The Amazing World of Number Plates

Alistair's Birthday

2008-07-21T12:25:00.007+01:00

It was Alistair's birthday yesterday. Alistair - more commonly known as Ali - is a top-class National Numbers private number plate salesperson, and although he's not in the office today, everybody at National Numbers would like to wish him a very happy birthday for yesterday.

Ali likes his cars fast.

He also likes donuts in his cars, but not the sugar coated variety!

He used to have a Vauxhall Corsa but more recently has been burning around in a 16v Ford Fiesta Zetec, complete with phat ICE and in-car lighting!

So happy birthday Ali! Here's to many more years of car donuts!

Boris Shuns Vehicle Congestion Charge Increase

2008-07-08T12:52:00.005+01:00

London mayor Boris Johnson has stayed true to his pre-mayoral word by not increasing the London congestion charge for polluting large and 4x4 vehicles.

Previous mayor Ken Livingstone proposed the charge be raised from the acceptable figure of £8 for vehicles emitting more than 225g of carbon dioxide per kilometre, and for vehicles registered before March 2001 with engines larger than 3,000cc, to a mind-blowing £25, from October.

However Boris ditched the plans, saying: "I am delighted that we have been able to scrap the £25 charge, which would have hit families and small businesses hardest". He added: "I believe the proposal would actually have made congestion worse by allowing thousands of small cars in for free."

Boris was prompted to avoid the increase on the power of a legal challenge from car manufacturer Porsche, who sought a judicial review of the proposal after unearthing research from King's College in London.

The academic research proposed that the new charge could actually increase CO2 emissions because people would theoretically drive a greater distance to avoid the congestion charge zone.

Porsche Managing director Andy Goff said: "Porsche is proud to have played a decisive role in striking down such a blatantly political tax increase targeting motorists."

What's Going On With Personalised Registration LEW 1S?

2008-06-27T10:15:00.008+01:00

I've been reading with interest the reports of Lewis Hamilton and the LEW 1S number plate he's supposed to have bought.

Now, allegedly, Hamilton denies buying the plate, thoughtfully adding a bit of a snub towards number plates - something along the lines of: "why would anyone want to actually buy a number plate?".

However there must have been some truth in the story because both The Telegraph and ITV posted news articles stating that Hamilton had bought the personalised number plate, for the grand sum of £200,000.

Fellow number plate dealers have released a good number of press articles relating to the number plate story. One in particular proposes that the purchase was in fact a ruse masterminded by the private owner of the registration, property tycoon Bob Lewis, designed to generate hype and interest in the number plate by riding on the back of Lewis's fame.

Whatever the truth is - it's actually a fantastic number plate for Lewis! But, as with most things in life, there's always room for improvement.

National Numbers are now taking pre-orders for previously unreleased F registrations. This is the last big prefix release so Lewis had better move fast (although I'm sure that won't be a problem!).

Lewis Carl Davidson Hamilton, 23, born January 7, 1985 in Stevenage, Hertfordshire, whose latest win was the 2008 Monaco Grand Prix, could pre-order the fast and furious F registration F1 LEW, or F1 LDH, both a nice way to combine the significance of Lewis's career and his name / intitals in one registration!

Or how about a search which will hunt through ALL the 30 million registrations we have on our database? LEW 7S is a quality number plate in these results, or he could just browse all Lewis number plates.

There are so many ways to find what you're looking for. Don't be afraid to search for absolutely anything! The search really is that powerful and easy-to-use! Try our Number Plates Search yourself now!

Number Plate Aficionados Prone to Road Rage

2008-06-18T16:40:00.006+01:00

Research by social psychologist William Szlemko at Colorado University has proven that drivers who sport car accessories such as personalised number plates, furry dice, and bumper stickers are more likely to suffer symptoms of road rage.

Amusingly, the greater the number of "territorial markers" a driver possesses in connection with their vehicle, the more likely it is that they will respond in an inappropriate manner to others' on the road.

Szlemko says: "Just the presence of territory markers predicts the tendency to be an aggressive driver."

Szlemko's co-author, Paul Bell, agrees: "Territoriality is hard-wired into our ancestors from tens of thousands of years ago. Animals are territorial because it had survival value. If you could keep others away from your hunting groups, you had more game to spear ... it becomes part of the biology."

