In the UK, short investment number plates are increasingly popular and sought after as they are considered valuable due to their uniqueness and rarity. These plates consist of fewer characters, often comprising of just a few letters or numbers and sometimes only one letter and one number, making them very distinctive and appealing to collectors and investors. One letter & one number combinations have been labelled by many as “SuperPlates”. These short super number plates were originally issued in the early 1900’s.
CarReg were recently featured in a Daily Mail newspaper article about SuperPlates (short investment number plates)
Quote from the article;
"Jason Wilkes, CarReg chief executive says the private plate market is generally very stable: 'People may lose interest for a few months here and there but quality number plates will never fail. 'Original super plates were issued way back in the early 1900s, survived endless recessions and two world wars, they have increased in value every year.'We also have to take into account that many were lost or scrapped many years ago making them even more desirable and investable"Read the full article.
Investing in number plates can be lucrative, as their value tends to appreciate over time, especially if they contain desirable combinations such as popular letters or initials. Our current top ten most popular letters for investment would be A, B, C, D, H, J M, P, R, S - The letter “E” is almost getting into the list with evolving male and female first names (Ethan, Evie/Eva etc)
Some investors and dealers specialise in buying and selling personalised number plates as part of their investment portfolio. The market for personalised number plates in the UK is well-established, with enthusiasts willing to pay significant sums for plates that hold personal or sentimental value, or simply for the prestige of owning a distinctive vehicle registration.
The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) are responsible for issuing and regulating vehicle registration numbers. They also offer a range of the cheaper current style personalised number plates through direct sales. Short number plates were auctioned by the DVLA however, most have now been sold. There are fewer than a dozen 3 character numbers left to be sold by DVLA Auctions such as 9 XN, 9 XP and 6 XU. Live auctions would attract considerable attention from number plate enthusiasts, driving up their prices. Unfortunately, the live auction sales were stopped in October 2023 with all auctions online only from this year.
Short number plates are particularly attractive as investments because they are so rare and with demand high will appreciate in value over time, especially if they are popular initials.
Overall, short number plates in the UK represent an alternative investment opportunity, offering both financial potential and the chance to own a piece of 'unique' automotive history. However, as with any investment, it's essential to conduct thorough research and consider factors such as market trends, demand, and regulations that may affect the values of the different combinations.
It is also essential to be aware that prices can also go down and a return on investment cannot be guaranteed.
Read More About Personalised Number Plates or Search For a short investment SuperPlate.
