Great number plate collection

To find and own your perfect numberplate is always a special thing, especially if it's dateless as avid numberplate enthusiasts will agree. To find 'his and her' sequential plates is even better. To have a collection of five in a sequence is exceptionally rare and pretty special indeed!
But here's one lucky owner, Mr Powis who has just that; number plates 1 POW, 2 POW, 3 POW, 4 POW and 5 POW, each proudly displayed on his cherished car collection too.


"I've always had a fascination with personalised plates" comments Mr Powis. "I don't know whether it's a vehicle vanity or de aging thing or whatever, but ever since my first car, I've had some form of private plate on all of my cars. Admittedly, the plates have generally got more 'special' over the years, but I never anticipated ending up with my 'Royal Flush' of POW plates."


Mr Powis bought his first private plate in 1997, and over the years bought a number of POW plates which have since either been given to family members, or currently for sale through PrimoRegistrations. The main dateless collection started in 2007 and took just under four years to complete. "I certainly didn't start looking for this many' or this actual sequence in fact" retorts Powis. "I originally wanted 1, 11 and 111 POW" he highlighted. But he lost 111 POW to another bidder at auction and had to rethink his strategy.


"I bought the first three plates through dealers, and then asked for the last two to be released at auction, it was certainly exceptionally nerve racking with the final one, as I knew I had to win it to complete the collection. Luckily nobody else bid for that one and I secured it for the list price."
Which brings us onto money. Who knows what this collection is now worth? The perfect sequence of these low number, dateless plates makes the collection considerably more valuable than their individual components, and POW are good letters too and could refer to a wide number of things (POWER springs to mind!). We consider the valuation to be in the region of 250,000 pounds, but as Powis quickly responds "yes, but you've got to find somebody not only rich enough, but who has enough cars for them all, and has a particular connection with POW for it to be worth anything like that amount!"


And he concluded with an amusing anecdote; "The funniest thing happened though, when we moved home into our local village. A rumour got out that we were linked to the Royal Family [POW referring to the Prince of Wales], which the local postman thought to be true, and therefore thought suitable to spread across all of his post rounds! Even now, years later, we're asked if it's true! Maybe I will write to Prince Charles to see if he wants to buy them. I'm sure he meets all the criteria!"




Reg
Thanks to PrimoRegistrations for the article.

DVLA's Penultimate Sale of 2010

DVLA Personalised Registrations' autumn auction is almost upon us, with the prestigious Rudding Park, near Harrogate, the setting for this year's penultimate sale.

As ever, next month's three day event, which gets underway on Tuesday, October 5, will feature 1,500 personalised registrations, with reserve prices ranging from £250 to £10,000.

DVLA have again served up an eclectic mix of number plates, ranging from the sublime, like the "star" 10 O, GEN 151S and FLY 805S, to the humorous like RA55 STA, TUN 151A and CHE 4T!

For owners of arguably the greatest modern Ferrari, the A599 GTO will undoubtedly strike a chord along with F50 XXX, other popular registration plates directly reflecting car marques and models will be F635 BMW and LAM 80S while FHM 848E will certainly add a touch of glamour!. For the Liverpool FC fan, LFC 80Y surely is a must.

To register an interest or to download an auction catalogue, Click Here.




Reg

Vinnie Jones wears his name on his number plate

For Vinnie Jones, it's important that everyone knows exactly who is driving the shiny black Range Rover as the footballer turned actor's number plate spelled out the words 'UK VIN'.

And cruising behind him wife Tanya brought up the rear in a matching black Jaguar with the plate 'UK TANYA'.



Quite why the couple were driving in convoy is unknown, but it's clear that they are fans of the high profile Los Angeles lifestyle.

The reformed footballing hardman has fit in well in Tinseltown enjoying a certain amount of big screen success since debuting in Guy Ritchie's Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrells.

He recently revealed how other former players keep calling him in the hope of landing a movie role.

Ex Wimbledon teammate John Fashanu and Chelsea legend Kerry Dixon is among those who have called on Hollywood based Vinnie for advice.

Vinnie said: 'I've had so many calls. They want to be in a film. Or they want me to get their sons in.'

He also said he wants to open his own stage school to help budding British actors.

Vinnie added: 'It's so scary out there! These youngsters come to Hollywood and don't know where to begin.

'I'm going to give them a bit of guidance if I can so that they don't get ripped off. It's hard to know who to trust.

