What is a Cherished Plate?
Cherished plates, also called dateless, private, personalised or elite number plates, is the DVLA’s official terminology but very often is used to describe the more exclusive ones issued before 1963.
Some have been in circulation for over 100 years! Cherished plates have frequently remained in one family over the years, or on classic vehicles that have required a lot of love and attention in their lifetime to remain road-worthy.
One of the best examples of the cherished private number plate is the iconic A 1 car registration.
History of the Iconic A 1 Private Plate
In 1903, Earl Russell queued outside the London County Council office, apparently all night, so that he could be the first to secure the A 1 number plate. He was successful in his task and beat his rival by 5 seconds. Now, that is dedication!
Later on, the Chairman of the London County Council acquired the number plate, which then was sold to Mr George Pettyt in 1907, along with the car. He held the A 1 number plate for a good few years – simply transferring it onto each new vehicle he owned each time.
In 1950, after Mr George Pettyt’s death, it was left to Mr Laker in the will – under one condition – that he keep the A 1 private number plate until he passed away himself. Mr Laker kept this promise and in 1970, upon his death, Dunlop Tyres purchased the private number plate. They donated £2,500 to a charity which looked after Guide Dogs as Mr Laker had wished for.
The A 1 private number plate then changed hands once again in the 2000’s, this time going to Prince Jefri Bolkiah who is a member of the Brunei Royal Family. He paired the A 1 plate with the equally impressive 1 A plate on matching white Bentley Azures.
The 1 A private number plate sold at the first classic DVLA auction in 1989 for £160,000! So there you have it, the history of the A 1 and 1 A private plates.
Transfer of Cherished Number Plates.
Cherished number plates exist in two ways – on a certificate of entitlement (that details you as the legal owner) or on an actual vehicle. A cherished plate can be transferred from vehicle to certificate, and vice versa.
A cherished number plate can be transferred onto a certificate of entitlement or straight onto another vehicle – a DVLA fee of £80 is just required to make it transferable.
It’s simple to transfer a DVLA cherished number plate. It can either be done online or by post, all you need is the V5c registration document (and valid certificates which must be in date). Any vehicle participating in a cherished transfer must be both taxed and MOTed.
When a registration is removed from a vehicle and placed on a certificate or onto another vehicle, the original vehicle will receive another car registration in its place. This can either be the registration the vehicle had before the cherished number or another one which is suitable for that vehicle’s age.
How do I sell a Cherished Number Plate?
Just follow our simple step-by-step process to get you on the way to selling your personal number plate.
A Special Registration For You
You don’t need to break the bank to own a special registration. We can help you find a plate which is meaningful to you. We have been successfully directing our clients from buying to selling through to transferring their private number plates for more than 30 years. We pride ourselves on customer service, quality and value. We have finance plans and a price-match guarantee in place to make your experience with us as comfortable as possible. Give our team of experts a call on 0121 353 3333 or start your private plate search online today.
