The thinking behind personal/private/cherished/chav plates

[DickyC]

993kimbo said:

Doshy said:

OK legal, yes but I still don't understand what drives people to have their name (or an approximation to it) on a number plate.

That’s another thread. Maybe not on PH.

No, come on, let's do it.

What is the thinking behind the plate?

Mine over the years:

4826 PE - it came with an Austin 1100 I bought for £50 in the 80s. I hadn't had a cherished number before and when the 1100 gave up the unequal struggle I put it on my 1972 Range Rover in the late 80s. Lots of negativity at work if I took the car in. Then I sold the number for £300 through Reg Transfers.

M22 ADU - bought from DVLA for an RS2 I had for two years. The car was first registered with a cherished number and so didn't have an original number. The number it came with was entirely forgettable so I bought a car-related plate. M for the year, 22 for the engine capacity and ADU for the engine type. It would mean nothing to 99.9% of the population. It is still on the car as far as I know.

D16 KYC - Dicky C was my nickname at work. I think I only had the plate on the RS2 and that was fairly briefly. The Caterham I promised myself never materialised and so the plate has been for sale for years. No interest.

WIO YOY - I bought it from DVLA when I planned to have an L322 Range Rover as my retirement car. Why would anyone have a Range Rover these days? Why, oh, why, oh, why? Very few people read it as I intended. I emailed the number to my sons, one came back with, 'Wee-oh Yoy?' It's on the 2012 plate C200 estate I bought instead of the Range Rover. My wife calls the car Yo-Yo.

So, pretty much a complete waste of time and money. Not a lot of money in my case, and it kept me amused for a bit.

[Getragdogleg]

I bought a brand new car, it came with a plate that was horrible looking and hard to remember.

So I bought a nicer one that looks better and is easier to remember.

It was something like XX73QWZ or WZH. Or similar, I can't remember. Looked like a keyboard accident.

[LRDefender]

Firstly, choice is good so if someone wants a personalised number plate for their car then good for them. Many years ago I fancied one but never actually bought one.

However, I started to question the reasoning behind PPs a good few years ago now and realised soon they are quite ridiculous! Occasionally I see a car with a PP (say a super car with ‘too fast’ or a Porsche GT car with GT03 or similar) and think yeah ok but the vast majority I find utter stupid and completely pointless. Add to that they can’t be seen when driving the car, don’t enhance its performance, looks or capabilities, therefore further questioning the decision making of the individual who actually paid money for their PP.

But as I said, choice is a good thing so those that have a PP or are thinking of getting one, crack on.

A couple of questions for those that do have a PP, what do you get from your cherished number plate now you have one? Is your life better? Has it made you happy?

[Pitre]

Oh dear, here we go again...

Cue sanctimonious 'you must be legally spaced' 'its chavvy' 'egomaniacs' etc etc. from the self-righteous brigade. Yawn.

[JamesA95]

J95 ALN - first letter of my name, year of birth and then surname shortened.

Cost £300 from DVLA.

Would I spend anymore than that? Probably not, but each to their own. At the end of the day people can spend their cash on whatever they want.

[GT03ROB]

LRDefender said:

Occasionally I see a car with a PP (say a super car with ‘too fast’ or a Porsche GT car with GT03 or similar) and think yeah ok but the vast majority I find utter stupid and completely pointless. Add to that they can’t be seen when driving the car, don’t enhance its performance, looks or capabilities, therefore further questioning the decision making of the individual who actually paid money for their PP.

A couple of questions for those that do have a PP, what do you get from your cherished number plate now you have one? Is your life better? Has it made you happy?

Glad to hear you like GT03’s ….

[Cloudy147]

My plates, and the Mrs ones are our initials. Nothing fancy but it's just another level of personalisation. You chose the colour of your car, the wheel types, the interior you like etc. I add a plate as well to complete the personalisation - for me.

