Can anyone explain the appeal to me, other than a combination of pure vanity/having too much time and money?

If it spells out your name or that of your business, I would kinda get it. But to spend £550+ on something that you could end up with by pot luck (4 generic characters then your initials) just seems unbelievably stupid/pretentious.

Obviously it’s a completely individual decision and it’s not for me to criticise how people spend their hard-earned dosh, but there is a background story to this; My younger sister turns 21 in January, and my mum has asked my wife and I to make a contribution along with the rest of the family so that she can get a private reg plate for her birthday.
As above, I’d understand if it were a meaningful number or whatever, but it’s really not. It’s a number you could quite easily end up with by chance!

Although, I guess that’s besides the point – I just don’t understand why anyone would want one..? What’s the benefit? Am I just a grumpy sod who’s not “hip” or “with it”?

They’re a bit chavy, and they cause an extra layer of ‘dicking about’ when it comes to selling/buying cars as you have to unregister it and reregister it to the new car each time which I think costs money – £85 from what I remember. (might be wrong)

It’s a faff, so much so that my GF didn’t bother putting hers on her most recent car as the paperwork is a ballache. And shes also grown up and realises how they’re a bit chavy now.

You’ve understood the point of them pretty well. I’d just slip £20 into a card and not spend any more time thinking about it.

I don’t either, but as you’ve just mentioned I expect gifting is common. I’ve seen plenty of variations around [H1 LUV] and such over the years.

The ones I really don’t understand are the vehicle-specific ones, like having a BMW X5 with [X5 ***] on it. What happens when you buy something else?

Anyone with a plate starting B16 will be first up against the wall…

What’s the benefit? Am I just a grumpy sod who’s not “hip” or “with it”?

this

Obviously it’s a completely individual decision and it’s not for me to criticise how people spend their hard-earned dosh

Not really doing a good job there 🙂

The ones I really don’t understand are the vehicle-specific ones, like having a BMW X5 with [X5 ***] on it. What happens when you buy something else?

You de-register it and sell it on to some other mug presumably.

I really like the idea, but to get one with my initials on is expensive, so I’m going to change my name to ML07 OUB. Not going to have any problems getting a Gmail address either!

Not really doing a good job there

You’d be right, except I’m being asked to spend my hard-earned dosh on one for someone else.

I don’t care too much about chucking £30 or £40 into – If i were buying her a gift it would probably be around that value anyway, or perhaps a bit more as it’s her 21st. It just seems like a really odd thing to want.

AR50 MAY

For those Article 50, Theresa May lovers out there.

I don’t get private reg at all, but I don’t get people spending loads of money on bikes/watches etc. Each to their own I guess

A colleague of mine at work spends £hundreds on routine hair weave. which means she’s often reluctant to go out in the rain, it’s bonkers… She in turn finds my mountain bike habit mystifying.

different strokes…

I know a guy who was awarded an MBE. He was (apparently) very embarrassed and humbled about it, didn’t think he deserved it and didn’t want anyone to know.

Within week of going to the palace he had a new number plate ending MBE.

Be a brave soul who goes for BR3 X1T (is it even possible?)

Mine cost £250. For a start you can’t tell the age of the car, mine is nearly 11 years old now but looks immaculate and almost new. You may call that vanity if you wish.

I really like the idea, but to get one with my initials on is expensive, so I’m going to change my name to ML07 OUB. Not going to have any problems getting a Gmail address either!

😀

plyphon – Member

AR50 MAY

For those Article 50, Theresa May lovers out there.

Instaban the bastard! Do it now! 😀

I think it depends on how personalised the plate is. I know someone whose plate correctly spells out his full surname without any leftover letters. It looks quite cool, especially as he is about 100 and drives an nice old Jaguar. It must have cost a fortune though.

I thought people had private plates so you could easily
spot the T055 ERS

You can’t tell the age of the car

I think most people could tell a car was about 11 years old regardless of reg plate.

Chap near me has one of the few good ones.

GR05 CON

He drives to his house in France.

Some folk buy as an investment in the hope of appreciation on a specific combination of letters numbers they may think are valuable in the future.

