UTD BOSS..?

A Birmingham car dealer traveled to Old Trafford hoping to do battle with his footballing idle, Sir Alex Ferguson.

Thar Khan, a 36 year old Manchester United fan, fortunately had an easy pass in his bid to buy UTD 805S, which he managed to do for 3,237 pounds during the closing stages of DVLA Personalised Registrations Spring Auction.

"I can't believe buying UTD 805S was so easy!" said the elated Mr Khan, "I came up here hoping and expecting to battle against Sir Alex himself. To me, UTD 805S has to be the ultimate number plate for any United supporter and I've bought it for a snip! It's a great investment."

In total, DVLA Personalised Registrations will generate more than £3.2 million from the three day sale with all the funds going to the Treasury.



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Better than 'L' plates

Assured driving instructor Alan Wales is so confident his students will pass their tests, he has come up with the perfect way to advertise it on his car.

The 51-year-old has been teaching people to drive for over 30 years and bought the registration plate PA55 ABL, as it clearly resembles the word 'Passable'.

Mr Wales, who is based in Leatherhead, said: "I want to get as many people as possible passing their tests this year - hopefully the number plates will help."

"My driving school, Mid-Surrey School of Motoring, has already got an excellent pass rate but I am confident my new registration will help raise this further," he added.



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Poker plate for sale

A unique car registration is up for sale and for 25,000 pounds any poker fan can pick up P007 KER.

Seller and Cardrunners pro Phil Shaw said, "Other number plates with the same formulation have sold for much more (for example. RU55ELL at 79k) and I am led to believe that the combination of the iconic James Bond '007' and 'Poker' motifs makes this one similarly unique."

"I want to sell this number plate as I rarely drive and live in central London so don't have much use for a car at present."


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Hong Kong Plates For Big Money

Driving a Rolls-Royce just isn't enough for the super rich of Hong Kong so having vanity license plates is a must. They are sold at the regular government auctions and can fetch some big prices. Last year, a registration plate bearing the lucky number of 2318 went for HK$1.7 million, a bargain compared to the high-flying days of 2007, when a mainland businessman purchased the number 18 for HK$16.5 million.

Only the biggest of big-shots have single digit number plates, including Run Run Shaw at number 6, Albert Yeung at number 8 and the Commissioner of Police at number 1.



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Personalised number plates are big down under

There's a rare opportunity coming up for Victorian Heritage number plate collectors at Shannons Melbourne Autumn Classic Auction on Monday March 15.

The very desirable black and white numeric number plates 171, 172 and 173 are going under the hammer in consecutive lots, the first time three consecutive numeric plates have gone to auction in Victoria since 1998.

Back then, at the Shannons Melbourne Motor Show Auction, the numbers 14, 15 and 16 sold for an average of $75,000 each.

Today, they could reach prices as high as $400,000 or $500,000 if offered for sale.

Shannons are hoping that 171, 172 and 173 will sell for somewhere in the region of $95,000-$110,000 each.

Bearing in mind that the, numerically less-attractive, New South Wales Heritage plate 241 was sold for $101,000 at Shannons recent Sydney Summer Auction, that estimate could be very low.

Shannons National Auction Manager Christophe Boribon said he would not be at all surprised if the same buyer bought all three plates.

"What a great opportunity to have the status of three consecutive numbers on cars in the one family or business," he said. "I know many people are thinking along these lines and it would be fantastic to keep this family together.

"This is a rare opportunity. These plates are never going to be re-issued. Of all the cars registered in Victoria, only three have the right to display these plates and as their intellectual property can't be stolen, they are a very secure investment."



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Football number plates auction kicks off at Old Trafford

Keen footie fans will be given the chance to bid for Premiership related registration plates such as UTD 805S and FER 661E at an event being held at Manchester United’s home of Old Trafford this month. On top of that, attendees will have the opportunity to see, and have their photos taken with, the coveted Premiership Trophy.

The DVLA’s Personalised Registrations’ Spring auction is a three-day event that will feature a host of football-related private number plates and will kick off on Wednesday, March 24.

Reserve prices for the plates start from £250, however expectations are high surrounding 9O, arguably the star number plate of the event boasting a £10,000 reserve – especially in the wake of last year's successes when the agency auctioned its first six O plates – 1 O – 6 O – for a collective 666K.

Jody Davies, DVLA Personalised Registrations events manager, said: "Our spring auction will be an unforgettable experience for the whole family. We have secured a limited number of tickets for registered bidders attending our auction to a free tour of Manchester United s museum, its fabulous trophy room and tour of the stadium."

In total, DVLA’s forthcoming auction will comprise 1,500 registrations chosen to offer an eclectic mix to suit all tastes, styles and pockets, including, BMW 805S (£400), DAM 114N (£400), FER 661E (£900), F4 LSE (£900), HOT 805S (£400), K11 LTS (£900), NET 800K (£300), NEW 805S (£400), 9 O (£10,000), OFF 1 (£3,200), OLD 805S (£350), 2 OOO (£4,000), TAX 80Y (£400), TOW 805S (£400), UTD 805S (£900), VDS 1 (£3,200).


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Maltese registration plates

Maltese registration plates, like those of most other countries, are used for the purpose of identifying vehicles and their owners. The countrys registration plates have followed the same alphanumerical format since 1995 which consists of a three-letter combination followed by a three number combination.

The plates are white with the characters printed in black FE-Schrift font. On the left hand side of the plates there is a blue box, which contains the European flag, with a white letter M underneath, to signify Malta.

There are many special series of number plates in Malta, depending on specific jobs or vehicle type. The three-letter combination on rental car registrations always ends with a K, whereas the third letter of taxis and buses is a Y. Any cars which qualify as tax free have a letter combination beginning with TF, while all vehicles owned by the Maltese government have registration numbers starting GV, this includes police vehicles, which display the three letter combination GVP. Military vehicles have the letters GVA and department of health vehicles have GVH. The letters CD indicate a vehicle owned or used by diplomats.

There are certain exceptions to the standard registration format, including chauffeur driven vehicles, which are used to transport members of parliament. These follow the format GM followed by two numbers. The countrys Bishop and President are both exempted from the registration requirements and only have to display their official logos on their vehicles.

For more information about Maltese registrations, CLICK HERE!



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