World’s Most Expensive Car Licence Plates

If you’ve ever thought of purchasing personalised number plates for your luxury car, you’ll know just how much prices can vary. Depending on the digits required, personalised car license plates can cost as much as a few hundred dollars to thousands of dollars, or sometimes even more. Most of the world’s most expensive car license plates are owned by multimillionaires in Abu Dhabi, the oil rich emirate in the Middle East.

In fact, a licence plate with the number ‘1’, purchased for $14.3 million at an auction in Abu Dhabi, is currently the world’s most expensive car licence plate. Also, around 37 of the world’s 50 most expensive car licence plates are believed to have been purchased by people in Abu Dhabi.

Million dollar car license plates not only enhance the exclusivity of a car, but they also increase the car’s re-sale price, and the status level of the millionaire-owner. In addition, while the price of a luxury car will depreciate over time, the price of an exclusive licence plate number will only increase further.

Here is a list of the most expensive car license plates in the world:

1. Car licence plate number 1: This single-digit car registration number plate was sold for 14.3 million dollars in 2008, to a rich businessman named Saeed Abdul Ghafour Khouri. While purchasing the number ‘1’ licence plate at the seven-star Emirates Palace Hotel in Abu Dhabi, Saeed Khouri said that he had purchased this exclusive licence plate because he ‘wanted to be the best in the world’.

2. Car licence plate number 5: This personalised licence plate was auctioned off for 6.88 million dollars in 2008, to a super-rich businessman named Talal Ali Mohammad Khouri. According to officials, Talal Khouri intends to keep this expensive single-digit license plate until his death, after which he desires that the plate be sold for a higher price, and the proceeds donated towards charitable causes.

3. Car license plate number 7:  Car registration plate with the lucky number ‘7’ was sold for 4.6 million dollars in 2008, at a government auction held in Abu Dhabi.

4. Car license plate number 9: This single-digit car number plate was also purchased by a businessman in Abu Dhabi in 2008. This unnamed businessman bought this expensive personalised licence plate for a huge 4.19 million dollars.

5. Car number plate called FACEBK: Sold on the internet in 2012 for 1.2 million dollars, this personalised car registration number plate was put up for sale by its owner, a Ballarat based web developer named Tai Tran. One of the main reasons why this six-digit number plate managed to get such a good price, was because of its resemblance to the name of popular social networking website Facebook.

6. Car licence plate number F1: Breaking all previous records for a car licence plate in the United Kingdom, the ‘F1’ licence plate was purchased in 2008 for US $870,000 at an auction held by the Essex County Council. The buyer is Afzal Kahn, the owner of a car conversion firm, and a keen Formula One fan.

7. Car license plate number 6: This single-digit car registration number plate was sold for US $675,000 in 2008, to an affluent motorist called Frank Vasallo IV in the USA. Based in Wilmington, Delaware, Frank Vasallo really wanted to own this one-digit licence plate, and hence bid this huge amount at a state auction. Incidentally, purchasing personalised car licence plates is something that the Vassalo family regularly does. In fact, they also own Delaware license plate numbers ‘9’ and ‘27’.