Cherished Number Plate Information

Information about cherished number plate RBW 1.

This combination was issued from 1960

This plate would have been issued by Oxfordshire C.C. (currently Oxford ).

The popularity of personalized car numbers has spawned a very healthy marketplace. Whereas the majority of owners buy their numbers for pleasure, there are an increasing number of investment-conscious purchasers who acquire their plates with a view to selling them later at a profit. A former BBC Top Gear presenter is widely quoted as having said that a well chosen private number can be better than money in the bank. Certainly some of Britain's most astute business people are converted to the personal registrations cause. Sir Alan Sugar, Duncan Bannatyne, Theo Paphitis - they all own carefully chosen cherished numbers.

As crime increases, it is now more important than ever to display easily distinguishable number plates. All car registrations must use the standard ‘Charles Wright 2001’ font and, apart from the options of a 3-D effect on the typeface and a non-reflective, coloured border, no alterations to plates are permitted in the UK. This includes the addition of logos or sporting emblems, as well as the misrepresentation or incorrect spacing of characters – these are all illegal.

BBC TV’s Dragons’ Den star and businessman, Theo Paphitis, is the proud owner of several personalised number plates, including LA53 NZA and T1 HEO. These registrations, which are used for promotional purposes and to add that personal touch, are exclusive and look really stylish. Theo’s enthusiasm for private number plates is evident, as he said, “A decent plate on a good car…adds to its charm and its look." Many owners of personalised plates buy for these very reason – to enhance their cars and promote their companies.