Let us be clear about one thing right from the get go. Vanity plates, personalized registration numbers, private number plates, or whatever else you want to call them are big game nowadays. If you think they are stupid, then this piece is not for you. But if you always fancied one, then read on to make sure you get the right one for the right car. It matters, since we are talking about what is essentially an accessory.
Some people are against the whole idea of personalized, private number plates because there is a degree of showing off in that. And while that’s true, we don’t reckon you can hold it against those who want a piece of the action in the same way that you can’t fault someone for wanting an expensive, fancy mobile number. Some people just like it. The difference is, whereas with the mobile number you can be a plumber and have a rock star-level number, with the number plates you really have to have the right car for, say, a Cherished 2 letter x 1 number plate. Otherwise you will look like a massive knob.
That is not a major cause of concern, though, given the price of a really high-level private number plate. The example above for a 2 letter x 1 number Cherished Dateless plate can be as much a house. You just have to pop over to NewReg.co.uk and see for yourself. These top dog plates are for the high-end supercars – your Bugattis and Paganis. But if you are like only modestly successful in whatever it is you do, there are still great choices in the 20K to 50K bracket. The letter could be your initials, and the number your lucky number. That’s the way it goes, isn’t it? Needless to say, the more letters and numbers you include in there, the lower the price gets, and the less cool your plate will be.
What you don’t wanna do is get a 30 grand private plate for a 20 grand hatchback, even though it would be hilarious. A general rule of thumb is that your personalized plate should not cost more than one third of the price of your car. Why? Because if it’s anymore – and people would now thanks to the above-mentioned source for private plates – you will come off as a phoney who wants to appear grander than his means. And really, is there anything less cool than that? That doesn’t mean if you drive a 20 grand car you shouldn’t get a private plate. It just means for that you car you are better off choosing from the “regular” list with a post or prefix. These are a lot more affordable, but to be honest in order to get a really cool one you have to be both lucky and imaginative with letters and numbers.
That is what we think is so cool about the NewReg website. You can browse thousands of available plates there, or create your own and see if it’s available. What’s more, some plates offered by the site are negotiable in terms of price. So you won’t necessarily have to pay the sticker price. There is even an option for offering a price if a plate has no taker, and you may even add a number plate on retention.
