Cars on Contract

The market for personalised registration plates continues to grow worldwide and this is particularly true for those affluent members of society who are willing to pay extraordinary amounts of money to secure their dream plates. However, in addition to being mere status symbols, such plates are often considered unique investment opportunities.

Single number registrations, which are available in some countries, carry a particular prestige, especially the number 1, which is unique and bestows the owner with a certain degree of kudos.

Here, we take a look at some of the most expensive plates purchased around the globe.

In February 2008, the registration ’1′ sold for a staggering £7.25 million in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.

Only slightly less popular were the numbers 5 and 7, which sold, again in Abu Dhabi, for £3.5 million and £1.58 million respectively.

A registration bearing the number ’18′ sold in Hong Kong for £1.56 million.

One of the most expensive registrations purchased in the UK was F 1, which went for over £440,000, while S 1 sold for just over £400,000

Personal name initials always prove popular choices for registration plates. This would explain why 51 NGH was purchased for £254,000 and MR51 NGH sold for £101,050

RU55 ELL was purchased, presumably by or for someone named Russell, for £79, 314.

Quentin Wilson, a former ‘Top Gear’ programme presenter, has commented that the purchase of a personalised registration is, “better than money in the bank.”

Cute without quite making it to sexy, this effervescent little number is made of good quality stuff for an entry level model. It floats over minor bumps with grace and ease, as though it thinks itself a BMW or a Merc of much grander scale, and it will take you on longer jaunts than the average city run around in relative comfort. Like a Cavalier’s house riddled with priest-holes, the Nissan Micra has numerous hidden compartments for extra storage. The rear seats slide cunningly forward to increase boot space, too. For a small car, it’s surprisingly spacious: every cubic centimetre has been thought about carefully.

The Micra is also built from all the right stuff: it’s sturdy and laden with high-quality specs, and it just feels safe to drive. Moreover, the steering is tightly accurate, the chassis deceptively good, road grip is superb and there is virtually no detectable roll. The car comes in a broad range of engines but the 1.5 litre diesel is probably the best, which compares well with the petrol varieties for acceleration but squeezes an impressive 60 miles out of every gallon of fuel.

Whilst it’s definitely more cosy than cool, more friendly than feisty, it has an appealing cheekiness about it and strong performance credentials which make it truly attractive.

Individuals looking for a personalised registration plate can use the DVLA site, or there is a range of registered dealers who have their own websites. This allows anyone to search online, at their own convenience, to locate the ideal plate.

Personalised registration plates vary greatly in terms of cost. Anyone looking for a plate consisting of a three-letter combination will find that they are readily available and are generally quite affordable. However, registration marks with only one or two letters are rare and as such, can be much more expensive.

The market is huge and there is no end to the options available. At any one time there will be millions of combinations available to search through. Of course, you are limited if you have one particular registration mark in mind, as each one is unique. Also, many marks no longer exist, as when a vehicle is scrapped or written off, the registration mark is no longer in use and not available for purchase.

If you are looking for something specific from a personalised registration plate, remember that names and initials are always in high demand. However, many use this unique format to showcase their hobbies and interests or to promote their businesses.

It is also common for purchasers of personalised registrations to seek to hide the age of their vehicle. Many registrations can do this for you, but you cannot make your car appear newer than it really is. Northern Ireland registration marks can also be transferred onto UK mainland vehicles. Many of these contain the letters I and Z, which UK plates do not; this opens up many more combinations of letters and numbers.

As with any major purchase you need everything to be in place when you decide on a left hand drive vehicle London, or wherever as there are many things that have to be considered before the vehicle is on the road. Many left hand drive vehicles are imported and it is essential that you are sure that all the paper work is in order and that you have not found yourself with a “grey” import. Using a specialist left hand drive vehicle London based dealer is the best way to go, long established and well versed in the necessary paper work required if this has been imported for you.

A left hand drive vehicle London operator will have a workshop where your vehicle can be thoroughly checked, if necessary an MOT certificate issued and all documentation put in hand. It is worth noting that if you intend to take the car out of the European area, you may be eligible for a tax and duty free left hand vehicle. Naturally, if you are intending to use the vehicle in this country at all, you will require it to be insured. There are specialist companies that will cover this for you, do not go down the standard insurance route. Here your left hand drive vehicle London based dealer will have contacts in the insurance field that will offer competitive quotations. Make sure that you contact that left hand drive vehicle London based operative and be safe and sure with your new purchase.

Beneath its clothes, the Aygo shares exactly the same mechanical foundation as the Peugeot 107 and the Citroen C1. As a city car on the smaller end of the spectrum, it manages not to feel poky, although the limited boot space (139 litres) is a little disappointing. In fairness, this can be expanded to 751 litres with the 50/50 folding rear seats flattened; but the boot’s high lip makes loading and unloading more effortful than it needs to be. And whilst it will seat four, be warned that passengers will cope with the rear seats for short journeys only – expect full-scale rebellions if you try anything more ambitious.

The short wheelbase tends to make the drive feel a little jerky but it’s a perfect little car for city driving and the engine will handle motorway jaunts, too. Those Peugeot and Citroen siblings offer diesel engines but the Aygo comes only with petrol, which is OK because it happens to deliver a lively and zippy drive. The compact dimensions make it feel very nifty to schlep about town but the engine sound does begin to grate a little at higher motorway speeds. With that said, you’ll have no trouble parking in tight situations and you’ll get up to 50 miles out of each gallon.

Along with its leasing partners, YourFleet offers competitive and market-leading Renault Scenic leasing and contract hire deals for its Renault business and personal fleet car consumers.

Three versions are currently on offer — namely, the Renault Scenic 1.5 dCi 106 Dynamique (leased for £204 per month excluding VAT), the Renault Scenic 1.5 dCi 86 Dynamique (leased for £194 per month excluding VAT), and the Renault Scenic 1.6 VVT Dynamique (leased for £209 per month excluding VAT). The Business Car Lease is based on 10,000 miles per annum with an initial payment of six monthly rentals. Initial payments are based on three monthly rental fees, instead of six. This has the effect of escalating the monthly rental payment by only 12% (for 24 month agreements) or 8% (for 36 month agreements).

The new Renault Scenic is a fashionable compact car that is popular for personal and business leasing. The entire Renault Scenic range has Renault’s Eco2 badge, which means that they all cars are very environmentally friendly.

Each Renault Scenic model offers all of the safety features you would expect from a Renault.  The Conquest is a model equipped to a higher specification and trim level, for those looking for a little more luxury to their motoring!

The Renault Scenic has a very nice design and smooth comfortable drive, making it a great option for personal and business leasing. The Scenic is simply one of Renault’s best models, and anyone deciding to lease one would definitely be satisfied.