Well…and you thought buying a new supercar was expensive. Most people just accept the randomly generated license plate they are assigned, however the ultra wealthy are willing to spend a ridiculous amount of money on personalised license plate numbers, and regard them as a statement of individuality or an investment. Check out the most expensive number plates in the world below.
1. F1 – $45 million UK
Back in 2008, Afzal Kahn, a British automotive designer once dubbed the ‘king of customisation’ paid a record £440,000 for the ‘F1’ number plate and put it on his Bugatti Veyron. The Kahn Design founder isn’t looking to sell it anytime soon, unless there is an absolutely incredible offer, his website says. Back in 2018, the prestigious registration plate was listed it for sale online for £14 million (or $20.5 million USD) and currently is listed on the number plate supplier website Regtransfers for $45.72 million.
2. New York – $20 Million USA
The only street-legal ‘New York’ license plate in existence is now being offered on luxury classifieds website duPont Registry with the world’s most expensive Volvo at an asking price of $20 million. The license plate has been with the same family since the 1970s.
3. California MM – $16 million USA
California plate MM takes the third spot for the most expensive license plate in the world. The plate has been listed up for sale on OpenSea, a popular NFT marketplace with an asking price of 5,888 Ethereum, the equivalent of $16 million at current prices (it was $24.5 million when was listed ). There are no single-character plates available in California, which means two-character plates are the rarest.
4. 1 – $14.2 million Abu Dhabi
In 2008, Abu Dhabi businessman Saeed Abdul Ghafour Khouri paid 52.2 million dirhams ($14.2 million) for license plate labeled “1,” during a special number-plate charity auction organized by Emirates Auction Company.
5. AA9 – $10.3 million
Dubai car plate number AA9 was sold during the ‘Most Noble Numbers’ charity auction last year for a record 38 million dirhams ($10.3 million). Proceeds of the auction go towards to support the 100 Million Meals campaign, to feed thousands of people and families across 30 countries.
6. AA8 – $9.5 million
At the recent Most Noble Numbers charity auction initiated by Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Global Initiatives in Dubai, the plate number AA8 sold for whopping 35 million dirhams or around $9.5 million at the current exchange rates.
7. D5 – $9 million
Back in 2016, Dubai-based Indian businessman Balwinder Sahani paid 33 million dirhams ($9 million) at the Roads and Transport Authority’s number plate auction, for a Dubai license plate for one of his Rolls Royces.
8. 5 – $6.86 million
Abu Dhabi-based businessman Talal Al Khoury paid a record 25.2 million dirhams ($6.86 million) at an auction organised by the Emirates Auction Company in 2007 for the personalised Abu Dhabi number plate ‘5’.
9. O9 – $6.8million
Indian businessman Balwinder Shani who owns the ‘D5’ plate, bought also the license plate ‘09’ for 24.5 million dirhams ($6.8 million) at auction in 2015.
10. 2 – $6.3 million
On April 20, at the Most Noble Numbers charity auction in Abu Dhabi, plate number ‘2’ was auctioned for 23.3 million dirhams ($6.3 million). Proceeds from Most Noble Numbers charity auction will go towards the 1 Billion Meals initiative to feed people in 50 countries.
