Personalised Number Plates
Personalised Number Plates
Cars are among the most prized possessions for many people in the UK. So it's no surprise that personalised number plates are so popular and can garner so much attention in the news and media.
Known as "vanity plates" in the US, personalised number plates offer car owners a great way to place a personal and lasting stamp on their vehicle. In fact, personalised number plates are a growing alternative to regular registration plates, which are allocated from a dealer's list or "inherited" with a second hand car, none of which have the charisma - or the glamour - that personalised number plates can bestow!
Searching for personalised number plates
Today, so many people are eager to find personalised number plates that it can be hard to find the unique cherished number plate that you're looking for. Many websites - like this one - now let you search for personalised number plates online, so it's easier to check if your personalised registration is available or not.
It's important to bear in mind that, in the UK, the format of personalised number plates is much stricter that in the USA. The DVLA won't approve personalised number plates if they contain offensive language, and each car registration has to adhere to rigid letter/number formats.
But this still leaves plenty of different combinations of personalised number plates that can be created - so don't be put off!
Celebrity personalised number plates
Personalised number plates are no longer just for the rich and famous, but it's certainly true that some celebrities sport great examples of personalised registrations. Paul Daniels, for instance, bought the number plate 'MAG 1C' in the 1980s, while comedian Jimmy Tarbuck's personalised number plate - 'COM 1C' - is very personal indeed!
What's more, Robbie Williams famously dabbled in personalised number plates when he bought 'S8 RRY' for his Ferrari (before swiftly changing to a moped). And Alan Sugar's personalised number plate - 'AMS 1' has been beamed across TV screens all over the country on each episode of The Apprentice on the BBC.
Finding the right personalised number plates for you
In the UK, the highest reported price paid for a personalised number plate is £330, 000 for 'M 1', paid at auction in June 2006. This even beat the £285, 000 paid by Roman Abramovich for "VIP 1"!
On the other hand, the highest price paid for a personalised number plate in the world is $6.8 million for the registration '5', bought in Abu Dhabi in May 2007.
One thing's for certain - personalised number plates can cost a lot. But there's no need to go overboard. Simply spend some time searching for the right personalised number plates for you and your car. You'll even be able make your personalised number plates more unique by adding some finishing touches - like flags, logos and borders - to the actual acrylic plates. Rest assured, the effort is completely worth it to find the personalised number plates that you'll cherish for a lifetime.
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Funny personalised number plates
Rude personalised number plates