My Camaro has a plate ending in "BEE" because it looks like bumblebee from the film. Just a bit of fun with personalising the car.

It's not any more complicated than that for us. The option is there to choose our plate, so we do.

[P5BNij]

I've never bought one but fancy one occasionally, the closest I've come so far is the Irish plate on my Maserati Biturbo 430 saloon which came with 'MAZ 4301' when I bought it, it was put on the car by the second owner when it was five years old in 1997 and I can't be bothered to change it.

[Glosphil]

Recently saw a red Jaguar SUV in Cornwall with the numberplate JA66AUR.

Poor attempt. Two 6s instead of one G and mis-spelt. Wonder how much that cost?

Edited by Glosphil on Sunday 24th September 10:34

[DickyC]

Glosphil said:

Recently saw a red Jaguar SUV in Cornwall with the numberplate JA66AUR.

Poor attempt. Two 6s instead of a G and mis-spelt. Wonder how much that cost?

But you can see the philosophy thinking behind it.

There are some that just confuse the hell out if me.

[JaymzDead]

My missus bought her plate when she ordered her Alfa Romeo Stelvio to celebrate the first time she could order a brand new, nice car. She opted for P4 POD, she is a podiatrist, join the dots!

[Baldchap]

I have them model specific ones on the Lotuses and GRY. My old car one is on my van and I have a very similar one on the car as I drive to Spain regularly and if I catch too many cameras in France I swap the plate as a precaution.

[mwstewart]

I'm little bit puzzled why this is even a question. It's just personalisation - in the same vein as choosing the colour of the car, plants for a garden, or the design of one's tie. There's also the added element of typographical design.

As with all things in life - taste and quality of implementation may vary.

[AC43]

I can't do my initials as I have four. Well I could but it wouldn't work in my eyes.

Some work really well; C43 AMG on a C43 springs to mind. RX7 on an RX7 and so on. TOP 501L on the tipper that delivered a load of top soil. ONE 45 and 2 LY on a couple of cars locally look good. But the ones I really like cost a fortune.

I've vaguely thought about putting an ABC 123 plate on mine - it had one when I first saw it in the showroom. It's just whenever I do search and look at the price I can't help thinking I'd rather spend the money on some paint correction or whatever.

I don't mind them, just not sufficiently interested to put my hand in my pocket.

[witteringon]

What winds me up is the greedy robbing of original numbers from classic cars and bikes, added to which the donor vehicle is then issued with
an entirely inappropriate replacement number.

TD U5 and 10 US.

Edited by witteringon on Sunday 24th September 10:40

[Zarco]

BOSS plates work if you are a boss.

[DickyC]

witteringon said:

What winds me up is the greedy robbing of original numbers from classic cars and bikes, added to which the donor vehicle is then issued with
an entirely inappropriate replacement number.

TD U5 and 10 US.

While I realise you mean really old vehicles, the Austin 1100 I had that came with 4826 PE eventually succumbed to rust and I transferred the plate. The car was a 1963, one of those that didn't have an A suffix. The plate that was issued was APA 797A. Someone would have wanted that. I'd been sharper I could have had the car welded, squeaked it through an MoT and used it to print money.

[witteringon]

Zarco said:

BOSS plates work if you are a boss.

I suppose if you are a boss, you can at least afford the fine

[witteringon]

DickyC said:

While I realise you mean really old vehicles, the Austin 1100 I had that came with 4826 PE eventually succumbed to rust and I transferred the plate. The car was a 1963, one of those that didn't have an A suffix. The plate that was issued was APA 797A. Someone would have wanted that. I'd been sharper I could have had the car welded, squeaked it through an MoT and used it to print money.

I have no problem with that Dicky. Not sure you would have been on the right side of the money making exercise though!

[dibblecorse]

I have a motorbike with EL10 ADA on it, my dads name is Elio and my mum was Ada, just a nice nod to them, my mum cried when she saw it, no vanity involved as it makes the bike look 6 years older than it is !!