To ask people with personalised number plates.......why?

[itsgoodtobehome]

Genuinely interested. I see more and more personalised number plates (Sha70n) on my way home which inspired this thread. Why do you do it? Do you want people to know your name? Do you wear your name on the back of your jacket or on the front of your t-shirt?

I am really intrigued as to why people would flaunt their name, initials, nickname, whatever.....on their car.

MN enlighten me please!!

It's just a bit of fun I suppose. I would maybe buy one as a present for my children when they are old enough to learn to drive.

Why bother commenting OP? On a public forum?

Because I can

A local accountant has “N9 TAX” (no tax)

Eh? How in flip is N9 equivalent to No?

Would N6 be the same?

I can't help feeling if it has to be explained it's rubbish.

I've never understood this either. I wouldn't want one even if it were free. I have no idea how much they cost, so it certainly wouldn't make me think someone was rich if they had one. Mind you, it would never occur to me to want to hide the age of my car either - I've only ever bought second hand ones!

We have one with all our initials on. It is just a bit of fun and we spent far less on it than some people spend on frivolous purchases.

Pretentious, pseudo status symbol.
Many of them I see are illegal, no space between the 4 and 3 characters, strategically placed screw.
Think HU55A.T.N to make the T look like a written (not keyboard) capital I.

I have just had a look at some to buy and they really aren't that expensive.

@greatduckcookery - yes but you didn't actually post a response to the question, just a generic 'here we go.....' so, actually - what was the point? Have you anything more constructive to add?

Unfortunately I have a name that works well on a number plate & my dad vowed that he’d get me one when I passed my driving test. My parents didn’t have 2 beans to rub together when I was young & things were really tough. Dad was an immigrant who started his own business in the late 80s so he told my mum that if he was able to get me one then it was a sign that he’d really “made it”.

I grew up in London so driving wasn’t a priority & I didn’t start learning until I was 28 & by that time I assumed dad had long forgotten all about it (it was obvious he’d made it by then & other sibling had passed their tests & didn’t get one) but sure enough the day I passed he presented me with the plate.

In all honesty, I really hate it but it means a lot to my dad & he looked so proud when he gave it to me & he even turned around to my mum & said “I told you I’d do it”. It comes from a good place so I just suck it up & look like a knob!

itsgoodtobehome, this is one of those subjects on MN that does tend to kick off TBF.

Not really OP. I don't mind private reg's, each to their own and all that.

Another one here to hide the age of the car. Unfortunately, from certain angles, it seems to read BIG NIPS. We didn't realise this when it was purchased and I feel a bit when I see people doing a second look at it...then at me quizzically

Because numberplates have appreciated in value faster than cash in the bank can earn interest?

That's a lovely sentiment tinkety

My father works in the auto industry and owns around 50 personalised regs through the business. His family have had personalised regs since day dot as far as I can tell.
He purchased each of us children one for our 21st birthdays. I’m nearly 40 so had mine coming up 20 years.
I don’t see it as a status thing, just something I’ve always had 🤷🏽‍♀️

I have a 'private' plate but I think I am unusual in the choice of my plate and my reasons why! It's the number plate that came with a previous car of mine.

I like it because is has my initials in it, but not obviously (think 'CBM - County Bumps Motor) and I can remember it.

I changed my car but decided to keep my number plate because I liked it, I can remember it, and I don't have to change the details on my parking permits, parking apps, parking reservations etc!

But, I concede that it is odd. It doesn't 'hide' the age of the car but makes it look like it is ten years older than it is! I couldn't care less how old people think my car is though, unless they are a mechanic and ordering a part for it and need to know the actual year it was manufactured.

Me and DH have 'matching' plates

His initial / My initial / Number that looks like DDs initial / Number that looks like DSs initial then the first 3 letters of our name... it looks like a 'normal' plate, then mine has my initial first, his second and the rest the same.

Its not to be flashy, or hide the age - its just means something to us, its a choice.

If they are appreciating in value so much is everyone selling them?

I love mine. Don't give a hoot what anyone thinks.

Fair enough if it's a kick-off subject (not seen one before). The money thing is weird - I hadn't thought about that. I presumed that you could tell money by the actual make of the car, not the number plate. To me it was more about why you would want your name on your car.
So if you had a real old banger with an personalised number plate, does that make it better than a brand new Bentley with a generic number plate? Gosh, this is a minefield!!

It's not always a status symbol thing. We made the car dealership throw in a personalised plate when we traded in our car because the standard plate had the final letters DIK. I simply wasn't willing to spend money on a new car and have that as the plate.

You can get ones that make your car look older than it is as well.

Is that supposed to be Sharon? I genuinely thought it was Shat On 😁

One I see regularly is a bmw with the letters bmw in the plate, surely that's nobhead²

I had one, but my ex-husband bought it without consulting me. When I got rid of my car recently, I was so delighted to see it gone because it was part of ex's name, indeed he had two, one for his car and one for mine, just a change of numbers. I might have felt differently if it has been part of my name, but no! When he left (for OW, following affair), he immediately changed his numberplate to his initials, hers and her son's initials and our son's initial at the end. It was to send out a message to everybody about his new "family unit". He truly is an utter prick. I don't find them offensive and you can simple initial ones quite cheaply but I did find that offensive. Years ago I saw a red Porsche with the plate ON P1LL