A banger fit for a K1NG

You don't need a flash car to get yourself noticed. A personal number plate will do the job nicely.

A12-year-old Mini Metro costs about pounds 250 from the classified section in your local paper, whereas you'll pay pounds 215,000 for a brand new Bentley Azure from a Mayfair showroom. Similarly a set of number plates from Halfords will set you back pounds 15, but if you fancy a personalised registration plate bearing the legend K1 NGS, be prepared to bid pounds 231,000. That's what someone did in 1993 at a Christie's auction, and the record still stands. Although a ropey old Metro achieves much the same result as a Bentley, the exclusive Azure is more than an ordinary car. That's why an increasing number of drivers opt for a personalised registration - it gets them noticed, makes a statement and usually costs considerably less than a Bentley Azure: used Mini Metro money, in fact.

Coveting a sequence of less than random numbers and letters in the interests of distinguishing a motor vehicle is not a modern phenomenon. Back in 1903, Earl Russell queued all night in London to claim the first registration plate, A1, whilst the MP who guided the Road Traffic Act through parliament reserved himself the first cherished number, CA1. Right up until 1962 motorists could make up their own numbers for no additional fee. Meanwhile famous plates, including AA1 and RR1, were changing hands for substantial sums and the interest in personal plates did not diminish. Over the years, they have become standard issue for publicity-seeking celebrities. Jimmy Tarbuck owned the most famous, COM 1C, whilst fellow comic Bernard Manning has 1LAF. Snooker player Jimmy White has 1CUE. Even Barbara Cartland has BC29 on her Rolls-Royce.

The introduction of the suffix letters to date a car from 1963 also boosted sales of number plates that did not reveal the year of manufacture. Why let on that your Jaguar is 10 years old, when it could pass for new? Since the late 1960s private companies who bought up old numbers, or simply acted as agents, have flourished.

The Driver Vehicle and Licensing Centre with thousands of unissued numbers languishing in its computer realised what a money-spinner this numbers game was. In 1989 the DVLA officially became a dealer in registration numbers. First they organised an auction of previously unissued numbers, raised pounds 1m and set a record by selling 1A for pounds 200,000. In 1990 they launched Select Registrations. This means the latest registration prefix followed by the numbers and letters of your choice. So after 'N' you can have any number and letters subject to certain restrictions; for instance the letters I,Q and Z are not allowed. These cost pounds 250 including VAT, plus the transfer fee. Custom Marks came out in 1991 and feature prefix numbers that had been held back, the choice of letter currently being: A, B, H, J, K, L and M. Again, the following number and letter combinations are up to you within certain limitations. Prices start at pounds 250, plus an pounds 80 transfer fee, although the recently released B prefix numbers start at pounds 399. Finally there are Classic Collection numbers, which are offered periodically at auction. Many of the numbers have no letter suffix or prefix, so are not age-related. Be prepared to spend up to pounds 200,000 for something very special, although the going rate is usually pounds 1,000 to pounds 3,000.

However, personalised numbers are not simply the preserve of this government agency. According to Tony Hill, who runs what is claimed to be the largest independent numbers dealer in the UK, Elite, he finds that "Business is harder work these days because of the DVLA. It is a matter of who owns what, and after 20 years in the trade I know the market very well, what to buy and what will sell." The problem that Hill has is storage. Whereas the DVLA can keep numbers on a computer, Hill has to attach them to a car. "I am legally prevented from transferring them to a moped, or motorcycle. Yet if you buy a number from the DVLA you can transfer it to a moped. This has to be a blatant restriction on my trade."

Valuing numbers, though, is something of a black art. According to Hill the two constant valuation factors are rarity and the popularity of certain initials. As there are few Xaviers in the world, X is not sought after, but add that to a J and it becomes the perfect addition to a Jaguar XJS, or 6. Generally the fewer digits the better. Non-year plates range from pounds 500 to well over pounds 1,000. A cheap alternative has been numbers issued in Northern Ireland, often comprising four digits preceded by three letters in unpopular combinations like XWU. At least it hides the year of your car for as little as pounds 99.

The transfer process has been considerably simplified by the DVLA. If you want to buy a number from them, telephone the DVLA hotline, or numbers dealer, choose one and pay the fee. You receive a certificate of entitlement by post. Hand this to a dealer if you are buying a new car, and they ensure that on delivery the number will be on the car. If you want to replace the number on your car with a personalised number take that certificate, plus the tax disc and registration document, to the Vehicle Registration office. If you are rather attached to your present number, or have located one for yourself, form V317 from the licensing office spells it all out. The office will want to see all the documentation relating to the cars, including valid MoTs. They may even want to inspect either, or both vehicles before authorising the transfer. And don't forget about the pounds 80 transfer fee. Then you just have to get the number plates made up at your local parts supplier.

It is worth bearing in mind that a personalised number can get you into trouble, especially if you decide to be clever. There have been plenty of court actions relating to number plates that contravene existing size and spacing regulations. The owner of RUX 1ON who added black retaining bolts above the 1 to form a T and spell RUXTON, was guilty of not displaying a distinguishable registration. However, the owner of the Rolls- Royce displaying 25 EXY, which became 2 EXY when shuffled, got off on a technicality. The law may be unclear, but if you mess around with a number plate it is virtually guaranteed that you could end up helping the traffic police with their inquiries. Also be careful, because it is not unknown for a dodgy seller to screw some interesting numbers to the front of a car to which they do not belong and then disappear once the money has been handed over. If there is no documentation, or the engine/chassis numbers on the V5 registration document don't match, you could be in trouble.

Otherwise, dabbling in personalised numbers is harmless, if occasionally expensive fun. It's the ultimate accessory, an unrivalled attention-grabber and often those plastic plates are worth more than the car they are bolted to. So how do you make a Mini Metro more than a Bentley Azure? Easy, bolt K1 NGS to the front of it.

The Numbers Game

Select Registration N Plates

eg N1 CKY pounds 250

Custom unissued prefix plates eg DI ANA pounds 250+

B plates pounds 399+

Classic Collection non-prefix unissued CAR 22 pounds 1,000+

Northern Irish Registration

XIB 3309 pounds 99+

Contact: Elite Registrations 01380 818181

DVLA Hotline 0181 200 6565.