If you're a territorial kind of person, number plates are certainly one of the best ways to personalise your car. Road rage? Your choice!

Screwing the Number Plate Criminals

2008-06-17T10:25:00.002+01:00

Dewsbury people have been nominated for a crime prevention award following a local Police-led initiative to cut number plate theft.

Dewsbury residents, who belong to the most active Neighbourhood Watch Association (covering 150,000 households in the West Yorkshire area), have been nominated for their work towards community safety, including campaigns such as 'Screw It Or Lose It', which advocates protecting vehicle identity using secure number plate screws.

Screws are not the only solution to number plate crime - there have been other attempts to prevent car registration fraud.

The DVLA, the Police, and number plate manufacturers, have worked together to develop a plate material that will safeguard acrylic number plates when on the vehicle. The plate shatters when tampered with, making it impossible for criminals to remove.

Such advances in technology are welcome, as number plate crime becomes more and more prevalent. But each time a new technology is enforced, it would seem criminals develop a new way to circumvent it.

Stolen number plates are used to get around the London congestion charge and other toll roads. Most of these road systems use Automatic Number Plate Recognition to scan number plates and trace the driver connected to the vehicle. Criminals use stolen number plates to avoid fines and charges by disguising the true identity of the vehicle.

All this amounts to an estimated 30,000 number plate thefts each year – of which 10,000 are forecourt crimes (source: neighbourhoodwatch.net).

But why steal a number plate? Why not just get a set made? National Numbers asks that all customers of acrylic plates provide their driver number and the first four digits of their document reference number from section D of the vehicle's V5 logbook. This combination matches the registered keeper to the vehicle and prevents fraudulent orders.

If you're looking to have acrylics made, a simple way to protect your acrylic number plates is to use a number plate lock kit, which can be bought cheaply from car outlets.

Or, if you need number plates for your vehicle, browse our easy-to-use acrylic number plates web site, or call 01642 363738 to speak to us about acrylics or securing your number plate.

The End of the Road for Big Cars?

2008-06-09T10:01:00.005+01:00

You may have read or seen on the news recently the stories reporting the slump in sales of vehicles dubbed "Chelsea Tractors" - the 4x4 and sports type vehicles that usurp fuel during outings to the nearest retail park or supermarket.

Sales of the fuel-hungry guzzlers dropped 18 percent last month, according to the Financial Times, whilst sales of small economical cars have rocketed. Whether or not the shift is a temporary state remains to be seen.

The reasons for the demise of the big car may not be as selfless as first appears - most drivers' cite financial reasons over green concerns. With the ever-increasing hike in fuel prices, this comes as no surprise.

Perhaps Chelsea Tractor engines will be replaced by new, petrol-free alternatives such as the electric Range Rover engine being developed by newly-formed company, Liberty Electric Cars.

Clearly, sales of big cars are dwindling, but what will this downturn mean for sales of personalised registrations? Will National Numbers take fewer sales of BIG plates; see a drop in JAG and BMW registrations and an increase in Smart and Ford searches?

Smart experienced the highest percent increase in sales, which were up 147% - and for good reasons - made by Mercedes Benz and highly personalised, the car is one of the most economical on the market.

Small cars are fun, affordable, and great for showing off a fantastic new personalised registration. If you own a small car it's possible you might want to customise it with a new number plate.

You can search for anything that's important to you on National Numbers web site - try it with your name, initials, or pet.

We also keep a list of registrations for vehicle makes and models. And if you can't find what you want on the web site - give our friendly sales staff a call on 01642 363738 - we'd be really happy to help!

Goodbye Yee and Ashley!

2008-06-05T09:09:00.002+01:00

Today sees the sad departure of two staff members, Yee and Ashley, who are off to travel the world over the summer holidays before returning to University in the autumn.

The two have brightened the National Numbers office for a year whilst undertaking work experience as part of their degree courses.

Everyone at National Numbers wishes them the best of luck (and fun!) with their travels and studies over the next year.

Two plates for Yee and Ashley:

Good luck girls!

Ronaldo’s Dream Plate – and Other Star Stories

2008-06-03T10:14:00.006+01:00

In the Sunday news this week was a story about Manchester United's Cristiano Ronaldo, who's got himself in a spin over the private registration CR 7.

