How are number plates valued?

Here are some of the factors that will influence prices of private registrations:

• The supply of similar number plates. Some DVLA number plate sequences are very rare because of scrappage or because few were originally released by the DVLA.
• Anticipated DVLA releases. The DVLA regularly release new sequences of number plates and National Numbers analyse the effects of these releases on the current and future price of similar number plates.
• The type of number plate: Dateless, Suffix, Prefix or New Style.
• The look of the number plate:
  • Some numbers such as 99 or 1 or 123 have more appeal than others to private reg buyers. 1 is the most prized with F 1 fetching £430,000 while A 1 is rumoured to have changed hands for about £1,000,000.
  • Numbers can be significant when they relate to high end car models such as Ferrari, Aston Martin, Bugatti etc. John Collins purchased 25 O for £518,000 in 2014. The plate is registered to a Ferrari 250 SWB once owned by Eric Clapton.
  • Many numbers have cultural, religious or spiritual value, such as 786. Number plates with this number have become highly sought after due to the ascribed meaning of Bismillah Irahman Iraheem (In the name of Allah, Most Beneficent, Most Merciful).
  • Numbers can look like letters e.g. 5 is like an S and 1 is like an I or L so the whole, or part of the plate, can read like a word.
  • Letters are probably the most important aspect of a plate. Many plates are sold because they match initials or short names, some sets of initials and names are more common than others.
  • As a rule of thumb, the shorter the letter and number sequence the more expensive the plate: e.g. BEN 8 will be more expensive than BEN 874.
• Plates with the word BOSS (BO55) have been very popular recently and we’re seeing a rise in sales for plates showing dog breeds such PUG or LAB.
• Plate provenance: A value is now attached to registrations because of their history. Owners of classic, veteran, vintage or post vintage cars often seek plates that reflect the age of the car. In addition, plates have geographic indicators and owners sometimes want their registration to reflect a particular area of the country. In 2008, the first car registration issued in Edinburgh in 1903: S 1 was sold for £397,500.
• An added complication is that the number plate age indicator must be the same age or older than the car. Some of the releases of the new style millennium number plates can be very attractive; notably the release of 11 plates (ll or ii) and 15 (ls or is) produced some great full word plates. Buyers keen to obtain a registration but without the appropriate vehicle are able to keep the plate on a certificate.