I bought mine a few years back for 300quid, had it valued recently at over 1800, whats not to like.

It just seems like a really odd thing to want.

Maybe she thinks riding bikes is odd, who’d have thunk it, people liking and wanting different things. It’s almost as if we’re all different.

They’re not for me, and I think they’re naff but each to their own.

The ones I really don’t understand are the vehicle-specific ones, like having a BMW X5 with [X5 ***]

I don’t understand these either. Is it because you forget what model car you drive? Or, in case everyone else doesn’t recognise an X5, you kindly remind them by putting it on your number plate.

(I see more X5 number plates, not many X3 or X1. Does this say something about X 5 drivers?)

A few years ago one could separate oneself from the ne’er-do-wells and the mouthbreathers by owning a premium German car or a British SUV.

Apparently now these plebs can rent these cars for themselves so one has to go the extra mile to stand out

plyphon – Member
AR50 MAY

For those Article 50, Theresa May lovers out there.

Instaban the bastard! Do it now!

Or in 33 years time.

🙂 @ CFH
ISTR that France didn’t issue KK & PD plates to avoid offence.

Spend your money where you like, what annoys the bejesus out of me are the incomprehensible to read ones..
Those that have added letters or numbers or are spaced to spell words (that don’t even exist sometimes)

Makes me think these days its a free for all to do what you like with number plates, for the amount I see on the roads that are spaced so oddly to make something like: A 5NOBB underlines that fact that PLOD turn a blind eye to them and Cameras can’t grasp any ANPR data off them..

Might do mine one day: WHO 5AST ( the 5 is a G, for the hard of thinking)

the ones i dont get are the ones who have to use illegal spacing to make any sense…..

when ever i see one with illegal spacing i instantly think – tosser.

the rest i couldnt give a shit about how they spend their money.

Look on autotrader for the pimped up range rovers, truly awful mods on a nice car. The private plates reveal the sort of person who owns them.

Might do mine one day: WHO 5AST

Doesn’t exist and neither does CLA 55Y

The ones I really don’t understand are the vehicle-specific ones, like having a BMW X5 with [X5 ***]

My secondhand TT came with X2 ATT. Plate went with it when I sold it.

Nice if you have a short name. My sister’s family are V6NN_ so each gets a number plate with their initial – including the children. I had S44BDR on retention, but decided against a SAAB in the end – Eos had more room for the kids. There is a business with that name.

I was almost mown down by a septic tank lorry on a TT. SH17TER may have been the number, but I was too terrified and the road too rough for my Fly6 to get a good image.

My dad got one for his car to celebrate his being married to my mum for 30 years. So romantic.

No, I don’t get it either.

My reg is M11 TUT, I like it as it means regular users of the M5 recognise my BMW so they get out of the way, cuts down on the amount of tailgating I have to do.

NI plate rather than ‘private’ and done to hide the age.

I have no shame

[url=https://flic.kr/p/DmCBmK]_MG_4088w.tif[/url] by WCA!, on Flickr

Mate of mine has a private reg. He swops it over each time he gets a newer car, which he does every two years. This year he swopped a petrol for a diesel to save £140 on road tax. He drives 1,100 miles a year. To swop the plates cost him £170. I’m not sure the people with private plates are always that rational an individual.

Since you can’t really get away with taxing stupidity directly, this is an effective alternative.

I had S44BDR on retention, but decided against a SAAB in the end – Eos had more room for the kids. There is a business with that name.

I was almost mown down by a septic tank lorry on a TT. SH17TER

Talking of which it’s always amazing the amount of made up shit you get on these number plate threads on here 🙂

The NI plate was only £79 so seemed a reasonable cost to replace R777 XYZ or what ever.

The only argument I can make in their favour is that they can obscure precise model years of vehicles.

I know you will probably just take it for granted and say it’s no big deal, but I find the display of vehicle model years really aggravating. Rather than car lovers (and even passive car lovers) being able to identify their vehicle with a ‘mark’ or an era, it ends up being pinpointed by year, which surely diminishes both real and perceived value, and can then encourage unnecessary buying and selling.

As far as I know, only Ireland and GB make the year of manufacture so obvious on the reg plate.