27.08.2023

How much do the most expensive car numbers cost? The most expensive license plates for a car. Leftist of federal significance

In many countries around the world, the sale of car registration plates through auction is absolutely legal, and at the same time there are many people who are ready to fork out big bucks to become the owner of a “beautiful” license plate.

Sometimes during auctions things get to the point of absurdity, and rare license plates go under the hammer for amounts that are many times higher than the cost of the car itself. Which of the currently existing registration plates are the most expensive?

"VIP 1"

In 2004, the license plate “VIP 1” was sold in the UK for 62,000 pounds sterling (approximately 5.3 million rubles), and in 2008 it was purchased by Russian oligarch Roman Abramovich, having already paid more than 24 million rubles for it.

During an auction in Scotland, one of the bidders paid more than 34 million rubles for the “S1” number. At one time, the latter was installed on one of the very first cars in the country. We are talking about a 1903 car, which, among other things, also belonged to the Scottish Lord Kingsburgh.

The buyer of the sign, who chose not to disclose his name, said that he plans to install such a rare sign on his old red Skoda.

"25 O"

In 2014, the UK Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency set a record price for the license plate “25 O”, but this did not bother the owner of a local Ferrari car dealership, John Collins, who purchased this registration plate for more than 44 million rubles.

The man decided to fork out such a large sum because this number effectively matches the Ferrari 250 SWB that he owns. By the way, the latter itself is worth a fortune, namely about 10 million pounds sterling (over 855 million rubles). Such a high price is due to the fact that this example of the Italian two-door once belonged to rock star Eric Clapton.

In 2008, a businessman from Bradford, Afzal Khan, spared no expense and paid about 37 million rubles (at current exchange rates) for a sign with the “F1” index, which has been in use in Britain for 109 years. This number was installed on the man's Mercedes SLR McLaren, and then “moved” to the Bugatti Veyron Super Sport Carbon Edition.

When purchasing a registration plate, the businessman expressed confidence that over time the “F1” number will only become more expensive. He put it up for sale in 2018, asking £14.4 million. However, on at the moment There was no one willing to pay such crazy money for a rare number.

The most dear sign in the world today it is considered number “1”. Abu Dhabi businessman Said Abdul Ghaffar Khoury wished to be the first to attend the auction in United Arab Emirates paid over 641 million rubles for a registration plate with one. The record deal took place back in 2008, but over the years no one has been able to beat it.

As for Russia, it is still impossible to legally buy “beautiful” license plates from us, although in recent years officials are actively discussing such an initiative. However, quite a few people acquire registration plates that they like illegally, using the services of shady websites and offices.

What motivates car enthusiasts who want to buy expensive license plates for their cars? For some, this is an excellent investment, like collectible wine or precious metals; for others, it is support for a certain status, securing a position in society. Wealthy people around the world consider the purchase of “special” license plates for a car as a “reasonable” purchase, the cost of which in a few years can increase several times.

Top 10 unique license plates

The most expensive registration plate, which contains only one number “1”, was purchased at a charity auction in the UAE by Abu Dhabi businessman Saeed Abdul Ghafer al Khoury. Its price was $14 million. The license plate is transferred for lifelong use and can be inherited.

The previous record for the cost of a license plate also belonged to a resident of the United Arab Emirates, who in 2007 paid $6.8 million for a plate with the number “5”, while the price for it was almost 10 times more than the cost of the luxury car it adorns.

The list continues with signs belonging to the inhabitants of Foggy Albion. In the UK, there is an auction for the sale of unique license plates, which brings huge income to the treasury. One of the most expensive license plates, purchased at a British auction, became the “25 0” plate. It was purchased by Ferrari dealer John Collins in November 2014 and mounted on a collectible Ferrari 250SWB.

The registration number F1 was bought by Afzal Khan, an entrepreneur from Bradford, for £440,000. Now on the bumper of the Bugatti Veyron hypercar there is an “F1” badge - the dream of many racing fans.

Fifth place goes to license plate S1, which was purchased in 2008 for £404,000 by an anonymous buyer.

In March 2009, a die with the inscription “1D” was purchased at an auction in the UK for £352,000. Lebanese Nabil Bishara paid a large sum for it.

Status numbers

Some license plates are so different from the classic ones that their abbreviation is equivalent to the autograph of the owner. Thus, the number “VIP 1” belongs to R. Abramovich, which he purchased for 645 thousand dollars for Rolls-Royce.

Moreover, the most expensive license plate in the world does not belong to a Russian oligarch. Said Abdul Gafoor Khuri, a resident of the Emirates, bought a criminal license plate for a car for $14 million. The plate contains one number - 1. Perhaps the state sign would have cost him less if he had not purchased it at auction.

Among car enthusiasts, license plates that are considered beautiful are:

mirrored;

have a sequence of numbers;
have the same numbers of the central sign and region, as well as letters;
with various combinations;

contain two leading zeros.

In Russia, beautiful combinations also include the letters EKH and AMP. The first abbreviation is translated by citizens as “I eat as I want.” Although the origins of this group go back to the fact that such letters were on FSO cars in Soviet times by decree of President Yeltsin.

