The DVLA took a record amount for a number plate on Friday after a classic car dealer paid a record-breaking £650,000 on two registration plates.
Ferrari collector John Collins paid an eye-watering £518,480 for ’25 O’ and a further £130,000 for ‘250 L’ at the DVLA auction.
The ‘250 L’ plate, will likely go on his 1964 Ferrari 250 Lusso – which was once owned by Eric Clapton and is currently on the market for £2.25 million.
But it is the ’25 O’ plate which will be most sought-after as it is ideal for some of the most valuable models of classic cars ever built. This includes the Ferrari 250 GT SWB, Ferrari 250 TR and 250 GTO.
Private number plates are big business in the UK, as the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) holds around six auctions a year at various sites around the UK – selling off cherished or unusual number plates.
In the 25 years the DVLA have been holding these auctions, more than £2 billion has been raised for the government by selling off these private registrations. However this is thought to be the most a plate has ever sold for at auction in the UK.