A Special Personalised Number Plate

November 21, 2023

For many drivers, a personalised number plate adds an extra bit of character and charm to their car. While most personalised plates tend to be special to their owner, sometimes, a number plate becomes available that appeals to drivers, collectors, and historians from all walks of life. One such number plate is ‘AU 1’, as seen in the James Bond film, ‘Goldfinger’.

‘AU 1’ is for sale through Primo Registrations. Including the chemical symbol for gold (AU), it was the plate on the Rolls-Royce featured in the film which was the car of choice for villain Auric Goldfinger.

A Personalised Number Plate With A James Bond Connection

The James Bond franchise is a global phenomenon and is still as relevant today as it was when Goldfinger first hit the screens back in 1964. A perfect example of this is the new Amazon Prime Show, ‘007: Road to a Million’ which is a reality competition show based on the James Bond films. This was released on 10th November, so the sale of ‘AU 1’ coincides beautifully with the re-emergence of James Bond on TV.

With an expected sale price of more than £300,000, ‘AU 1‘ certainly fits the bill for the growing popularity of collecting number plates as investment pieces. With other similar two-letter, number 1 plates selling for anywhere between £100,000 and £500,000, the buyer of ‘AU 1’ could see a substantial return on their investment in the future, especially if you take its connection to such a well-known film into account.

Personalised number plate AU 1 — Image: Primo Registrations

Peter Johnson, Primo Registrations’ managing director, said “As iconic number plates go, this one has to be right up there with one of the best, not least of all because of the plate’s association with the famed car used by Goldfinger and Oddjob to smuggle gold out of the country! It’s also nothing new that short number plates are fast becoming increasingly popular, not only because of their aesthetically pleasing stature on any vehicle but because of their investment potential, too. The last time ‘AU 1’ sold, it realised a huge return on investment for its then-owner, and we anticipate the trend will only continue, especially with shorter plates. We can’t wait to see where this one will go in the future – maybe it’ll go onto another Rolls-Royce!

The Details

Primo Registrations offers ‘AU 1’ number plate for sale, famed for adorning the Rolls-Royce of ‘Goldfinger’ in the James Bond film of the same name
Primed to sell for in excess of £300,000, this number plate offers the opportunity for someone to own a piece of film history
Fast-becoming investment pieces in their own right, cherished number plates, especially three-digit derivatives, are now a popular addition to any portfolio
‘AU 1’ has the benefit of no age limitations on the age of the car it can go onto, and all prices are inclusive of VAT and transfer fee
With over 20 years of expertise, Primo Registrations is a leading personalised car number plate dealer in the UK and currently has over 60 million registration plates available to purchase

2021 Sees Changes To Classic Car Numberplates

January 4, 2021

DVLA have made changes to the legalities of black and silver number plates as of 1st January 2021. In their statement, they’ve said; “The change seeks to prevent any vehicle constructed after 1 January 1980 from the ability to display the black and silver number plate despite being recorded in the DVLA’s historic tax class. Those vehicles with a construction date prior to 1 January 1980 will continue to be able to legally display black and silver number plates to avoid any undue costs of replacement.”

From “1st January it will no longer be permissible to fix a new number plate displaying a Euro symbol. Number plates already fixed to vehicles are unaffected. We will also be introducing a new British Standard for number plates produced from 1 September 2021 which will mean all current style number plates that are first fixed to a vehicle from that date must meet the technical requirements contained in that standard.”

You can find out more here.