Most Expensive Number Plates Sold in the UK

Ever wondered what the UK’s most expensive number plate is? Then you’ve come to the right place.

However, before we get started, we should clarify that these are registrations that have actually been sold – not their current price tag.

10.  1 S

Price Sold: £340,240
Date Sold: March 2010
Current Price: £600,000

First on our list at number 10 is ‘1 S’. This pricey reg was sold for an astonishing price of £340,240 in 2010. Over 10 years later and this cherished number plate has almost doubled in price (£600k).

While little is known about the buyer, we do know they put it on a Rolls Royce Phantom when they first bought it. However, according to the DVLA, it’s no longer registered to any vehicle.

9.  1 D

Price Sold: £352,411
Date Sold: March 2009
Current Price: £500,000

It may surprise some of you 3D film fans out there to find out that ‘1 D’ is actually the most expensive UK number plate to sport the letter ‘D’. In 2009, this plate was sold to Tycoon Nabil Bishara for £352,411 as a gift for his wife who proudly put it on her Bentley Bentayga.

An interesting fact about this registration is that - for unknown reasons - the DVLA had only issued it that year even though its mirror ‘D 1’ was sold well over 100 years ago in 1903.

8.  RH 1

Price Sold: £390,176
Date Sold: March 2021
Current Price: £400,000

The most recent plate on our list is ‘RH 1’ which sold for £390,176 in March 2021. This plate is also shrouded in mystery, and the only thing we can tell you is that – according to the DVLA - it currently sits on a Bentley.

7.  S 1

Price Sold: £404,063
Date Sold: September 2008
Current Price: £1,000,000

‘S 1’ (not to be confused with 10^th place ‘1 S’) takes the 7^th spot on this list. This historical artefact was the first plate to be registered in Edinburgh in 1903 and is believed to be Scotland’s first registration. Lord Kingsburgh, one of the first car owners in Scotland, first owned the plate and it remained in his family for over 100 years.

In 2008 it was sold to an anonymous bidder for £404,063. At the time it was reported that the new owner fixed it to an old Skoda, but today’s DVLA records show that it is not currently in use.

6.  SH 1

Price Sold: £415,143
Date Sold: April 2019
Current Price: £415,143

In 6^th place, we have another registration we know very little about - ‘SH 1’. I think we’re starting to see a pattern here with the number 1.

All that we do know is that it was sold at a DVLA auction for £415,143 in 2019 and is currently located on a Bentley.

5.  F 1

Price Sold: £440,625
Date Sold: January 2008
Current Price: £15,000,000

‘F 1’ is by far the most famous entry on this list and is often considered the most expensive plate in the UK thanks to its current asking price of £15M. However, the plate was purchased in 2008 by Afzal Kahn, owner of luxury vehicle company Khan Design, for £440,625.

While Kahn has received offers of up to £10M, he’s held his ground and will only settle for the total £15M. It looks like these plates will be sitting on Kahn’s Bugatti Veyron for the foreseeable future.

4.  RR 1

Price Sold: £472,000
Date Sold: September 2018
Current Price: £500,000

It will probably come as no surprise that the ‘RR 1’ registration is on a Rolls Royce Phantom. The plate was sold in 2018 at an auction in Goodwood to an anonymous bidder.

An interesting fact about the ‘RR 1’ registration is that it was the UK’s most expensive plate when it was sold for a then £4,800 in 1968.

3.  G 1

Price Sold: £500,000
Date Sold: September 2011
Current Price: £1,000,000

Coming up next in 3^rd place is the registration ‘G 1’ which was sold in 2011 for half a million pounds. The plate now sits on an unknown buyer’s 2015 model Aston Martin.

This plate held the title of the most expensive number plate in the UK for just under a year before the next plate in this list took its place.

2.  X 1

Price Sold: £502,500
Date Sold: November 2012
Current Price: £1,000,000

Narrowly missing out on the title of the UK’s most expensive plate is ‘X 1’. This rare plate is, in fact, the oldest plate on this list and was originally created in 1903. Over a hundred years later and it was sold to an anonymous bidder for an eye-watering £502,500 in 2012. Fast forward another decade and the plate now holds an even heftier price of £1M.

Not much is known about the plate’s current whereabouts, except that it now resides on a blue Mercedes CLA.

1.  25 O

Price Sold: £518,480
Date Sold: November 2014
Current Price: £750,000

And there you have it – ‘25 O’ is the most expensive personalised number plate ever sold at the UK’s DVLA auction. This record-breaking plate was nabbed by Ferrari dealer John Collins for a staggering £518,480 in 2014.

Collins originally only wanted to spend £300,000 but had to shell out a “bit extra” to get this 3-digit registration on his £10 million 250 SWB Ferrari that was once owned by Eric Clapton.

Conclusion

Well, now you know the UK’s most expensive number plates. But if you thought these were a bit pricey, then you haven’t seen anything yet. Check out our article on the World’s 10 Most Expensive Number Plates (spoiler: none of the plates in this list come close).