Festive fail? Just one in five would buy a personalised number plate as a Christmas present

Research reveals the most spent on a private plate this year was £80K for L1 BYA

Tens of thousands of pounds have already been spent on personalised number plates this year – but a new survey reveals that just 19% would buy one as a Christmas present for their loved ones.

According to the DVLA, the most spent on a private plate this year is £80,000 for L1 BYA on black Mercedes Benz registered in 2023. The most spent on a number plate last year was H1 NDU costing £112,010.

The owner of a brown Lamborghini makes no apologies having paid almost £60,000 for 2 FU, which appears to be a spinoff of the notorious FU 2 plate. This plate was owned by Hanna Smart of Big Top Circus and previously owned by Soho nightclub owner Paul Raymond, whose girlfriend, the actress and glamour model Fiona Richmond, had the plate on her pastel yellow E-type Jaguar.

Meanwhile, the owner of 1968 green Porsche shows no signs of falling out of love with their motor, shelling out £42,000 for 911 FUN.This was followed closely by the owner of a ten-year-old black Land Rover that paid £40,000 for KUR 1D, as a proud nod to Kurdistan.The data was requested through a Freedom of Information request by Britain’s leading road safety charity IAM RoadSmart.

Despite the sums many are willing to shell out on their own choice of personal number plate, it is unlikely that others can expect it as a gift wrapped up under the Christmas tree, after a survey of 2,000 IAM RoadSmart members revealed that just 19% would buy a personalised plate as a Christmas present.

Only 27% admitted to owning a personalised plate. Two thirds (64%) said they were a waste of money, and nearly half (49%) thought that they were pretentious. A minority – 14% - were concerned they would be too easily identified by other road users, and 28% thought they looked tacky.

A spokesperson for IAM RoadSmart said: “The results appear to show that a personalised number plate is a very individual choice, which is perhaps why they’re not topping the Christmas present list. Not only that, but the most sought-after cost tens of thousands of pounds and may be out of reach to many. Nevertheless, they can be a fun expression of individuality, or even an investment for the astute buyer. So, if you do get one for Christmas, think of yourself as one of the lucky few!”

Notes to editors

For interviews, contact the IAM RoadSmart press office on press.office@iam.org.uk / 020 8996 9777

Top 10 highest value sold personalised number plates at DVLA auction:

Click here to view the results from the IAM RoadSmart October Opinion Panel

Methodology:

The online survey was conducted in October 2024 by our research partners Online95 to the IAM RoadSmart Opinion Panel of members with an effective sample size of 1,894.

About IAM RoadSmart

IAM RoadSmart is the UK’s largest road safety charity providing advanced driving and motorcyclist training. It has a vision of a society where all road users can safely and sustainably use the public highways together. IAM RoadSmart was formed in March 1956 and has around 70,000 members and 5,000 volunteers that supports its campaigns on road safety. At any one time there are over 7,000 drivers and riders actively engaged with IAM RoadSmart’s courses.

To find out more about IAM RoadSmart go to: www.iamroadsmart.com

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