At the same time, the AMR belonged to members of the government, the prosecutor's office and the State Duma. This rule still applies, so it is almost impossible to install such a number on a private car.

Interesting!

Some letter combinations belong only to certain structures. For example, TFR on cars investigative committee or AMR at the presidential department. Such cars, as a rule, do not slow down. But if the traffic police discover a license plate on a private owner, the driver will face a fine for stolen plates.

There are standards for beautiful car signs around the world, but this applies more to Arab countries. Residents of Europe consider it bad manners to emphasize their status, so even the richest people travel there simple cars with regular numbers. Plus, they don't see the practicality of buying an expensive license plate.

About the famous owners of the most beautiful numbers on the planet, we can say that they really managed to stand out. As a result, the rating looks like this:

signs “5” and “7” worth $11.5 million belong to an unknown person from the UAE;
the word “FACEBK” was bought by an Australian for $1.2 million;
The abbreviation “F1” adorns the car of Pakistani actor Afzal Khan for 720 thousand dollars.

Man with non-standard number immediately noticeable on the road. Such a driver is stopped less often by the traffic police, and other car owners drive nearby more carefully, so criminal license plates are a priority for the rich and famous.

How and where to buy

All over the world, beautiful car signs are usually sold at auctions. In our country they are just planning to introduce this option for purchasing a number. And while the project is in development, there are 3 ways to purchase it:

buy together with transport;
negotiate with the traffic police officer;
order online.

The first option is affordable and legal. Some owners are already selling a car with a beautiful license plate and all that remains is to transfer the numbers to the traffic police for the new buyer.

Traffic police officers do not have the right to sell license plates. This is a criminal offense, and both parties bear consequences for such an act. However, some people take this risk and get the number they want. It won’t be as cool as that of government employees, but it will definitely be beautiful.

The concept of wealth and prosperity is different for each person. For some, having a villa on the seashore is enough, while for others, a luxury car, hand-assembled, is simply necessary to be happy. There is a third category of people, although they are quite small. It is this group of rich people who are ready to give any money for the most expensive number on the ground. This is a true distinctive sign of every car owner, which once again proves that its owner paid a large sum for the opportunity to “award” his “iron friend” with a special state badge.

Tenth place – VIP1 – $465,000

The last, tenth place in our hit parade is given to our compatriot – Roman Abramovich. It was he who became the owner of a luxurious license plate purchased in the UK. A sign with the inscription “VIP1” will tell you that the car belongs to a billionaire. It cost almost half a million dollars to be able to mark his “iron horse” - Rolls-Royce Corniche IV Convertible. Interestingly, before the billionaire, such a number belonged to Pope II (John Paul).

Ninth place – M1 – $540,000

This is a truly expensive number that appeared in the UK at the dawn of the automotive industry. This means that these are the numbers that were assigned to the very first machines that humanity invented and produced. This fact influenced the cost of the sign, making it distinctive. To become its owner, you will need to pay at least half a million dollars. This is what Mike McCumb did in 2006, when he purchased an honorary M1 for his “swallow”. Moreover, the purchase was not impulsive or spontaneous; Mike planned it ahead of time, deciding to make a nice gift for both himself and his family in honor of his son’s sixth birthday.

Eighth place – F1 – $720,000

A decent amount of 720 thousand dollars was spent on the purchase of not a yacht or a house, diamonds, but a state license plate. Afzal Khan parted with such an impressive sum, who spared no expense in highlighting his car - a Volvo S80. However, Afzal later transferred the number purchased from Essex County Council to another car - a Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren. To this day there is a car with such an “accessory”. Moreover, the owner repeatedly received quite lucrative offers from resellers who wanted to buy state signs at a “tempting” price - much higher than what Khan himself had to pay. However, the owner does not give in to persuasion, which is why he is awarded eighth place in the hit parade.

Seventh place – 24 – $871,000

All presented expensive rooms in terms of cost, they cannot in any way compete with the amount that the resident of Abu Dhabi had to pay for his signs. It is noteworthy that it is the residents of hot countries who do not take into account expenses, choosing the most expensive “differences” for themselves and their cars. This is what number “24” became.

Sixth place – Facebk – $1,200,000

So, the $1 million mark has been successfully passed, but will there be more... The million mark was crossed by a buyer who did not regret paying $1.2 million for Facebook. This is exactly what Thai Tran, the original owner of the state license plate, was counting on. The Australian bought the signs in the hope that in the near future he would be able to resell them at exorbitant prices - for no less than a million. His aspirations were more than justified when the rooms were finally purchased in 2012.

However, the “combinator” did not stop there, deciding to continue making money on resale. His next acquisition was a Paypal number, and Thai Tran expects to sell it for no less than a million dollars. Who knows, maybe in the near future the hit parade will have to be supplemented with another super-expensive acquisition...

Fifth place – 6 – $1,673,000

Such expensive rooms went to Hong Kong back in 1994. It was at this time that the car owner decided that his car should be radically different from others. It must be said that the owner had the means, which is why the car received such expensive plates under the number “6”.

