B055 Plates - Breakdown of Makes

[Raiden61]

I was doing the usual hypothetical car shopping the other day and I wondered where all the B055 plates end up so I put in an FOI request to the DVLA to see what the top 5 makes of cars in the UK that use that renowned VRM and here are the results from Feb 2024 and in case anyone else is curious.

Make Number of vehicles
LAND ROVER 781
MERCEDES-BENZ 611
BMW 528
FORD 514
AUDI 425

No surprises here except for Ford beating Audi?! What Fords are they going on?

[Dog Star]

Pick up trucks I suspect.

I’d have correctly guessed that LR would be top. I’m very surprised things like L200s aren’t on there, they all seem to have one.

[Magikarp]

Now do BO66 / BO65 / BO56 and all other bastardised variants numbers being used as letters!

[The test driver]

Dog Star said:

Pick up trucks I suspect.

I’d have correctly guessed that LR would be top. I’m very surprised things like L200s aren’t on there, they all seem to have one.

Focus ST/RS too, L200's old hat now all the bosses have moved on to Rangers/ Defenders/ the Merc pickup thing.

[Baldchap]

BO55 and B19 plates are a warning to other road users that the vehicle is likely to be driven by a complete tool.

It's a public service.

[J4CKO]

Anyone with a BO55 plate on here care to explain their motivation for acquiring one ?

Suspect for some its just a bit of fun and they dont overthink it, and some will have it purchased by their family for a special birthday and feel obliged, some will just be colossal throbbers of the highest order, many tats, Turkey Teeth, big watch etc etc.

[Magnum 475]

J4CKO said:

Anyone with a BO55 plate on here care to explain their motivation for acquiring one ?

It's because they want everyone to know that they are the BOSS. Especially important that strangers, people they've never met, and people they will never meet know this. 'Cause they're the BOSS. The fact that people who see the plate have no idea who owns it or is driving the car never enters their heads.

It's some desire for recognition, based on owning a number plate. Say no more.

[ajprice]

There's the Audi TT powered Skoda Yeti

[Zarco]

Black Range Rover Sport has got to be the most B055 car out there.

I'm surprised Ford beat Audi too. Good call on pick up trucks swinging it.

[J4CKO]

Magnum 475 said:

J4CKO said:

Anyone with a BO55 plate on here care to explain their motivation for acquiring one ?

It's because they want everyone to know that they are the BOSS. Especially important that strangers, people they've never met, and people they will never meet know this. 'Cause they're the BOSS. The fact that people who see the plate have no idea who owns it or is driving the car never enters their heads.

It's some desire for recognition, based on owning a number plate. Say no more.

I think thats what we may project onto it, making assumptions that are probably correct in some, but not all situations.

Its not as bad as the ones that have "FU" spaced purposefully, that is just weird.

[Time4another]

Defenders, Rangers and whatever the Merc pick up is.

[ThingsBehindTheSun]

J4CKO said:

some will just be colossal throbbers of the highest order, many tats, Turkey Teeth, big watch etc etc.

My experience is these plates are usually on a 2005ish black Range Rover driven by the above.

Or on the front of a Mercedes parked outside the front of an EE car wash place driven by the owner.

[Dg504]

Time4another said:

Defenders, Rangers and whatever the Merc pick up is.

Plenty of the Renault engined a-class diesels around here with them on (SE London)

[ChocolateFrog]

Good work.

I agree Ford is the only one that stands put but then they've sold a shed load of Rangers.

[Superflow]

No surprise there are thousands of shagged out high mileage multiple owner Range Rover sports languishing on the pages of autotrader waiting for the next forexing Dubai loving MMA gym monkey to drive off into the distance.

[AdeTuono]

Raiden61 said:

FORD 514


No surprises here except for Ford beating Audi?! What Fords are they going on?

Mustangs, I imagine.

[ThingsBehindTheSun]

Dg504 said:

Plenty of the Renault engined a-class diesels around here with them on (SE London)

Don't tell them that, they will be very upset to find their example of German engineering has an "unreliable French" engine out of an old Clio with a bit more sound deadening to make it feel "prestige".

[Sporky]

Baldchap said:

BO55 and B19 plates are a warning to other road users that the vehicle is likely to be driven by a complete tool.

It's a public service.

One of mine has B19 in the middle, but I'm only a partial tool. I generally drive very nicely.

[Raiden61]

I didn't consider the Ranger for the Ford angle great shout!

I've gone back and asked for a breakdown of top ten makes and models, as well as the bottom ten. Could prove interesting. Will update the thread when I get a response. (20 working days or so).

[CloudStuff]

A venn diagram showing the overlap between recycling firm owners, range rover sport drivers and BO55 number plate owners would be very enlightening.