"It's so difficult to get an agent, let alone an acting part! I've been around a while so hopefully I can help,' he told The Sun.


Read more Here!

Popemobile to have SCV 1 number plates.

The latest Popemobile has been unveiled ahead of the Pontiff's visit to the UK, a Mercedes with an average speed of 6mph.

The M class vehicle, with space for the Pope to stand and wave at the crowd, will be driven by a so far unnamed British driver.

It is not the first time the car has been used, having already made several outings in other countries.

The Popemobile carries the number plates SCV 1, which stands for Stato della Citta del Vaticano, or Vatican city state in Italian. (The 'SCV 1' on the Pope Mobile is Vatican registered, so is a duplicate of the UK one which is currently on a Cherokee Jeep)

Although the average speed is just 6mph, the vehicle can go much faster if needs be.

Historically, different Popes have used a variety of methods to enable them to greet the public.

Many years ago a simple chair was used that was held aloft and carried by papal attendants.

The first modified vehicles were used by Pope John Paul II in the 80s and were often crude adaptations of vans or trucks. The vehicles were issued the number plate VIP 1 for his visit. The cherished number plate VIP 1 was then sold to Roman Abramovich for £285,000 in July 2006.

Today he will travel from Holyrood Palace in Edinburgh through the centre of the Scottish capital for his first day of his visit.

After traveling to London for events tomorrow he will be driven in the Popemobile at 5pm from Lambeth Palace through to Westminster.

On Saturday evening, prior to a prayer vigil at Hyde Park, the vehicle will again be making its way through central London.

Pope Benedict moves to the West Midlands on Sunday where people will be able to line Hagley Road in Birmingham as he makes his way to an open air mass at Cofton Park.





Reg

Tourist beware. Watch your speed in Spain.

A new speed campaign has been launched on the roads of Spain and the authorities targeting foreign drivers with their radar gun sights.

Plans to stop and fine tourists breaking the speed limit have been boosted by a new system. Each roadside camera can photograph number plates from any country. The picture is then shown to the driver on the spot, there is no escape.

"In 2009, 30 percent of offenders were foreign vehicles, and on some speed traps in the summer the figure exceeded 40 per cent. Here we have an alternative that enables us to show the driver the offence they have committed," explained
Frederico Fernandez, the deputy head of Spain’s
Dirección General de Tráfico.

The new speed cameras have been installed at four locations in regions where there is a high number of vehicles with foreign registration plates. The move has heightened the debate in Spain on whether speeding fines save lives or if it is just another way for the government to raise funds.


You could always get one of these ; )




Reg

The law finally catches up with number plate fraudster

Justice has finally been served to a fraudster who ripped off a motorcyclist from a village near Burton more than a decade ago.

Mark Seabridge, 46, boasted to a friend as he flew off to a new life as a restaurant owner in Tenerife that he had conned someone out of 6,000 pounds for a private number plates, Stafford Crown Court heard.

The victim was Mark Sadler, from Wychnor, who had handed over a banker's draft for 6,000 pounds for the cherished registration M4RKS in 1999.

However, Anthony Johnston, prosecuting, told the court that all Mr Sadler got for his money was a pair of number plates, as Seabridge did not own the actual right to it.

It had been bought by someone else at auction.

Mr Sadler, who wanted to put the number plate on a motorbike, got his documentation returned and when he tried to contact Seabridge, he had disappeared.

Mr Johnston said Seabridge's partner had revealed the money was spent on living expenses in Tenerife.

Amanda O'Mara, defending, said Seabridge had subsequently lost his restaurant business on the Spanish island.

He was arrested when he came back to the UK in 2006 to be a prosecution witness in a trial.

However, he then went missing again until his recent arrest.

The court heard Seabridge had already served 37 days in custody, including a sentence for skipping bail following his arrest in 2006.

Seabridge, from Farnborough, Hampshire, admitted a charge of obtaining money by deception and was given a 12 week prison sentence, suspended for a year.

He was also ordered to complete 250 hours of unpaid community work.

Judge Mark Eades told him: "This was a case of blatant fraud on Mr Sadler.

"You regarded it as a con to get money to feather your nest in Tenerife.

"If I was Mr Sadler, I would feel extremely aggrieved." Judge Eades also told Seabridge that he was lucky he was coming before the courts now, at a time when sentences are less severe than previously.

Referring to current sentencing guidelines, he told the defendant: "If you had come up for sentence in 1999, the notion of getting a four week sentence would have been laughed at."





Reg