Although being sometimes regarded as an unusual description for private number plates or private registration plates, the terminology “cherished number plates” has come into usage to describe this specific kind of car registration plates.  From a collectible standpoint the cherished number plate has become a viable form of investment. Some motorists and dealers who wish to realise a profit on these whenever they sell or trade them to vehicle dealers or individuals are active in the market.

Ironically, certain letter or number combinations have literally become legendary as a result of their increased popularity.  So it stands to reason why they are seen as a very viable investment from a collector’s standpoint.  Individuals get extremely attached to their cherished number plates because of the fact that they are typically viewed as an expression of one’s lifestyle or personality.  Unfortunately, previously banned letter combinations or words (e.g. SEX) are now allowable, hence some people’s distaste for the practice.

People normally shop for cherished number plates that contain letters that represent their initials or numbers that relate to their date of birth; this is common with celebrities and the more extrovert type of car owner.  Some businesses also seek out index marks that reflect the name of the business.  Although the practice of obtaining personalised number plates is often viewed as just a hobby or possibly some type of profit making occupation, most individuals are very serious about their private number plates and do actually ‘cherish’ them.

For many, acquiring their first private registration plate leads to many more purchases throughout their lives. This has certainly been the case for self-confessed number plate enthusiast, Ash Raine. In fact, Ash admits that he has been desperate to own his own personalised plate since he was just twelve years old. He remembers being impressed by some family friends who had them and decided that he too wanted the status that went along with displaying a personalised plate on his own car. He obviously had a few years to wait.

Ash finally received his first car, as an eighteenth birthday present and almost immediately was on the lookout for the ideal registration to transfer to his new set of wheels. He eventually settled on V88 AJR, as it combined the year he was born with his initials.

With his enthusiasm for number plates undiminished, Ash realised that he should be able to source a plate with his name on it. Over the course of the following years he spent a considerable amount of time searching for the most appropriate ‘ASH’ plate. What he discovered, however, was that ‘ASH’ plates were selling for thousands of pounds and he could not justify the price at that time.

Finally, he found his justification when he completed his degree in May 2009. As luck would have it, Ash found the plate, ASH 74R, the day he received his results. He is understandably delighted with his new private number plate, which is proudly displayed on his Vauxhall Corsa Sxi.

To qualify for the retention scheme, both the donor vehicle and the receiving vehicle must be available for authenticity inspection. Only testable vehicles are valid for participation in the scheme, which means that vehicles such as tractors and battery-operated vehicles, for example milk floats, cannot participate. A valid MOT certificate, if the vehicle is three or more years old, must be submitted along with the application for retention.

Vehicles must hold or be in the process of acquiring, a valid licence (tax disc). Applications may still be considered if the licence expired less than six months from the date of the application. However, this concession will not apply if the licence was surrendered voluntarily for a refund.

The retention document, V788, is only valid for a twelve-month period. If, during this period, the number plate is assigned to a vehicle then a replacement tax disc will be issued and the MOT certificate for the vehicle will be endorsed with the new registration mark. The DVLA will also issue new registration documents to the registered keeper detailing these changes. It is imperative that your insurer is immediately notified of the changes.

If you are planning to sell a vehicle with a private registration plate, which is subject to a retention application, it is necessary to await receipt of the documents confirming that the process is complete before you do so, otherwise you may lose entitlement to the mark.

When you are purchasing a vehicle in the UK there are many things that limit your choice, from the range of vehicles types available in dealerships to the added cost for extras that come as standard available abroad. If you live and work around the capital and require a premium vehicle you can be limited to a poor choice from many local dealerships, especially if you want a specialist vehicle to a high standard and specification for business use when visiting and transporting important clients.

However there is an alternative option that you may not have previously considered like, purchasing a left hand drive vehicle, some of the most luxurious cars are available can be purchased from a specialist left hand drive 4×4 London based dealership. You will find that they sell some of the most luxurious high end 4×4’s like, the Range Rover Sport, Mercedes Benz ML350 and the BMW X3 Sport. Many of these 4×4’s although available in right hand drive offer much better specifications as standard in the left hand drive format saving you £1000’s, meaning you can spend more on higher class models with that added extra luxury and comfort to enjoy.

On top of the improved choice you also get the peace of mind that your imported vehicle, normally direct from the factory will be delivered to you with all the vehicle regulation complied to, so you won’t have to worry about reading through endless regulation documents and can get to driving your high class luxury left hand drive 4×4 London as soon as possible.

