Gransnet forums

Chat

Have you got a personalised number plate and do you wish you hadn’t?

(117 Posts)
PamelaJ1 Tue 06-Aug-24 16:34:12

I was given one for my 50th birthday by my mother who was influenced by my sister who was sure I would like one.
I was a bit cross because it was something I’ve never craved. It is a very ordinary one and now I’m in my 70ties I’m not too bothered about it proclaiming how old I am but…..
We are changing the car soon so today I had to pay £80 to the DVLA and £38 for new (old no,) plates so we can sell the old one🤬. Not for the first time.
It’s just the gift that keeps on giving!!!
Mum is still going strong at 95 but perhaps this is the last time I will have to do it.

heavenlyheath Wed 07-Aug-24 14:17:57

My ex bought me one with K155 and my initails now gone

DamaskRose Wed 07-Aug-24 14:22:19

I was going to say that I’ve never really wanted one but then remembered that I would love to have the one that was my childhood car. Both AC have them. Why shouldn’t people have one if they want to!

SueEH Wed 07-Aug-24 14:23:45

My 95 year old dad sold his car last month and we have put his plate on retention. It was actually my mother’s personal plate and it was transferred to his car when she died two years ago.
Dad is very keen for me to put it on my car but I’m resisting… I’d never consider buying one so hoping to keep it on retention for the foreseeable future.

Beechnut Wed 07-Aug-24 14:28:16

I haven’t got one and have no feelings for them either way. I don’t think they hide a cars age though as a petrolhead would know. Or these days perhaps it’s an electric head 😂

Kfimbs Wed 07-Aug-24 14:31:32

I’ve never had a personalised plate, nor have I ever known anyone who had one. Reading this thread gives the impression they are quite common so I am surprised.

M0nica Wed 07-Aug-24 14:39:54

They have the advantage that people cannot judge you on the basis of how old your car is.

MissInterpreted Wed 07-Aug-24 15:20:32

M0nica

They have the advantage that people cannot judge you on the basis of how old your car is.

Unless you happen to be able to judge the age of a car by looking at the model...

4allweknow Wed 07-Aug-24 15:23:25

My DH (police force in many places) always said we would never have personalosed plates as makes you or the vehicle too easy to recognise and we never did. Think he was paranoid that if you upset someone, were accused wrongly of a mishap your car/you, were easy to spot. Think he may have had a good point, even more so nowadays.

Jaxjacky Wed 07-Aug-24 15:26:28

I’m not surprised at the personalised plates, but am that people can’t remember their number plate when required.

crazyH Wed 07-Aug-24 15:34:41

Yes - I have one, which almost spells my first name , not exactly, but almost ……

LovesBach Wed 07-Aug-24 17:09:58

Having always been 'sniffy' about personalised plates, feeling that they were pretentious, I was surprised to receive a gift from my DC, who saw a registration so apt that they couldn't resist it. Initial, birthday and half of surname - how could I not love it? Pretentious? Moi?

Belleringer Wed 07-Aug-24 20:43:54

I couldn’t have one using my initials as they spell a rather rude word!

Floradora9 Wed 07-Aug-24 21:28:12

There used to be a little pink car in Dundee which had the number plate M2 PNK . In Dundee they would say M instead of I am so it was very apt.

Marydoll Wed 07-Aug-24 21:32:56

Floradora9

There used to be a little pink car in Dundee which had the number plate M2 PNK . In Dundee they would say M instead of I am so it was very apt.

That appeals to me!

Georgesgran Wed 07-Aug-24 22:15:00

Lots of them around here. One of my favourites when the DDs were at school was B310 VED, which read as BELOVED. (I know it’s illegal to mis-space)
I always hoped that was true of the driver.

Ziplok Wed 07-Aug-24 22:16:32

It’s not something I’ve ever craved, so no, I don’t have one.
Nothing against them - it’s personal choice.

Crossstitchfan Wed 07-Aug-24 23:34:28

I bought my husband one for a special birthday, just for fun. It was a number followed by his initials. When he died, I wanted to keep his car, which he loved, but it was far too big for my needs so I compromised and just kept his number plate on my Mini. I am so glad I did.

M0nica Thu 08-Aug-24 08:01:59

MissInterpreted

M0nica

They have the advantage that people cannot judge you on the basis of how old your car is.

Unless you happen to be able to judge the age of a car by looking at the model...

But most people can't.

We have always run old cars and we have had several amusing incidents when people judged us by our car and treated us accordingly, including sales staff on a housing estate, who directed us to the estate down the road where smaller less expensive houses were being sold. We told them that with 2 small children we were upsizing not downsizing.

JackyB Thu 08-Aug-24 08:36:21

Here in Germany the system is very different. All cars have to be registered in the town or district where you live which dictates the first letter (for large cities) or first two letters (for most towns) or first three letters (for tiny rural towns which still have their own councils and are classified as towns).

After that you have one or two letters (which can be your own initials) and two or three numbers (which can be your year of birth). Nearly everyone in our street alone has number plates following this system. It's not compulsory but it doesn't cost much extra and in our small country town it's quite doable and doesn't carry any stigma. In larger towns it's more expensive and more exclusive I think.

If anyone's interested I can explain a bit more.

JRTW2 Thu 08-Aug-24 08:58:57

I have one because it meant I didn’t have to learnt new plate details. I keep the old plates so that when I change cars I only have to pay the £80 retention fee

Oreo Thu 08-Aug-24 12:25:42

I don’t have one or crave one, but think it’s nobody else's business if people like them and spend their money on them.
What does surprise me is how many posters do have them.

M0nica Thu 08-Aug-24 15:14:07

Actally Oreo buying a personalised numberplate can be quite cheap. Plates can be bought for £100 and less.

There main advantage to us is that people cannot label us by the age of the car we drive. The marque we drive attracts conversation and happy waves from fellow owners, but otherwise passes unnoticed.

PamelaJ1 Thu 08-Aug-24 20:44:29

My first car’s plate was MOO***C I wish I had kept that, I married a farmer🐄. I would have been happy to keep paying the £80 then.

Deedaa Thu 08-Aug-24 22:09:41

When I started work in the 70s I met a boy who was very proud of his personalised plate. His name was Tom Ash and his number was 1 MTA which he explained stood for I'm Tom Ash! It was totally meaningless to anyone else of course.

RosiesMaw2 Fri 09-Aug-24 09:02:12

There main advantage to us is that people cannot label us by the age of the car we drive

I challenge anybody to even know the age of car I drive (or the reg) let alone judge or label me.
In fact I often have difficulty in remember either and I have no idea about those belonging to my friends.