Excitement is brewing around the first DVLA Personalised Registrations live auction of the year – thanks to the continued popularity in classic Ferraris.
The next auction is at The Nottingham Belfry, Nottingham Business Park, Mellors Way, Nottingham NG8 6PY on 25th, 26th, 27th February 2015.
The Agency’s three-day, sale which gets underway on Wednesday, features the registration 250 C among its 1,600 lots. Considering 250 L and 25 O fell under the hammer for a staggering £648,000 collectively during the final live sale of 2014 held last November, all eyes will be undoubtedly be on the first of the C registrations.
Both registrations were bought by a prominent Ferrari collector and dealer who, at the time, cited 250 L was bought for his 1964 Ferrari 250 Lusso while 25 O, which became the first personalised registration to sell in the UK for more than £500,000, was heading onto his Ferrari 250 SWB formerly owned by the rock legend Eric Clapton.
With those examples in mind, it begs the question what 250 C could fetch, particularly as the Ferrari 250 GT California is regarded as one of the world’s most valuable classic cars, a theory supported earlier this month when one that had been languishing in a barn for many years sold for £12.1 million, making it the fifth most expensive car ever auctioned.
Jody Davies, DVLA Personalised Registrations’ Events Manager, said: “As ever, we can never predict just what any personalised registration will fetch when they go under our auctioneers’ hammer. But, it is safe to say, we are extremely excited about 250 C.”
This week’s sale will also be the first DVLA Personalised Registrations live auction to include registrations from Northern Ireland. Significantly, the move ensures the letter Z will be included, opening the floodgates to names that use Z like Baz, Kaz, Daz and Dez which are commonly short for Barry, Karen, Darren and Desmond. Prime examples are BAZ 84, which has a reserve of £400, KAZ 49 (£400), DAZ 92 (£400) and DEZ 4000(£300). Other lots using Z which could prove popular include FAZ 150 (£350), GAZ 61 (£400), GEZ 80(£350), JAZ 91 (£400), JEZ 43 (£400)
In another first for the UK-based auction will be the inclusion of the letter I ensuring that personalised registrations that open with the letter are being offered. These include IAZ 200(£300), IIL 123 (£300) and IXI 38(£350).
Ms Davies, added: “While Zs and Is have been a mainstay of registrations in Northern Ireland for many years, our forthcoming sale will be the first one ever that we have included them in a live auction this side of the Irish Sea. Significantly, they open up a whole new raft of potential personalised registrations for motorists to enjoy. Northern Ireland format registrations can be assigned to any aged vehicle registered in GB and Northern Ireland.”
DVLA Personalised Registrations’ forthcoming auction will consist of a total of 1,600 registrations, all chosen to offer a selection to suit all tastes, styles and budgets including: 595 A (reserve – £3,000), AH11 MAD(£900), AL11 ANS (£900), APR 21L (£400) BA12 RNY (£900), BAT 7H (£400), BLU 11E (£400), BR15 TOW (£1,000), BU12 TON (£900), 250 C (£2,900), CA11 NON (£900), CH14 LOE (£900), CL11 ARK (£900), CYR 21L(£400), DAS 5H (£400), DE13 BRA (£900), DIG 150 (£300), DJ51 NGH (£900), EAR 2L (£400), ELL 107A(£400), EN11 GMA (£900), ERR 20L (£400), FA15 ALS (£1,500), FSM 177H (£400) F151 NGH (£350), GAB 80R(£350), GAZ 1600 (£300) GR14 ACE (£900), HE11 LEN (£900) HEA 4L (£450), IAZ 200 (£300), IIG 700 (£300),1970 J (£2,400), 51 JAK (£1,800), JE11 NNY (£900), 11 JLR (£1,700), KA11 REN (£900), 814 KE (£1,500),811 L (£2,400), LAS 5T (£450), LEA 4R (£400), 95 LEE (£1,900), 1111 M (£2,700), MBA 5S (£450), 31 NAT(£1,600), 81 NKY (£1,500), 30 O (£4,000), OIL 321 (£300), OIL 1234 (£250), P412 KES (£350), 70 RAJ(£1,800), RAJ 444A (£400), ROS 511E (£400), 450 S (£2,600), 32 SAJ (£1,700), SKY 7E (£450), 14 TAJ(£1,700), TOM 555A (£400), 1 UGY (£2,900), 450 V (£2,600), 19 VW (£2,300), 970 W (£2,600), 1 WCU(£2,900), 400 X (£2,600), 708 Y (£2,300).
Caption: Record breaker… DVLA Personalised Registrations’ official auctioneer Dave Hawes takes another bid as the registration 25 O became the first personalised registration auctioned by the Agency to fetch more than £500,000.