What do you give to the person who has it all; success, wealth and fame? It’s a question that must exercise the loved ones of some of our most famous celebrities, but there is a simple answer: personalised number plates. Of course, private registrations aren’t just for sports and movie stars or pop singers, and they can be much more affordable than you might imagine. Adding one to your car can give it a superstar makeover, after all just take a look at these ten hugely acclaimed men and women and their personalised plates.
1. Her Majesty the Queen – A 7
The most famous person in the world is, of course, Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, so you might reasonably expect her to have the A1 number plate. In fact, our Queen has to make do with ‘A 7’, and that’s down to how the first personalised registrations were allotted in 1903. London council offered a selection of plates on a first come first served service, and first in the queue was Earl Russell’s butler, with a representative of the then King Edward VII securing the seventh private plate. A 7 has since been down the royal line, a perfect reminder of how these plates can become cherished and valuable heirlooms. As for Earl Russell, he proudly placed A 1 on to his car, but if he’d been living in the reign of the first Queen Elizabeth it could have been off with his head!
2. Robert Hardy – 666 RH
The most revered man in British history is Sir Winston Churchill, and he was given the private number plate ‘UKE 80’ for his eightieth birthday. Gary Oldman is gaining acclaim and award nominations for his recent portrayal of Churchill in his darkest hour, but for many of us the greatest ever portrayal of Sir Winston came from Robert Hardy. Robert sadly passed away in 2017 but he will long be remembered for his roles in ‘Winston Churchill: The Wilderness Years’, ‘All Creatures Great and Small’, and the Harry Potter movies. His choice of personal car registration reveals the impish nature that lay behind his serious public exterior.
3. Lord Alan Sugar – AMS 1
‘AMS 1’ is one of the most seen private plates on screen today, and that’s because it features in every single episode of hit reality show ‘The Apprentice’, hosted by Lord Alan Michael Sugar. Lord Sugar likes to use his initials whenever possible, as they also formed the basis of the company that shot him to fame and fortune, Amstrad – or Alan Michael Sugar Trading. Alan is famous for his ‘You’re fired’ catchphrase as well as his business acumen, but when he fires up his Rolls Royce Phantom there can be little doubt who’s in the driving seat.
4. Jimmy Tarbuck – COM 1C
Personal car registrations can be a fun purchase as well as a smart investment, but they can also be used to advertise your business, as Liverpool’s much-loved son Jimmy Tarbuck was shrewd enough to realise in the 1960’s when he bought the private number plate that shouted from the rooftops that he was one of Britain’s most famous comics. Jimmy has enjoyed over half a century of unbroken success since then, and while at least some of his jokes have changed in that time, his number plate has remained the same.
5. Amir Khan – BOX 111G
Amir Khan’s choice of private registration plate shows how a clever use of letters and numbers can be used to spell out a relevant word, for in the right conditions the final two numbers of his plate can resemble a letter ‘N’, spelling out boxing. Amir first came to public attention by winning a silver medal at the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens aged just 17. Subsequently turning professional he went on to become a light-welterweight World Champion. Amir ‘King’ Khan is also famous for his television appearances, but in light of his recent stay in the celebrity jungle it’s probably a good idea if he stays away from a ‘SN4KE’ number plate.
6. Nicky Clarke – H41 RDO
Put ‘H41 RDO’ together and you get hairdo, so it’s no surprise that this particular personalised plate is owned by one of the world’s leading hair stylists, Nicky Clarke. Nicky is the stylist of choice for some of the world’s most famous and glamorous women, including Gwyneth Paltrow, Sophie Dahl and Penelope Cruz, and he was also given the honour of styling one of the most famous heads of hair of all time: that of the late Diana, Princess of Wales. He is renowned for creating glamour, and his private number plate adds a touch of glamour to his car.
7. Peter Jones – 8 PDJ
With so many private car registrations available to choose from, it’s possible to have a little fun with them, as demonstrated by serial entrepreneur and television’s most famous investor, Peter Jones. His middle name is David, so the plate could simply reflect his initials, but many believe that the ‘D’ actually stands for ‘dragon’ in reference to his many appearances on hit business show ‘Dragon’s Den’. Nobody knows more about making a wise investment than Peter, so it’s telling that he says ‘I’m in’ to private number plates. Private plates aren’t just for billionaire’s of course, as specialist websites like British Car Registrations really do have personalised plates to suit every budget.
8. Sir Ian Botham – B33 FYS
Sir Ian Botham’s personal plate shouts out that this is Beefy’s car; it’s a nickname that has stuck with Botham since his days as a young cricketer, and it’s one to be proud of for his beef as both a bowler and batsman was shown to full effect during his legendary performance against Australia at Headingley in 1981. Sir Ian is undoubtedly one of the nation’s favourite sports stars, but he is also loved for his tireless charity work including his walks from John O’ Groats to Land’s End. That’s why this is one personalised number plate that is sure to raise a smile from all who see it.
9. Chris Tarrant – CHU 8B
You may be puzzled by Chris Tarrant’s choice of ‘CHU8B’ as a private number plate, as while he is of tall and imposing stature, he couldn’t really be called chubby. In fact, the personalised car registration refers to the television presenter’s great love of fishing, for away from the bright lights of the studio he likes nothing more than relaxing on a riverbank trying to catch a chubb, tench or roach.
10. Roman Abramovich – VIP 1
There’s no doubt that you have to be very rich and very important to get away with the personalised plate ‘VIP 1’, but thankfully there’s also no doubt that Roman Abramovich meets that requirement. With an estimated wealth of eleven and a half billion dollars to his name, he is best known for owing Chelsea football club, but is also governor of Russia’s Chukotka province. This private plate is highly sought after, so perhaps Roman could use it to entice Eden Hazard to stay at Stamford Bridge rather than decamping to Madrid or Barcelona?
You don’t have to be a billionaire, a famous actor, a world champion sportsman or a member of the royal family to own a private registration plate. You’ll find a huge choice of unique registration numbers available, at a wide range of prices. There’s a private plate for everyone, and they make an ideal present or a perfect treat for yourself to celebrate a landmark moment or event in your life.