Millionaire property tycoon Charlie Robinson currently owns the registration, and Ronaldo may well pay the £175,000 Robinson is asking for the registration plate - the number features not only Ronaldo's initials, but also his favourite shirt number and the name of his fashion store in Funchal. He's even planning the launch of a nightclub bearing the CR 7 name - talk about branding!

Despite Ronaldo's enthusiasm, the plate means a lot to Robinson who said, "that registration plate is close to my heart and I won't be letting it go easily". Robinson though is willing to relinquish rights to the cherished number in exchange for the registration CR 1.

Ronaldo isn't the only celeb who loves personalised number plates. Many stars have invested in unique and interesting number plates that match their professions - one such celebrity is Toyah Willcox. National Numbers brochure features an interview with the legendary Toyah, who talks to us about investing in number plates and her fantastically varied career. If you don't yet have a copy, bag your free number plate brochure now!

The magician and entertainer Paul Daniels owns a registration that speaks for itself: MAG 1C.

Funny man Jimmy Tarbuck owns COM 1C, which fits brilliantly.

The personalised reg S8 RRY is owned by ex Take That band member and solo artist Robbie Williams – the "sorry" registration was a message to fans to explain the purchase of his very expensive car. He later ended up buying a moped!

Amstrad founder and The Apprentice star Sir Alan Sugar owns AMS 1 – which is absolutely perfect for his name and all of his business ventures.

Even her Highness Queen Elizabeth 2nd owns a private registration - A7 - a stately mark, fit for a Queen, and issued in London in 1903.

Dateless registrations like these really are the cream of the crop when it comes to the most personal of personalisations – why not try a search for your own star plate? National Numbers Dateless Number Plates page or our Number Plates Search showcase millions of potentials – give them a whirl!

Free Gun with Every Car from US Dealership

2008-05-28T10:28:00.004+01:00

A car dealership in the US is giving customers a free gun with every purchase of a new car - a move that has seen sales quadruple since the offer began. For those who have no need for firearms, a $250 petrol card alternative is offered alongside the gun – to date most customers have plumped for the latter.

Max Motors owner Mark Muller told the BBC "we're just damn glad to live in a free country where you can have a gun if you want to."

Amusingly – the logo of Max Motors, whose car dealership is in the US Midwest in Butler, Missouri – features an angry looking gun-toting cowboy. The outlet sells, amongst others, cars from Ford and Chrysler.

The offer is running until the end of the month - but highlights the requirement for an approved background check on gun ownership.

The dealership, whose slogan is God, Guns and Gas, say they are aware of the gasoline and crime problem in America, and want to be part of the solution and not the problem.

Whilst National Numbers can't offer something as exotic as a free gun with every number plate, we do guarantee to beat any other dealer's price on our range of millions of personalised registrations. Here's just a few to satisfy the inner cowboy/cowgirl inside.

Y88 HAA "Yeehaa!"
MY51 GUN "My Gun"
R16 NCH "Ranch"
RAN 50N "Ranson"
HH07 RSE "Horse"

Evans Pays £5 Million for Ferrari Spyder

2008-05-21T09:29:00.003+01:00

A £5 million Ferrari, once owned by Hollywood actor James Coburn, has been bought by BBC DJ Chris Evans. The 250 GT SWB California Spyder was bought at auction by Evans, who paid twice the estimated price for the sleek Ferrari at RM Auctions' Ferrari Leggenda e Passione event.

Auctions are often a great place to pick up rare buys you'd never find elsewhere. RM Auctions' founder Rob Myers told the BBC News web site that the fact the Ferrari was owned by Coburn was a factor in the higher-than-expected winning bid for the car, along with plenty of interest from other bidders, as well as Evans.

According to the Ultimate Car Pages web site, the California Spyder was a production car - however no two vehicles were the same, because they were finished to meet customers' demands.

So it looks like Evans really has bought a piece of history for his £5 million!

Looking for a good investment that will stand the test of time? How about a personalised dateless registration from National Numbers. We can't promise a piece of Hollywood history, but for personalisation and value for money, there's no better statement!

Private Registrations for St. George: England’s Glory

2008-04-21T09:54:00.005+01:00

It's that time of year again for celebrating everything that is English: no, not pints of warm beer, cricket, HP sauce, interminable queue lengths, or even the ubiquitous fry up; but St. George's day, on 24th of April; and how quickly it has come around this year!

