If you have ever decided to treat yourself to a privatised registration plate you will know that once you get beyond the incomprehensible variations on barely significant digits, things get pricey! But for some money simply isn’t a factor so just exactly how much are they willing to spend on a piece of plastic on the bumper of their supercars.
One of the best known expensive number plates is one that arrogantly pronounces itself and the importance of the owner behind the wheel, ‘VIP 1′ was originally commissioned for use on Pope John Paul II’s popemobile. It is now owned by Russian billionaire Roman Abramovich who reportedly paid 285,000 for the privilege of being recognised as ‘the number one VIP’.
Liverpool born Mike McCoomb sold his mobile phone store to BT Cellnet in 2000 for 40m, this gave him the cash to splash out 330,000 on the number plate ‘M1′ which he apparently bought for his son’s sixth birthday. Not only will the poor lad not be able to drive for nine more years but he probably doesn’t even understand the significance of an expensive number plate.
Bradford entrepreneur Afzal Kahn broke McCoomb’s record by throwing 440,000 at his ‘F1′ which he suitably donned on his Mercedes SLR McLaren, a car half designed by the actual F1 McLaren team. Given the wealth surrounding Formula one racing, Kahn believes he was lucky to only pay that much as he believes it could have gone for much more.
The world record for the most expensive number plate ever sold was not in Britain but the rich Arab state of Abu Dhabi. Saeed Abdul Ghaffer Khouri, from one of the country’s richest families paid nearly 8m for a prized ‘1′ number plate. In the car culture of Abu Dhabi’s, single digit number plates are the most sought after and obviously number one is considered the best. Khouri has not made it clear which car he will be adorning with the number plate but it is certain that whatever he puts it on; the number plate will be worth many times more.
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