Cherished Number Plate Information

Information about cherished number plate SEA 738.

This combination was issued from 1957

This plate would have been issued by West Bromwich County Borough Council (currently Birmingham (Dudley)).

Given that the law compels every driver on the UK's roads to display an identifying number plate, it is not surprising that people have found ways to turn that limitation into a bit of fun. A mandatory vehicle registration may have been introduced for tedious bureaucratic reasons, but people have come to realise that, by selecting the characters displayed on their plates, they are often able to contrive combinations that look very much like names and words. These personal touches help an otherwise run-of-the-mill car to stand out from any number of identical vehicles.

The popularity of personalized car numbers has created a very healthy marketplace. Whereas the majority of owners buy their numbers for pleasure, there are an increasing number of investment-conscious customers 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.

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 elegant. Theo’s keenness for private number plates is evident, as he said, “A decent plate on a good car…adds to its beauty and its look." Many owners of personalised plates buy for these very reason – to enhance their cars and promote their companies.