Number plate auction favourites

Regtransfers has been participating in the DVLA personal registrations auction since they began in 1989. Over the decades, we have noticed trends come and go but there are certain types of registration numbers that never seem to go out of fashion. Below are a few of the types that we have seen prove popular time after time.

Number 1 registrations

Number-ones are always great favourites. Along with words, number-one registrations are amongst the first to pop into people's heads when they think of private number plates. Over the years, many celebrities have driven around in cars sporting their initials and the lone digit "1".

The other quintessential elite plate is the single-letter number-one. At the time of writing, nine of the top 10 most expensive number plates ever sold in the UK* have been number-one plates, and six of those have been single-letter number-ones. Obviously, there is a very limited pool of single-letter number-one plates. This scarcity, along with their unique air of exclusivity, is what makes them so desirable and thus so expensive.

Here are a few examples of number-one plates sold at recent auctions. You will notice that there are no single-letter number ones in the table, as those were all issued some time ago. Consequently, they are not available from DVLA but are occasionally bought and sold privately.

'O' registrations

While number ones may monopolise most of the UK top 10 rankings, the very top slot is occupied by 25 O, which sold for £518,480 in 2014. It was purchased by Ferrari specialist John Collins to represent the rare Ferrari 250 GTO sports car.

25 O is, in fact, the only 'O' registration in the top 50, but that doesn't change the fact that 'O' plates (with single O characters or multiple Os) are great sellers that make excellent money time and time again. Here are a few that were sold in DVLA auctions over the last 12 months.

Short registrations

Shakespeare claimed that "Brevity is the soul of wit"; it is also the essence of some great private registrations. If one can't afford a number-one registration, or one's name on a plate, then going for something short and snappy is often a favoured alternative.

We won't present a table of "Short registrations" as it isn't really a type or category; it's more of a trait shared by many numbers in many categories. Very often, the plates that command good prices aren't selected for any particular relevance to the purchaser, but rather just for that eye-catching snappiness. A glance at most of the tables on this page will reveal examples.

Name registrations

Name registration numbers are right up there with number-ones when it comes to the perception of exclusivity. Few things have the impact of a top-quality name number plate, so it should come as no surprise that the best examples command very high prices.

On the other hand, for those willing to compromise in the interests of a bargain, there are some great name registrations to be had at very affordable prices. Thanks to the human brain's tendency to spot familiar patterns, the odd missing or extra character, or less than ideal character substitution may make little difference to a number plate's effect or visual impact, while making a huge difference to its price.

Many of the names in the following table of recent name plate sales may be regarded as imperfect due to compromises in the form of additional or missing characters, or substitution of characters. Nevertheless, they still sold for substantial sums. That said, the plate that tops the table is what we would consider a near perfect example: the 74 used to represent the TA in Natasha are the best possible substitutions, and the plate's meaning is very obvious at a glance. If anything, the purchaser got themselves a bargain.

Word registrations

Words are not quite as coveted as number-ones or names but they are amongst the most visually striking of private plates, and they remain extremely popular. As with names, money can be saved if one is willing to accept a less than perfect, but still effective, representation.

One appeal of word number plates is that they can make excellent promotional or branding tools. Pimlico Plumbers in London became famous, largely due to its extensive fleet of water and plumbing themed word registrations.

You may have noticed the word "Devil" in the table above. Several variations of this sinister offering have sold at auction. As well as DEV 7L, which we saw in the table, DEV 1L sold for £308,253 in the December 2021 auction and DEV 11L sold for £37,573 in October 2022.

Car make and model registrations

Number plates bearing a reference to the cars upon which they are displayed are another auction favourite. Ferrari and Porsche models are particularly well represented, with multiple examples in just about every auction. Porsche 911 owners are particularly well catered for.

Initials

Initials plates come in many forms. Some may combine the initials with a birthday or anniversary date, while others may include a reference to the person's car, job or hobby. 911 MSC, for example, could suit a Porsche owner whose initials are MSC.

As with short registrations, initials aren't such a clearly defined category as many, and it can be difficult to recognise when a combination has been chosen to represent someone's initials. Many of the registrations that appear in the tables here could have been selected as initials number plates.

Others

There are countless reasons for the choices people make when they buy their personal number plates and there are many ways to interpret those number plates. The interpretations presented here are, in most cases, our best guesses, but we can't read the buyers' minds so we can't be certain. Of course, that means that the headings we've used above are just a few of the possible messages that car registrations can convey.

Using our imaginations, spotting patterns and solving puzzles are all part of the fun of personal registrations.

The Regtransfers auction

Buy and sell with our number plate auction. You can see what is coming soon or jump in to the listings.

View auction listings

DVLA March 2025 Auction

Learn more about personal number plates that sold for great prices in the DVLA's previous auction.

Read the report