The Top Pricey Private Plates in the UK

At plates4less, we’ve put together a list of the priciest plates sold in the UK…

At number 11, coming in at £325,000, is registration mark GB 1.

The 10th most expensive was M 1, which sold for £331,500.

1 S sold for £340,000, making it the 9th most expensive plate in the UK.

At 8 we have 1 D, which sold for £352,411.

S 1 went for £404,063, putting it at number 7. It was the first number plate sold in Scotland. Ever.

£440,625 bought registration mark F 1, so it’s the 6th most expensive plate in our list, though since then it’s been valued in the millions (likely due to its association with Formula 1 racing).

The 5th most expensive plate? That would be RR 1, selling for £472,000.

Which brings us to the top 4…

G 1 sold for a staggering £500,000.

At number 3 is registration X 1, which fetched an amazing £502,500.

And the 2nd most expensive plate, selling for a whopping £518,480, is 25 O. It’s the most expensive plate sold at public auction.

But wait…. We have big news! Plates4less/VRM Swansea can now announce that we recently achieved the record price for a UK private registration mark sale at in excess of £600,000 including vat and transfer fee. What’s the reg? Well, that’s confidential for now as we’re sworn to secrecy, but we can tell you that it’s another one letter, number 1 plate, the shortest possible…!

Why so expensive?

Well, there are a few reasons why someone might pay a lot for a plate.

One of the main reasons a number plate might be expensive is that it’s short. The shorter the registration, the more valuable. You’ll notice in the top list, 8 of them are only 2 characters long, and the remaining three are only 3 characters long. To put that into perspective, the current style registration mark is 7 characters long. (The fact that the second most expensive is a 3-character plate and not a 2 is likely due to the 25 O being so perfect for a Ferrari 250.)

What else makes these plates valuable is their function as a possible cover plate. A cover plate is a number plate that allows the owner to disguise the age of their vehicle as there is no obvious age identifier within the registration.

And of course, the number 1 tends to be highly sought after due to its connotations of being the best or first, meaning it can demand a high price. Of the eleven in that top 11 list, 10 of them feature the single digit 1.

No need to spend a fortune

If you’d like to customise your vehicle with a personal plate, or simply buy a plate as a great investment, you don’t need to spend a small fortune. At plates4less we can help you find something suitable and affordable. Browse through the millions we have available on our website using our specialised search tool, or give us a call on 01792 477316.

Some Useful Links

• If you are looking to hide the age of your vehicle then please view our reasonably priced Cover Plates
• If you are looking for a name or a specific number/letter combination then use our Smart Search to find a perfect registration