Private number plates.
- Thread starter MonsterZ4
- Start date
Here in the US they're called "vanity plates." I live in Virginia, which ranks at the most vain of all the states (16% of all plates being personalized), and am always amazed at how many I see any given day.
I don't have one, but have considered it... but wouldn't try to force anything about the Zed... although with 7 digits total (set 3-4), "ZED HEAD" would be pretty good. My favorite plates was seen years ago on a Ferrari Testarossa... I can't recall the exact combo, but it translated to "My Doghouse."
I like plates that say more about the driver than the car.
Cheers.
I don't have one, but have considered it... but wouldn't try to force anything about the Zed... although with 7 digits total (set 3-4), "ZED HEAD" would be pretty good. My favorite plates was seen years ago on a Ferrari Testarossa... I can't recall the exact combo, but it translated to "My Doghouse."
I like plates that say more about the driver than the car.
Cheers.
Not available in Quebec, Canada. A shame.
I've got a personalised plate on mine. It's personalised to me rather than the car, which is a good job as it isn't the first car I've had it on and I'll be taking it with me when I swap. Hence the "investment" factor doesn't come into it for me; especially when you consider the fee the DVLA charge for transferring them, which will quickly wipe out any incremental appreciation in value.
I have mine because it helps identify the car as mine from a distance more easily (as there aren't many characters on the plate), and makes it seem more like "my car" rather than just a commodity. I also feel that it looks a lot cleaner than the new-style registration marks.
I have mine because it helps identify the car as mine from a distance more easily (as there aren't many characters on the plate), and makes it seem more like "my car" rather than just a commodity. I also feel that it looks a lot cleaner than the new-style registration marks.
Top pup said:
I have the broucher sent for each auction, there are some really good one's that you see knocking about on there. I have been tempted to get some as an investiment but never had the balls to do it. I have been made a little wary after trying to sell my Dad's 'EVO', which has been impossible. (still for sale too)
I did see a few sell for about £900, UPB34T and UNW15E which have then turned up for sale on another site for over £8000!!! This strikes me as being a little greedy, hence why about 8 months later, they are still for sale!!!
Are the UK plates made now to EU standards and hence the zero chance for them ever to go to "vanity" status? In other words, personalised to the owners specification?
I always thought that if anything, a special plate for veterans would be appropriate with certain exceptions.
My veteran plate is only available to those that can prove they served honorably. It cost no additional money to the owner (plates are registered to the owner of the car...then secondary to the car) to get them. Vanity plates cost $40 extra for 3 years (renewable) although the separate plate renewal is annual.
I always thought that if anything, a special plate for veterans would be appropriate with certain exceptions.
My veteran plate is only available to those that can prove they served honorably. It cost no additional money to the owner (plates are registered to the owner of the car...then secondary to the car) to get them. Vanity plates cost $40 extra for 3 years (renewable) although the separate plate renewal is annual.
20ducks said:
UK plates have always been made to very strict standards, though now they can have the EU stripe down the side. Most 'customisation' is illegal; altering fonts, spacing, plate, size that sort of thing. People still do it but it looks tackier than a very tacky thing to me.
Unlike the US the plate stays with the car like a VIN number; so if you put a private number on a car, you have to pay £95 to 'retain' it and give the car it's old number back. Then you fill in another form and pay £25 to put the private number on your new car. So yup, compared to your admin fees it's a rip off ($250 just to keep a number you bought every time you change your car!)
Private plates hide the age of the car too (our normal numbers tell you what year the car was made). So you cannot have a number that makes the car appear newer than it is. P1XXR for example is a 'P' plate (1996) so you cannot put this on a 1988 car, only 1996 and on...
Smokin said:
Nowhere near as restricted as here LOL. Most plates must fit the standard formats, and all are expensive. Cheap plates (£250-£450) will give you initials or similar, so for example A2BCD (for a guy named Ben Christopher Davies). Anything with the name of a car, person or non standard format (i.e not A4BCD, AB54BCD or ABC3D) will be a lot of money. Words are not allowed unless you can spell it with numbers. Anything with a one in it will cost even more. No Qs, no Zs. Hell I bought an M3 with M111BDS as the plate, and got £440 for it even though that doesn't even look personalised (just a standard 1995 number that happens to relate, sort of, to an M3...).
Some examples
R7BMW : £7,995
M3CSL : £22,995
D4VEO: £24,000
28T: £27,000
M24: £74,000
4T: £120,000
K1NGB : £122,000
and many more....the government makes a bloody mint out of personalised plates. Mine was a 'cheap' one and a 21st present from my parents, it's been on every car since and sticks with me...car doesn't feel like mine until it's on. But I could not spend the prices above, some people are mental. As I understand it in the US you can have pretty much whatever you want as long as it's not already taken in that state, and the cost is a basic admin fee? This being my favourite
So cool....but AMG 101 (the closest you could get to that here) is a number from 1933 and would be £60,000+...if you could even get it
They make the cars look individual mine says FAS 10N which I like looks the best it ever has on the Z4 though...
MonsterZ4 said:
The trick is buying the right plates, name and initial plates are much better bets than car models, and they really need to work without fiddling with.
I'm sure mine was a good buy as other bidder was a trader, and I'm pretty sure he would of wanted to make a few grand on top of the sale price.
20ducks said:
Nope; most 'dubious' plates like that are not released. Look up PEN1S and you get:
"The registration PEN 1S was not issued on the basis that it is considered offensive or undiplomatic by the British Government."
However...they don't seem to spot them all! I have definitely seen PEN15 on a Smart Car at the motorway services once.... and it's for sale - £100k.
havent got one yet but am in the process of finding one! As a northern ireland livin on forign soil (he he only messin) i want a ni plate back on my car!
