate had been in private ownership for 40 years ahead of the sale by Humbert & Ellis Auctioneers in Northamptonshire.

The winner, who was bidding online and was not present, bid £78,000, rising to £92,000 including buyers fees.

It is not known if the plate, which auctioneers described as "head-turning" will be used on a taxi or private car.

Auctioneer Jonathan Humbert said: "We get a lot of generic plates that can be low value but because of the UK font, in this case the 1 can look like an 'i' so it's much more sellable.

"They are notoriously difficult to sell and this is a great result for our vendor.

"A lot of armchair valuers will say - that's worth £100,000 - but they're not the ones who get their money out of their wallet."

The auction house had estimated the value of the number plate as between £80,000 to £100,000 before the sale.

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New 2018 number plates - When they come in and why you SHOULD avoid them
NEW DVLA 2018 number plates will come into circulation next month but here is on big reason you may want to avoid them.
By LUKE JOHN SMITH
PUBLISHED: 08:06, Mon, Feb 26, 2018 | UPDATED: 08:06, Mon, Feb 26, 2018





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What do UK number plates prefixes mean?

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The new DVLA 2018 number plates are arriving on March 1st.

From March 1st the ’18’ plate cars will go into circulation, but there is one big reason why you may want to avoid them.

This is due to the fact that you could stand to make some big savings on ’17 ‘ and ’67’ plate cars.

Car showrooms and dealers will want to get rid of old stock over the next few weeks to make way for the latest plated cars.

If you aren’t too fussed about having the latest car and are in the market for a new car then you may want to consider purchasing one of these cars.

Back in August 2017 car manufacturers and dealers slashed significant amounts off their 17 plated cars to make way for 67 plate models.

Drivers could buy a new Nissan Qashqai with a 17 plate for £5,000 off the list price, as part of the deals.

It is likely that deals for these cars will begin to crop up just before and after Mach 1st plates come in.

Pre-registered cars with next to no miles on the clock are typically offered at a slashed price ahead of new number plate registration introductions.

Pre-registered cars are one of the cheapest ways to own a brand-new car because you’ll be classed as the first owner despite the car only covering a handful of miles.

You will have less control over the colour, specs and tech onboard but could make a substantial saving.

The new 2018 ’18’ plates that arrive on March 1st will run until the end August 2018, before the ’68’ plates are introduced on September 1st.

Here's a simple guide to what the numbers and characters on number plates refer to.

The first two letters on the number plate are the ‘DVLA memory tag.’

These letters represents the region the vehicle was introduced - the first letter refers to the region while the second the local DVLA offices.

For example the L at the start of a number plate stands for London.

However, where it gets confusing is that multiple letter can signify the same DVLA office.

It is not uncommon, however, for cars with similar letter sequences to be from the same manufacturer.

After these letters there are two numbers on the first half of the plate are the age identifier.


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Personalised car registration plates are publicly reviled, but privately revered. Unlike many things you can buy, there’s not much use for them. They won’t make your car go faster or be more economical. In fact, they only serve to make you more conspicuous — and possibly the subject of ridicule.

There’s a huge market in plates from the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) when they are released and from people trading them. But is it a wise way to splash some cash? As well as being quite fun, they can also be rather a good investment. But — hang on a minute. Aren’t they naff?

Naff is difficult to define these days. I am all for an expensive car. But if you drive around in a McLaren, that’s naff, as is a Lambo or a Bentley Continental (though for some reason, despite being rather footballer, the new Continental with its sleek lines and less bulbous looks may have crossed the Rubicon into cool). And in most cases a Ferrari. Unless they’re vintage.

If you add a personalised registration plate to any new car, whether it’s a cheap runaround or costs the equivalent of a small Knightsbridge apartment, you just cranked up the naffometer into the naffosphere.

With some expensive cars you should only ever be seen in the back, such as a Mercedes S class or a BMW 7 Series. A chauffeur-driven car with a private plate is, of course, naff. Unless you’re Lord Sugar with AMS 1. That’s cool.

But add the wrong registration plate, even to an Aston, and you’ll ruin everything. it’s a little bit like owning a stately home with a gnome garden, or adding net curtains to a Georgian townhouse, or putting carpet in a bathroom. Yet, add the right plate on the right car and the car is cool — and so are you.