A Australian license plate with an interesting story approached the national record for the most expensive plate. The plate 8 was awarded for just over 1,4 million d’euros after 2 weeks of wild bidding.
An Australian plate over 100 years old that has unleashed passions
Known simply as license plate 8it owes its name to the fact that it was the eighth registration plate issued in South Australia, in 1906. Given the small number of cars, people did not bother with complex structures at the time. And today, these beautiful registration numbers are in high demand.
The number 8 license plate now has a new owner. Slattery Auctions has taken it upon itself to find him. They have agreed to pay the staggering sum of 2.3 million Australian dollars (1.41 million euros) to acquire it.
A South Australian government spokesman said the plaque had fuelled ” frantic bidding ” for 2 weeks, before finally being awarded this record amount. However, Victoria’s plate 20 remains the most expensive.
The The sale price had been set at 600,000 Australian dollars. A record was therefore expected, given that this minimum price was higher than the previous record set by plate number 1, sold for $593,000 in 2020. After 4 years of inflation, the record was literally shattered, while intrinsically plate 1 should be worth more…
History of the South Australian number plate 8
The 8 plate has a fascinating history. South Australia was the first Australian province to introduce the driver’s licence and registration card, as motor cars became more widely available.
In 1906, the first license plates appeared. The system provided for the possibility of transfer to a new vehicle. Which means that these license plates could also be passed down from generation to generation, becoming historical.
And registration number is also transferable to another person, provided that the vehicle remains registered in the province of South Australia.
Australian Short Number Plate: A Fantastic Investment
Tom Koutsantonis, the South Australian Government’s Minister for Infrastructure and Transport, said they had anticipated ” a significant interest in this iconic plate 8 “It can be said that the auction price did not disappoint.
It is the first single-digit vintage number plate to be sold by the South Australian Government since 1985. At the time, it offered for sale the plates 3, 6 and 9. Their prices were $11,000, AU$6,500 and $7,000. A great investment for their buyers, given the current prices of these license plates!