Fourth place – 9 – $4,190,000

In the UAE from transport costs don't count at all. Residents of this hot country can afford to be original. Further proof of this is the state license plate “9” purchased in September 2010. The owner paid more than 4.19 million dollars for the right to use the mark!

Third place – 7 – $4,600,000

The third place of honor also belongs to a resident of the United Arab Emirates. It was he who wanted to buy a unique number seven for the car. Lucky sign will decorate the car and be inherited. This is exactly what you can do according to the laws of a hot country. Such an expensive “accessory” was purchased in February 2010.

Second place – 5 -6900000$

The car number “5” and the previous seven belong to the same person. In all likelihood, the owner decided to assign all his cars unique numbers. At the same time, the UAE law states: purchased signs can be moved from one car to another, given as a gift and passed on by inheritance. Over time, the owner may even organize an auction and sell such an expensive item. If you are lucky, the new buyer will pay more for number “5” than the amount that the current owner had to pay.

First place – 1 – $14,211,000

A resident of Abu Dhabi deservedly took first place. It was the Arabs who became the undisputed leaders of the hit parade. And the secret is that in this country it is profitable to purchase, since it is considered a profitable investment. A participant in the auction where the sign was sold in 2008 was ready to pay twice the amount spent - 30 million dollars so that the honorary unit would go to him. However, there were no worthy competitors, so the most expensive number for the car went to Mr. Said Abdul Gafoor Khuri. It is his Pagani Zonda that will adorn such an expensive acquisition. And all proceeds from the auction went to charity - for the construction of a new hospital. And good deeds are worth so much money!

While in Russia the idea of selling “beautiful” car registration plates at auction never came to fruition, in the United Arab Emirates the state organization Roads and Transport Authority earned 141,148,000 dirhams - or 38 million 400 thousand dollars - from the license plates in the last three auctions alone. Which numbers are so expensive and who buys them?

The record price for a number at the auction is currently $14,200,000: in 2008, to admiring applause, a number with the number 1 of the Emirate of Abu Dhabi was bought by a certain Said Abdul Jafar Al Khoury, who hung it on his Bugatti Veyron. All this happened in a country with a very small indigenous population, of which 72,000 are worth more than a million dollars.

Other emirates of the UAE are smaller and “poorer” than Abu Dhabi, so the number with the coveted one in the emirate of Sharjah cost the owner a ridiculous $4,900,000. But the paradox is that it is still much more expensive than any car on which it can be hung. 450 of the same “Veyrons” were produced, and the notorious unit on the number plate is only one.

A two-digit number will cost significantly less - from 500,000 to 2,000,000 dollars. And among three-digit ones, car model indices are very popular: 488 (like the Ferrari model of the same name), 911 (Porsche), 918 (Porsche again), and four-digit ones are bought with the year of birth or the date of the world exhibition Expo 2020, which will be held in the Emirates in three years .

Curiosities also happen when a person buys a room, makes a deposit, but cannot cover the full cost of the lot. Last November, a certain Abdullah Al Mahri bought a license plate with a single digit from the Emirate of Abu Dhabi for $8,400,000 and gave the auctioneers a check for an amount that simply was not in the account.

Al Mahri was going to somehow resell the number at an even higher price and cover the costs, but the Roads and Transport Authority simply did not transfer the winning lot to him, sending the case to court.

Gradually, a special circle of interested people has formed around the sale of numbers in the UAE, who are not only trying to improve their status, look cooler in the eyes of business partners or play a successful marriage, but also make money on someone’s vanity.

The cost of rare license plates is still rising, and investors are in no hurry to put them on cars - this could bring down the price and exclusivity.

One of the famous traders in this market, Abdullah Al Hammadi, owns seven thousand license plates, with a total value of about $19,000,000. Not long ago, he resold for $7,600,000 a room that once cost him only $3,200,000.

Maintaining excitement and exclusivity, Roads and Transport Authority does not offer all available combinations for sale at once, but carefully selects numbers for a specific auction, assigning them a specific starting price. Sometimes it is so big that it is not always possible to interrupt it.

This, for example, happened with the Dubai number 2 of the Q series, bidding for which started with an amount equivalent to 8,900,000 US dollars. This lot remained unsold. But the five with the prefix D went to businessman Balwinder Sahani for the same price.

Hindu Sahani was born in Kuwait, lives in Dubai, is engaged in construction in the Emirates and says that he managed to stay in the black even during the global economic crisis of 2007-2008. His fascination with numbers began 20 years ago when he bought a phone number from a private individual in Kuwait for $300,000.

Balwinder Sahani (pictured left)

Now, according to Sahani, he has three of the most beautiful phone numbers in India, Kuwait and the UAE, as well as 15 car numbers, with a total value of about $100 million.

The joy of buying a number for the sake of vanity and for show, according to the Indian, very soon comes to naught - Sahani’s interest lies elsewhere: he is obsessed with numbers as such, as well as with his lucky number- nine.

So Balwinder buys only the ninth house on the street, sets up a personal office on the ninth floor, and his most expensive license plate, a combination of a five and the letter D - the fourth letter of the alphabet, adds up to nine!

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