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AIBU

Vanity (personalised) license plates

(191 Posts)
GagaJo Wed 19-Feb-20 05:19:26

Following on from the prat tabs/designer labels thread.

IMO' vanity license plates are the height of vulgarity. A clear signal of social climbing, 'look, I have money to waste!'

They make me shudder.

Dillonsgranma Wed 19-Feb-20 10:10:16

I had one on a car I bought . A POO. It tickled me so I kept it on the next car. Plus a picture of Winnie the Pooh! On back bumper . Raised smiles everywhere ??

Shelmiss Wed 19-Feb-20 10:10:47

I have one and my husband has one. Nothing vulgar about it at all.

jaylucy Wed 19-Feb-20 10:11:04

They can be fun - just depends on what car they are attached to! Some can be pretty naff!

chrissyh Wed 19-Feb-20 10:14:56

Our current car came with the last 3 letters 0AP, not personalised by us but very apt. At least it's easy to remember if you have to give your registration number anywhere.

Ramblingrose22 Wed 19-Feb-20 10:17:55

I also have one - a rare indulgence bought after receiving a windfall and not cheap.

I agree that a lot of flashy people have them but anyone who sees me emerging from my car will know straight away that I am not one of them.

Nannan2 Wed 19-Feb-20 10:24:14

I like the funny ones..A friend of my son 'inherited' his complete with car when his grandad passed away,as they share same name,so not always just young 'uns with more money than sense or showing off,but a nice way to remember his grandad bysmile

Pantglas2 Wed 19-Feb-20 10:25:59

I spotted the potential to have my maiden surname on a plate five years before they’d be released. On the day of release I was on line at 8am and bought it for £600 but didn’t buy a new car to put it on until the following year.

When I drove up to see my dad it put the biggest smile on his face and still does to this day and has been worth every penny for that alone. Plus, none of my brothers had the nous to spot it!

On a side note, I have been offered £10,000 for it since by a wealthy businessman who spotted it parked at Manchester Airport and left his details on my windscreen!

I won’t sell it while my dad is alive - it would break his heart!

Nannan2 Wed 19-Feb-20 10:26:39

Ive thought of getting my son one just initials maybe,as he says he can never get anything with his name on.but id not get him anything embarressing.hmm

henetha Wed 19-Feb-20 10:27:07

They seem pretty harmless to me. Each to his own. We all have our own little vanities and unless they harm others then there's no problem.

Shortlegs Wed 19-Feb-20 10:27:12

Strange the things that wind people up. Live and let live.

Menopauselbitch Wed 19-Feb-20 10:31:06

Oopsadaisy3
Are they Volkswagen beetles? I remember seeing that plate in Chelsea over 30 years ago so they would,nt have been so expensive then. I thought they were brilliant

Parsley3 Wed 19-Feb-20 10:31:59

Shudder away. I have had one for 20 years and I love it. If I can remember my name I will know my registration number. That’s me, the vane, social climber. ?

Paperbackwriter Wed 19-Feb-20 10:35:04

I wouldn't bother with a personal plate but I don't care what people spend their money on and there's plenty more in the world that really does merit a shudder. I guess keeping the same number plate over the years does mean you don't have to trawl your brains when you have to remember your own.

One that amused me years ago was a car owned by the late John Entwistle who I used occasionally to see driving his RR when I was on the school run - the number was PEN1S.

Nannan2 Wed 19-Feb-20 10:37:09

Oh Dillonsgranma,that made me smilesmile theres a car that parks near us and its so obviously as close as they can get to bonjovi its hilariousgrin (im a bonjovi fan but i woudnt go that far)grin

paddyanne Wed 19-Feb-20 10:40:14

We had one in the 80s when they were all the rage ,we sold the car with thhe number plate on it as the buyer had the same initials .Its nobody's business what we spent our hard end cash on and its not a chavvy thing to do

knspol Wed 19-Feb-20 10:41:18

Oopsadaisy3, I have seen those plates many times parked outside a house when driving into London, helps break up the monotony.
I've had personal plates for many years, don't see a problem with them, each to their own.

Nico97 Wed 19-Feb-20 10:42:30

How on earth can something be considered a waste of money if it brings enjoyment ? As for being vulgar, that really is below the belt - I know quite a few people (ourselves included) that have private plates and we're far from vulgar !

Oopsadaisy3 Wed 19-Feb-20 10:46:01

meno Sorry I don’t have a clue, I think one was blue,( sorry not a car person ) more recent though than 30 yrs ago.
Right on the embankment, we would sit for what seemed like ages in traffic and eagerly wait to see if they were in the correct positions!
It didn’t really work if one was parked on the wrong side of the small forecourt of the house.

anti Wed 19-Feb-20 10:48:02

There are some good ones though.... but daft ones too! Either way, it makes me smile.

Parsley3 Wed 19-Feb-20 10:48:31

I saw one on a slinky, red sports car. It said R1CH B .
That made me laugh.

Aepgirl Wed 19-Feb-20 10:49:07

If people earn their money honestly, as far as I’m concerned they can spend it anyway they choose.

Willow500 Wed 19-Feb-20 10:50:02

I don't agree they're vulgar - just fun. My son and DIL have their initials on theirs which they've had for years. I did get one for an Audi TT some years back which was part of my name followed by TTT but obviously once the car went there was no point in keeping it.

Many years ago my husband had the opportunity to buy one which would have been his name - he couldn't afford the £80 for it but has regretted it ever since as it's now the name of a famous sportsman and would be worth a fortune! grin

Annaram1 Wed 19-Feb-20 10:53:58

When stuck in a traffic jam as a passenger many years ago I noticed a white car in the next lane had the number plate POW - on it. I could not quite see the driver but my husband said Princess Diana would not be driving on a busy road as she would have a chauffeur.

Moggycuddler Wed 19-Feb-20 10:54:44

I suppose they can be fun. When I was young I thought it was just those with money showing off though.

Nannan2 Wed 19-Feb-20 10:58:11

Yes i think its not 'social climbing' its just a number plate- maybe some are a tiny bit vanity,depends what the plate is i guess,but you never know how theyve got it do you,as i said,some inherit it,some buy it,some get it as a gift.