DVLA held the first of six scheduled number plate auctions for 2009 in Northamptonshire last month.
The top hammer prices were:
1 O - £170,000
1 HRH - £92,000
3 S - £76,000
18 OY - £15,000
11 MCR - £14,000
85 J - £13,200
1 RGF - £12,600
11 FTY - £12,500
64 SH - £11,300
1 TWG - £11,000
888 M - £10,800
321 G - £10,200
MAL 1X - £10,100
The record hammer price of £201,000 the highest ever at a DVLA auction, still belongs to 51 NGH which sold in April 2006. It was suggested that either 1 O or 1 HRH could challenge the record, but the £170,000 achieved for 1 O only ranks fourth in the top prices ever paid at DVLA auction.
Two hundred and seventy two registrations remained unsold after failing to receive an opening bid. That is quite a lot less than the three hundred and eleven that failed to receive a bid at the final DVLA auction of 2008 in Barnsley. Three hundred and eighty three registrations were snapped up at the opening bid or reserve price.
Whilst some commentators were telling us last year that the bottom could fall out of the market, money continues to flow into personalised number plates. When you consider the alternatives it isn't too surprising. Cash on deposit is giving a very low return and The Bank of England cut interest rates again last week. Property prices are not expected to recover any time soon and the stock market is incredibly volatile with huge swings up and down on a daily basis.
Okay, a personal number plate may be seen as a bit of a flash purchase to the uneducated, but consider it this way. You buy something which gives you pleasure every day when you look at it. Your only ongoing cost or maintenance fee is £80 to transfer your number plate from your old car to your new car. Even better, providing you bought well you should see the value of your investment increase as the years go by! Compare that to your car which needs fuel, servicing, insurance, road tax etc.
In our biased opinion, there has never been a better time to invest in a personal number plate.
The Personal Number Plates UK blog is a series of posts containing general personal number plate information. Find out which number plates sold for the highest prices at the DVLA Personalised Registrations Auctions. This blog will be of interest to anyone who already has a personal number plate, or anyone who is thinking about buying a personal number plate.
11 February 2009
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