UK's most expensive number plate could be about to change next month with 1F going up for auction

The UK’s most expensive number plate, ‘1F’, could soon take the crown when it hits the auction block next month.

The ultra-rare registration is expected to fetch between £800,000 and £1.2 million (roughly $1–1.5 million), a figure that could double the current UK record.

It’s a jaw-dropping price for something that doesn’t even come with a car.

But in the world of luxury motoring, prestige plates like this one are big business.

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The most expensive number plate can be a good investment

For those unfamiliar, personalized number plates, aside from cars, are the ultimate automotive status symbol.

Some drivers buy them to flaunt their initials or make clever jokes, while the truly wealthy see them as investments, like fine art, vintage wine, or a Swiss watch.

And then there are those who think the entire trend is ridiculous.

Still, one thing’s clear: the market for vanity plates is hotter than ever.

The upcoming star of the show, ‘1F’, will be offered by RM Sotheby’s at its London sale on November 1.

The plate was first registered in 1957 in Essex and has since graced a few high-end cars.

Most recently, it found itself on a Ferrari 812 GTS, which was last spotted by netizens in the English town of Wilmslow.

Auctioneers call it a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for collectors who want to give their supercar an instant identity boost.

And given the hype, it could easily smash through the existing record of nearly £520,000.

Why does a number plate cost so much?

Why all the fuss over two characters?

According to Sotheby’s UK sales director Sholto Gilbertson, shorter, simpler registrations tend to command the highest prices.

For example, the ruler of Dubai recently got a new Land Rover Defender Octa with the ‘1’ number plate, which is about as exclusive as it gets.

For those of us who aren’t a head of state or monarch, a single number and letter combination tends to be some of the most exclusive.

That means ‘1F’ ticks all the right boxes for becoming the most expensive number plate in the UK.

It’s the kind of plate you’d expect to see on a billionaire’s driveway, probably mounted on a bright red Ferrari or a sleek Rolls-Royce.

Of course, simple license plates aren’t the only ones that are valuable.

After all, this man managed to flip his number plate for nearly a 10,000 percent profit due to sheer luck.

And Down Under, Tesla drivers in Australia have been putting cheeky messages on their number plates, fueling a rivalry between EV and gas car owners.

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