China bans unlucky number plates

China turned superstitious by barring the issuance of number plates bearing the "unlucky" number '4', causing a mixed reaction from the public.

Beijing's traffic management bureau has stopped issuing car registration plates bearing the number as many Chinese consider it to be unlucky because it sounds similar to the word for death.

From this week, drivers in the capital who bought new cars no longer need to make a special request to omit the number, as it has been removed from the registration plate choosing system by the Beijing Traffic Management Bureau.

The BTMB have stated that the decision was made because number plates bearing a '4' have always been unpopular.






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10 O number plate sells for £92,920 at DVLA auction

The final day of DVLA Personalised Registrations autumn auction got off to a great start when the registration 10 O sold for 92,920 pounds.

The winning bid was made by phone during at a tense and busy auction room at Rudding Park, near Harrogate so mystery still surrounds the successful bidder.

10 O is the latest in the O series released by DVLA Personalised Registrations in January 2009 to mark its 20th anniversary. Since then, more than 1.62 million pounds has been generated from this series alone.

While DVLA staff celebrated the sale of 10 O, the precise 92,919.69p (73,500 hammer price plus VAT, buyers premium and assignment fee) still falls short of the 210,000 pounds paid for 1 O in January 2009.

In total, the sale of personalised number plates by the DVLA has raised £1.6 billion. All money raised goes to the Treasury.





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£26,000 personalised number plate for daughter aged 11

Doting dad Harbhajans Bains has spent 26,000 pounds on personalised car number plates for his daughter - aged 11.

Mr Bains bid at a DVLA auction for 99A, the year she was born and the first letter of her name, six years before Amun can even start learning.

The 41 year old pharmacist, of Little Aston, Sutton Coldfield, said: "My limit was to be 15,000 pounds but Amun had told all her friends. And I can't resist a unique plate."

Harbhajans now has 24 number plates, including ones for other kids Jeevun, 10, and Bahadar, 8.




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RIP Sir Norman Wisdom

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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!"




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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.




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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!