Make the Most of your Personalised Number Plates
Private number plates are a status symbol that appeals to most drivers. They are the perfect addition to any vehicle, providing a personalised driving experience that will make you fall in love with the car all over again. However, you’d be very naïve to think that the sense of grandeur and satisfaction are the only rewards. In truth, they can be used to accomplish so much more, which is something regularly utilised by the country’s most successful people.
It may not seem like something as trivial as a personalised number plate could make a major difference to your life and business, as well as society in general. Nonetheless, when used well, they can make a telling impact to all of those factors and more. Here are four known faces that prove that once and for all.
#1. Lord Alan Sugar: Private Number Plate – AMS 1
Business tycoon Lord Alan Sugar has owned personalised number plates for over four decades. However, the most famous plate under his possession is the instantly recognisable AMS 1 plate.
Sugar’s first major company, Amstrad, gained its name by combining his initial (Alan Michael Sugar) with ‘trad’ (trading) and was launched way back in 1968. The AMS 1 plate continues the trend of embracing his initials, which becomes a great promotional tool for both his personal brand and business activities.
In fact, the AMS 1 plate was voted as one of the most famous in Britain thanks largely to its usage in Sugar’s highly successful BBC show “The Apprentice”. The private number plate is displayed in the title sequence and has been seen in many episodes over the programme’s 13-year duration.
The AMS plate is currently displayed on Sugar’s Rolls Royce.
#2. Theo Paphitis: Private Number Plate – RYM 4N
Another wealthy and successful entrepreneur who uses a private number plate to promote a business is former Dragon’s Den star Theo Paphitis. The Cypriot-born Brit owns the RYM 4N number plate to promote Ryman Ltd, one of the UK’s largest stationery companies, of which he is the owner.
The former Millwall chairman’s famous suffix style number plate stands out to promote the brand exceptionally well. It can be seen by thousands of passing motorists each week and, given most people fall into the store’s potential demographic, it has been a major marketing tool upon the owner’s cars, including a 2007 Maybach 62 5.5litre beast.
There can be no confusion about what the message relates to either, making it a highly useful resource indeed.
#3. Afzal Kahn: Private Number Plate – F1
In terms of motoring circles, British motoring designer Afzhal Khan is a major celebrity. To the wider population, though, his F1 personalised number plate is far more recognisable.
Bought for £440k in 2008, the F1 plate hasn’t only been used to promote his own business endeavours and personal brand. It is registered to a stunning Bugatti SuperSport and has subsequently been used to promote various businesses through social media posts, special events, and other revenue spinners. After all, such an iconic number plate is always going to attract attention.
Kahn may not be the owner for too long, placing on sale in a bid to fetch over almost £15million! This would obliterate the UK’s current record of £518k for the “25 O” plate. Now, that is some truly incredible asset growth in the space of just 10 years. It also makes the decision to reject a £6million offer in 2014 seem very shrewd indeed.
#4. Chris Evans: Private Number Plate – FAB 1
Sometimes, a private number plate will stand out from the crowd on its own merits. In truth, many would argue that the FAB 1 option falls safely into this category. However, famous entertainer Chris Evans was taking no chances when putting it upon a pink Rolls Royce in order to raise millions for charity.
The iconic car and number plate did just that in 2013, raising awareness for Breast Cancer Care research by driving from Land’s End to John O’Groats on April 13th. The plate itself was rented out on a daily basis with those proceeds also going to the worthy cause.
While the secondary activity showed that there could be a potential business model hidden in that field, there’s no doubt the charity aspect was the main incentive. Frankly, the fact that a personalised number plate can achieve so much good for the world is nothing short of incredible.