But who was St. George anyway? Well, he was a soldier of the Roman Empire, born some time around 275-281 AD. Of course, his notoriety comes from the legendary slaying of the evil dragon. Apparently the dragon would lie in wait over the well from which the village people of Silene in Libya would draw their daily water. The dragon required a daily human sacrifice in order to allow access to the well, and the people of Silene would pick the unfortunate individual from a hat, so to speak. One day, when the princess of the village was randomly chosen for sacrifice, the powers that be must have decided that enough was enough, and dispatched St. George to the well, who quite rightly jumped in with both feet, and killed the dragon with his sword. Hooray for patriotism!

As well as being the patron saint of England and also Canada, China, Ethiopia, Greece, Montenegro, Palestine, Portugal, Russia, and Serbia – St. George is also the patron saint of Freemasonry and Scouting!

In England, we've been rallying to make St. George's Day a bank holiday for years, as yet with little success. But you could always pledge your patriotism to England with a private registration from National Numbers. How about the new style/millennium registration EN57 AND? Or a classic suffix registration: ENG 72C? George also has his fair share of glory on our web site; just look at all these wonderful George private registrations!

We have a wider selection of patriotic registrations and saint registrations that are well worth a look.

Happy St. George's Day!

Happy Birthday, Dear Gwen!

2008-04-02T17:52:00.000+01:00

Gwen, one of National Numbers longest serving members of staff, is celebrating her birthday today.

We know a lady never reveals her true age, so here's a subtle but much deserved ...

Ode To Gwen

Gwen, Gwen, you're such a gem
Out of ten we give you ten
You fill the office with orange zen
And you're so much wiser, than three wise men!

Happy birthday Gwen!

Here are some Gwen number plates that could've been made for you:

Number Plates for Gwen:

New Roadside Camera to Tackle Abusive Car-Share Lane Drivers

2008-03-11T08:44:00.004Z

A new roadside camera that can estimate how many travellers are inside a car by measuring human fluids has received a mixed reception.

The device has been developed in a bid to combat abuse of car-sharing lanes, with sneaky drivers attaching photographs to their windows and positioning mannequins in passenger seats in an attempt to foil conventional detection.

The technology, developed by Loughborough University, is being trialled in car-sharing lanes in Leeds, so its accuracy remains to be seen, however other councils have taken an interest in installing the cameras.

Motoring organisations question the effectiveness of car-sharing lanes, and argue the cameras are a further intrusion on private lives.

But cameras to measure bodily fluids? The Orwellian technology, if not laughable, reeks of privacy invasion, and is surely riddled with inaccuracies. How does the system take into account variations of weight and size, for instance the difference between a twenty-stone lorry driver, and a six-month old child?

I have to digress and speculate as to whether my little Jack Russell terrier, Charley, would count as a passenger under the watchful gaze of the new cameras!

Related Number Plates:

There's a spy in there!

They want blood!

Or are they just prying?

Two Birthdays to Celebrate Today!

2008-02-28T13:16:00.006Z

First up is Andrea, who hits the big forty today! Many happy returns Andrea!

It's also Craig's birthday today, although his age is totally undisclosed. Happy Birthday Craig! :)

We've had a lot of birthdays this week: with Eric, Ed, Andrea, and Craig all notching up an extra year. What is it with February? All I can say is they're very lucky their birthdays don't fall on the 29th, or else they'd only be having one every four years! And then there'd be far less cake making its way around the office, for the leap year (or intercalary year, as it's known by those in the right circles) is a measure taken to keep the calendar year synchronised with the astronomical or seasonal year, and normally consists of a year containing one or more extra days which of course only come round once every four years.

Our birthday bunch all fall under the astrological sign of Pisces – symbolised by two fish: one facing upwards, the other downwards - mirroring their dual pathway in life. Pisces is ruled by the element water and the planet Neptune.

As for numerology, the number 2 is a very powerful number for Pisces (presumably down to their dual personality): think Saint and Sinner rolled into one. According to the Psychic Guild, Pisces is a trendsetter when it comes to art or fashion; a lost soul, a philosopher, a psychotic and a visionary.

So, they're quite unique then! – Here are some February-type number plate suggestions for our brilliant birthday colleagues!

2 Number Plates
Pisces Number Plates
Water Number Plates
Neptune Number Plates

As you can see, you really can search our web site for anything! Try for yourself with our intelligent number plates search and bag yourself a number plate worth celebrating!

