News & Features

DVLA Personalised Registrations first Online Auction has been a resounding success, raising more than £587,000 for the Treasury.

The total sum generated, including auctioneers’ buyers premium, VAT and assignment fees, surpassed £754,000. Of the 1,000 lots included in the sale, 803 were sold with the most expensive, RAT 1F, fetching a total of £28,878.

Four private number plates broke the £10,000 barrier with SHU 41B, KBA 1G and RAF 11X fetching £13,956, £11,841 and £10,079 respectively.

While those large sums, and scores of others besides, have been celebrated, the online sale also ensured there were bargains galore with hordes being sold for their reserve prices, some as little as £130.

Jody Davies, DVLA Event Manager, said: "We have been totally astounded at the level of interest in the sale, some of the sums recorded have been incredible."

The online sale, held between Wednesday, February 10 and Wednesday, March 3, is a development of the agency’s proven "Sealed Bid Sales" - in which bidders simply registered their maximum bid in the hope of securing their target.

The Online Auction allowed bidders to submit maximum bids invisible to others. Bidding started at the reserve price and the current bid price for each registration was on display on its website. The DVLA’s system increased bids on behalf of the registered bidder up to their maximum amount.

Those out bid received an email inviting them to increase their maximum amount until the close of the sale.