Cherished number plates is a term that is traditionally used by the motor trade to describe dateless registration marks issued before 1963. You may be more familiar with the terms private registrations, personalised car numberplates or even just private plates. The truth is that the older number plates certainly look more distinctive but they always have higher prices to match their desirability!

The motor trade is nowadays coming to realise that this term also applies to any more modern car registration mark which is loved by and personal to their owner. There are many ways that less distinctive (and less expensive!) plates mean an awful lot to their owners.

For example the three letters on the registration may be those of the owner, the numbers on the plate could just be their lucky number or show the date of birth eg. J18 for January 18th. Likewise, the whole plate may relate to a word or phrase which is important to the owner. The car registration marks could spell out the owner’s job, their hobbies, their interests or their business. Football fans are increasingly showing their allegiance to their favourite club by displaying football –related registration plates, such as M60 UTD for Manchester United Football Club.

You can now see that whereas the older cherished number plates may give a strong message to everyone who see them, these more modern and less expensive ones are more versatile. You can now add much more information than before, relating directly to you and your own social group.

The great thing about these DVLA prefix, suffix and current style plates is precisely that they are more subtle. After all who cares if strangers know that it’s you that’s coming down the road, it’s the people who know you that matter!

Many of our customers start off by asking for their dream plate which may be something like AJS 1. When we tell them that such a registration mark can command a value between £28000 and £45000 they are stunned! Once they’ve recovered from the shock we explain that such plates have existed for 50 or 70 years and because they have such a strong following, their owners can ask almost any figure they like. Even numbers like AJS 178 command figures well into the thousands.

Of course we do sell such desirable numberplates, but the trick is to get the job done for far less money, for the majority of our customers. With many years experience our customer advisors are experts at helping you find a great plate that you will cherish for far less than you expected to pay. Then once it’s on your car you can happily pretend you paid thousands of pounds for it (because it’s so personal,) and that it took you years to find it!

Every time you change your vehicle all you need to do is pay the transfer fee to move your cherished number plates to your new vehicle

Northern Ireland format registrations are commonly known as ‘Irish’ registrations prior to the separation of Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland. Any reference to ‘Irish’ registrations on this page relate to registration marks now known as ‘Northern Ireland format’ registrations.

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