Happy Birthday Ed!

2008-02-25T09:38:00.002Z

Birthday wishes today go out to Ed, National Numbers' Office Manager/Database Administrator/Second-In-Command.

Ed sports a great registration on his car: TO02 FAR - a witty millennium/new style registration which has raised many a smile in its time!

Happy Birthday Eduardo!!

If you hanker after an eyebrow-raising personalised registration for your vehicle, don't hesitate to search for ANY word on our web site using our Number Plates Search. Its ingenious search facility hunts our vast database for ANY word, and words similar to it - give it a go!

Happy Birthday Eric!

2008-02-20T09:17:00.006Z

The Chairman of National Numbers, Eric, is celebrating his birthday today. His age is a figure shrouded by a degree of uncertainty - however, he has been heading up National Numbers for about 28 years, and previously worked in engineering for chemical giant ICI, so we can safely say he's been around long enough to know his stuff.

The perfect plate for Mr. Craggs? He already has it - EC 2, although I think he would take some persuading to part with it! Eric also owns EC 5 - both plates are excellent examples of two-initial dateless plates. Not so great on the wallet - but oh so very personal, and well worth the investment.

Happy birthday Eric!

Try National Numbers' initial number plates search to find your own perfect registration!

Most Expensive Number Plate? – Here's The “1” To Watch!

2008-02-08T18:42:00.000Z

Interested to learn what the world's most expensive number plate is? Here's the "1" to watch – quite literally!

Because the diminutive digit number 1 is set to become the World's most expensive number plate – with an estimated value of 25 million Dirhams (more than 3.5 million pounds) – when it sells at auction in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, on February 16.

A similarly small registration number, the number 5, currently holds the record as the World's most expensive number plate, selling for a staggering 25.2 million Dirhams (again, more than 3.5 million pounds) .

Abdullah Mattar, Managing Director of Emirates Auction says, "Number 5 was sold for 25.2 million, which set the Guinness world record as the most expensive number plate. So we expect more for number plate 1". According to Mr. Mattar, the company expects fierce bidding from at least five people for number plate 1.

National Numbers sell some very special registrations, and with prices starting at just £188, they afford a cheap and cheerful way to personalise your vehicle. If you're stuck for ideas, we have plenty of suggestions. How about your name, initials, or browse through a list of A-Z Single Letters?

Or, if you yearn for something really special and very unique, and you have half as much money to spend as our Arab chums, you couldn't go far wrong with a classic dateless plate or irish plate featuring the number 1. Here are some singular suggestions to stir up your imagination:


CTK 1	1 GOA

1 GE	PAY 1T

XE 1	1 NKH

NKZ 1	HX 1

Nissan Skyline GT-R Hailed Car of the Century

2008-02-05T13:03:00.000Z

The soon to be launched revamped Nissan Skyline GT-R has been dubbed "the most eagerly awaited supercar launch of the century" by webmag readers in the US.

You'd expect other top marques, such as the Ferrari Testarossa, and Porsche 911 to be favoured above the Japanese sports coupe.

But, the supercar costs far less than other cars in the same class. And, these aren't your average drivers. In fact, most of the drivers have only experienced the car through the virtual reality worlds created in computer games like Zero 4 Champ R and Gran Turismo, and the odd appearance in movies, anime, and manga. Add to that the popularity the car has garnered thanks to illegal street races in Japan and its speed of 0-60 mph in less than four seconds, it is no wonder there's excitement.

And who can blame folks for getting sped up over the vehicle? The supercar features "integration with the driver" resulting in new components, and a "human-machine interface". It certainly sounds impressive, and just the kind of feature to appeal to a gamer - the personalisation of the driving experience clearly seduces buyers of the Skyline GT-R - of whom sixty percent are under 50 years old.

Just ask anyone who has screeched around a Gran Turismo track in a virtual Skyline and they'll testify - it's a lot of fun! And who wouldn't want that on their drive?

Turbo-charge your next supercar with a racy personalised number plate from National Numbers:

Nissan Number Plates
Nissan Skyline Number Plates
Nissan GTR Number Plates

Saintly Choices for Private Registrations

2008-01-18T15:00:00.000Z

When our lovely accounts/sales person, Andrea, isn't busy bringing smiles to the faces of countless private registration buyers and sellers, she also finds the time to run two successful Slimming World groups in Sedgefield and Billingham (details below).