The Skoda Fabia, with its simple, sturdy appearance is not only an eye-catcher – it’s a darned good little car to boot. The tall body induces a feeling of lavish spaciousness inside and, for a small vehicle, it gives an amazingly quiet ride. The engine is very well insulated and the suspension can make you feel that you’re driving a cloud. The adjustable driving position adapts to all heights and body-girths and the seats are comfortably firm. There are abundant interior storage options, better than average boot space and relatively generous leg room all round. It only comes as a five door hatch, but its modest external dimensions make it an ideal city run-around, enabling you to slip into the tightest parking spaces whether at the side of the road or in a multi-storey.

The engine is not a charging stallion, but then such a beast would be jarringly out of place in a car like this. The basic model is a 1.2 litre, 60 bhp petrol, which does struggle to get to the 60 mph mark; but your inner Lewis Hamilton will not be providing the motive for selecting this car in the first place. There are, however, progressively livelier engines on offer: 1.4 litre petrol and diesel, a 1.6 litre petrol and a 1.9 litre diesel. The latter two are certainly spirited enough for more zippy acceleration.

The car handles surprisingly well, with steering that has a certain softness to it which makes you think you’re driving a much bigger car.

Prefix registrations are easily recognisable by the single year identifying letter at the beginning of the plate, which is followed by one, two or three digits and three letters. An example of a typical prefix registration plate is T9 WTB.

Originally, the final three letters were used to identify where the registration was issued. In the case of this example, the WTB indicates that it originated from Liverpool.

The numbers in prefix registrations have no other purpose than to differentiate one registration plate from the hundreds of others with the same prefix and suffix letters.

The prefix on this type of registration plate is used to identify the year the vehicle was manufactured. With regards to the example registration, T9 WTB, the ‘T’ identifies the year of manufacture as 1999. An ‘A’ prefix identifies the year 1983, B identifies 1984 and so on. From 1999 onwards, there were two registrations released each year. The prefix letter format ended with the Y registration in 2001. There were no I, O or U prefix registrations, while the ‘Q’ prefix indicates that the age and origin of the vehicle is unknown.

Prefix number plates can only be applied to a vehicle of the same age or older and it is not possible to use a prefix registration to make your vehicle appear more recent than it is. Therefore, the example registration T9 WTB could be used on a vehicle manufactured in 1999 or later. It could not be applied to any vehicle manufactured prior to this date.

More and more people choose to spend all or part of their year living abroad with nearly half a million migrating all around the world in 2008, some to seek out better weather, some for tax purposes and some for business and family commitments.

If you are living in a European country and find that you are frequently travelling to and from the UK by car it can be worthwhile to think about what car you drive, as many people lack confidence when driving on foreign roads. Most of Europe drives on the right hand side of the road and the UK on the left so driving a right hand drive car on European roads that you are unsure of can be quite daunting, so it can be worthwhile visiting a left hand drive car London dealer and purchasing a car to drive both here in the UK and across Europe. With being more confident on the roads here in the UK it won’t take too long to get used to a left hand drive car, then when you cross over the channel the adjustment will be a bit easier than in a right hand drive car.

When looking for a car for use both at home and abroad a specialist left hand drive car London dealer is the best to visit, with a wide range of cars available from Europe at better prices than the right hand drive counterpart, you will be able to find the car for you. As well as the choice you will also get peace of mind from buying from a UK dealer able to understand easily all the requirements needed to drive both here abroad as well as all documentation professionally completed in compliance with vehicle regulations.

Inspired by the Volkswagen Golf, this chunky hatchback has an unmistakeably American machismo about it, which some may find a little brash, comical or off-putting. It looks more like an SUV than a hatchback at first sight. This reviewer happens to rather like its appearance, however; if beauty is in the eye of the beholder, perhaps quirkily appealing retro-eccentricity is, too.

Whilst it clearly doesn’t like cornering above modest speeds, it does offer a very cushioned and comfortable general ride. One can’t help noticing, however, the somewhat feeble suspension. Combined with the front-wheel drive design, the score for handling doesn’t really get out of the mediocre range. With that said, despite its slightly lumbering appearance, the 2.0 litre diesel reaches 60 mph from stationary in a creditable 8.8 seconds.

For a solid-looking, larger than average hatchback, the Caliber is a tad disappointing vis-à-vis the amount of space it delivers; whilst not cramped, you expect more than you actually get when you clamber inside. The boot space, though, is exceptionally generous. The car also is more fuel efficient than it looks, and its CO2 emissions are by no means unrespectable.

Passers-by will notice it as you drive along, but you may not be altogether sure that you’re always attracting looks of admiration. As American-spec cars go, however, it isn’t bad, even though it would be exaggerating to claim it as taughtly engineered beauty.

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.