To this end, a handful folks here at National Numbers have diligently followed Andrea's motivating and tasty eating plans, and have even made attempts to drag themselves off the couch and start going to the gym. As a result, some have shed a fair few pounds over the last six months, despite the usual holiday over-indulgences.

Amongst our more competitive sales people, watching the figures decrease every week has become something of a competition, with the scale revealing who amongst us has been a saint or a sinner.

Imagine my delight, while enjoying a chin-wag over the photocopier one morning, that two of Andrea's fellow Slimming World Consultants have invested in private registrations for their cars.

Where do people begin when choosing a private registration? Well, most people start by searching for registrations that include their name, initials; maybe their football team, or their favourite hobby. Innovatively, the svelte girls at Slimming World have pledged allegiance to their cause by choosing the unusual registrations S5 YNS (sounds like "Syns") and LE55 LBS (sounds like "less pounds").

What a fine example of camaraderie from a tightly-knit team, and a wonderfully inventive way to turn your car into a publicity vehicle: for "Syns" is a perfect reminder of Slimming World's daily allowance of treats – and few of us would mind having "less pounds"!

With motivation like that, there's fat chance of failure!

Have something to say? Say it with a private registration, on National Numbers' web site, 24 hours a day.

Andrea's Sedgefield group runs every Tuesday in the Community College at 7pm. Her Billingham group runs every Thursday in the Monkseaton Community Centre at 6.30pm. Details of Andrea's groups and programmes can be found on slimmingworld.co.uk or by calling Andrea on 01740 644727.

UK Roads Driving You Potty? That'll be the Jeep, the Chevrolet, and the Daewoo

2008-01-16T13:19:00.001Z

Shockingly, UK drivers are paying more than 2.8 billion pounds a year on mechanical car repairs, thanks to the shoddy condition of UK roads, recent news from independent insurer Warranty Direct has revealed.

The research, conducted on nearly 500,000 vehicles – pinpoints decaying British roads as a major cause of up to a third of all mechanical break-downs.

Duncan McClure Fisher of Warranty Direct says: "continuous driving over cracked or uneven road surfaces, or one sudden jolt from a pothole, can cause substantial damage to shock absorbers, springs, upper and lower arms and stabiliser bars".

Not good news, especially when you consider that the UK road tax payer, despite loosely paying twice as much tax as folks in the USA, is still twice as likely to suffer damage to his or her car as a result of bad British roads.

Some cars are affected more than others. Top of the hit list are Jeep, Chevrolet, Daewoo, Jaguar, Kia, Subaru, Volvo, Suzuki, Chrysler, Honda and Nissan.

Still, despite suffering busted shock absorbers, springs, arms and stabiliser bars, you can rest assured a securely-fixed personalised number plate from National Numbers won't fall victim to potholes, and will look the business too. Number plates for all car makes and models are included in our easy-to-use number plate search. Give it a go!

EC 2 and Vintage Marshall Story from National Numbers

2007-11-19T11:33:00.000Z

If you're interested in vintage cars and registrations, then read our new number plate story on EC 2 and the vintage Marshall on the National Numbers web site. It's all about our recent purchase of a very special registration: EC 2, and the fascinating tale behind the vintage Marshall car from which it came.

Check out the story (with pictures of the Marshall) and the history of the number plate and the Marshall (text kindly supplied by Bonhams).

Aston Martin Dominates Top Ten Dream Cars

2007-11-15T11:17:00.000Z

The polls are in, and visitors to the DVLA's registrations web site have voted top British marque Aston Martin's beautiful cars as their favourites in an online poll designed to discover the nation's top ten dream cars.

The poll, which shows that the famous British car manufacturer is still very much a name synonymous with quality, is a classic example of the good old British patriotic spirit rising to the fore.

The Aston Martin appears in three places in the list of most desirables. At the top spot is the uncompromising Aston Martin DB9, a car that Top Gear's Jeremy Clarkson dubbed "motoring perfection" - and I don't think that James Bond would dare to disagree! Aston Martin's previous flagship vehicle, the Vanquish, comes in at number three, and the hand-built Vantage at a modest number five.

Also featuring amongst the favourites are Italian beauties such as the Ferrari Enzo and Ferrari 612 Scaglietti.

The ubiquitous Porsche Carrera GT also pushes its sleek nose in at number 8.

If you're looking for a dream number plate for your dream car, I think National Numbers Car Number Plates search is the most comprehensive you'll find on the Internet.

There are thousands of quality number plates, all conveniently categorised: from Aston Martin to Yugo - you'll find number plates for the most popular makes and models listed all starting from as little as £49 and delivered to your door. Give it a try!

Number Plates 4 Geeks

2007-10-24T11:41:00.001+01:00

You may have read in the news recently about the registration number L1NUX that's come up for sale on eBay.

The bidding started at £1000 for the registration number, which is available to buy for the first time since its release in 1993. The registration is popular: over the last three days, nearly 11,000 people have visited the L1NUX page, and 11 of have confirmed their alpha geekiness by placing a bid on the reg: taking its current value to £5,300.00.

Who knows how high the bidding in this online auction might climb? Those who know their BIOS from their DOS would likely welcome a number plate that makes a shush-shush statement subtly pointing to their geeky status. And whilst techies are typically a quiet and unassuming bunch, they often harbour a secret passion for some particular computer-related gadget or software – a personalised number plate might be just the ticket!

And for those who remember when Amazon was just a jungle, and Bluetooth was a painful condition brought on by an excess of ice cream, you might like to know that Linux is an alternative operating system you can use instead of Microsoft Windows. Its best feature is that it's mostly free – which may somewhat temper the bidding, as this bunch are typically heard crying, "liberate the software, man"!

So we will just have to wait and see what happens when the bidding ends in five days time. Until then, for all you lovely geek guys and gals, there are lots of computer, web, and gadget related registrations available to buy at National Numbers. Here are a few to whet your appetite:

WWW registrations	DOT registrations	LOL registrations
AJAX registrations	WTF registrations	VGA registrations
RGB registrations	PHP registrations	OMG registrations

We also have an entire page dedicated to all kinds of computing number plates, give them a whirl!

Doovla Number Plates

2007-09-28T13:27:00.000+01:00

It's a Friday. We've had a grand week selling number plates, so now it's time for a little fun.

And without even straying off the topic of number plates, I present to you two words: You and Tube.

This is one of the funniest (office friendly) videos we've seen in a while. Ladies and gents, Fonejacker's "Doovlah".

Doovlah, of course, being DVLA.

Watch the video on YouTube

PS watch Fonejacker on TV tonight!

The Great Divide – Petrolhead vs. Eco-Warrior

2007-09-13T10:28:00.000+01:00

What ever happened to the petrolheads who vamped up their cars for the purposes of being cool, living fast, and making a statement with (sometimes excessive) personalisation?

Youngsters passed their tests only to dash off down to the mod shop to kit up with the latest accessories for their beloved Ford Capri, Sierra Cosworth, or Golf GTI.

Whether it was something racy like a bonnet scoop or splitters, or something fluffy like – um – furry dice, virtually no youngster’s car was left bare of the latest auto styling. Times were free for petrolheads to indulge. And injudicious use of the accelerator was all part of the fun.

Not so nowadays. Today, government advisors tell us we need lessons in "eco-driving", in what seems like a covert attempt to curb our speed on the premise "the way you drive can be as important as what you drive, and how much you drive it". Less speed = less pollution.

There are a lot of us who would welcome eco-driving lessons. Being as green as possible is the new way to "keep up with the Joneses" – a cult of twenty-first century eco-yuppies battling to be the crowned the king and queen of green. And what better way to justify the sin of driving than being in receipt of a piece of paper branded "Green Driver"?

It would seem us drivers are being forced into two different camps, and are becoming more limited at every turn.

In order to determine whether driving faster really does create "significantly more" emissions, the BBC set a test. The results might see petrolheads crying into their Recaro seats: astonishingly, a third more carbon dioxide was created at a speed of 80mph than it was at 70mph!

Quite a figure. So it seems like the Eco-Warriors win this one. Still, there are more ways to make a statement than driving too fast. Your own private number plate would be a cheaper alternative: both for the environment and for your pocket.

Our Cheap Number Plates start at just £115 and we’re members of all the official bodies you’d expect of a number plate dealer over 25 years in the industry.

Private reg for Petrolheads
Speed Number Plates

Private reg for Eco-Warriors
Eco Number Plates