A recently veteran car has avoided the dreaded “BS” tag thanks to its ownere splashing out on an “original” BF registration. The 1902 De Dion Bouton, whihc took part in this years London to Brighton run, sports a very appriopriate BF 19 courtesy of DVLA’s February auction. Changing tack slightly, two more Brighton runners have been incorrectly assigned BF age-related marks: A 1904 Oldsmobile and a 1903 De Dion Bouton are now registered BF 4661 and BF 4679 respectively. A 1904 Aster registered 222 EVE, a 1964 Cambridgeshire re-registration issue, became GR45 followed by DGU 303B. By 1996 it was BS 8168 and now AK 268, so this car seems to have had six registrations. In similar vein a 1900 De Dion Bouton, previously auction room-derived TJC 7 and before that BS 8372, is now dateless DIG 1900. Interestely this vehicle is listed under all three registrations on the National Tyres Website!

To search for your own DIG registration click here OR to search for your own Year of Birth number plate click here

SMA (Scottish Motor Auctions (Leeds) Ltd) have taken over Premier Auctions, due to the Credit Crunch they have ran into Financial difficulty. They will now be hosting the DVLA auctions.

For years we have sung the praises of figgy pudding at Christmas without having much idea what it is. Now, one supermartket chain, which is sticking the delicacy, says it is outselling some of its modern counterparts. From the 16th century, figgy pudding traditionally appeared at the end of a Christmas meal - it is on the table of Bob Cratchit in A Christmas Carol- though it used also to be served on Palm Sunday. Fig trees were once commonplace in English gardens and figs were the main ingradient in the Christmas pudding recipes of Mrs Beeton. They were gradually replaced by cheaper raisins during the early 20th century. The pudding’s reappearance is a welcome addition to the usual Christmas fare, and a worthy adversary to that increasingly popular German Import, the stollen cake. We won’t go until we got some. So to have FIG registration on your plate this christmas just click here to purchase

This week we were asked to join The Best of Website”. This was a great honour for us, to be approached by such a prestigious website. Especially when a local company have recognised us a being the Best in our Industry!!!

PERSONAL PLATES ARE THE ONLY BOOM AREA

Car Sales may be crashing but the sale of private number plates are blooming.  Last year, we spent a staggering £84 millions on them and we’re splashing out more every year, official figures show.

And the industry is surging ahead as motorists, unwilling to risk buying a new car, are snapping up plates instead. Just last week, Surrey businessman Robert Harverson, 47, splashed out £247,652 on his dream plate 1RH which had a reserve of just £8,000 at auction.

It cost nearly twice as much as the Mercedes SL63 AMG car Robert intends to put it on. But Robert, who already owns ten private plates, was clearly determined to win it. He said, “Nothing was going to stop me - it’s the ulitmate plate for me”. He is a high-profile buyer but just one of hundreds of thousands of motorists bitten by the bug.

Personalised plate sales have more than doubled in the past ten years. Every week 150,000 to 200,000 people log on to the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency website to check out what is on offer. There are an incredible 35 million plates available, with prices from £250 to £3999. The most desirable are always auctioned to get a high price.

Unlike the value of a new car, which drops dramatically as you leave the showroom, private plates usually rise in value and are seen as good investments.

DVLA marketing manager Damien Lawson said: “In the past. private plates were seen as exclusive to teh rich and famous but now, with prices starting at £245, they have become very affordable.”

“Motorists like them because they give their car a touch of extra individuality and in some cases the plates have a big fun factor”. Damien says plates have become popular gifts, there have also been a big increase in firms buying them for vehicles that act as mobile advertising tools.

And he confirmed that recession-hit motorists were still willing to shell out for plates. Damien addded

” A personalised plate is a lot  cheaper  than a  new car and lots of people see the plate as an investment as well as adding personality to their car”

Recently I found a few good plates at prices that won’t break the bank. There was DO57 COW for a number big on fun for just £990.

The Top Ten prices achieved to paid to date for registrations:

1. 51 NGH - £254,000
2. 1 RH - £247,000
3. K1 NGS - £231,000
4. 1 A - £200,000
5. 1 OO - £197,000
6. 6 B - £130, 000
7. S1 NGH - £108,000
8. 1 RR - £106,000
9. MR51 NGH - £101,000
10. 1 S - £100,000

Car registrations numbers that may be snapped up by terrorist sympathisers have been BANNED. They are among hundreds of potentially offensive plates spotted by licensing chiefs.

*O 54MA* (Osama), HO57 AGE (Hostage), BU58 OMB (Bus bomb), MA56 ACA (massacre), and HE58 OLA (Hezbollah) will not be issued by the DVLA. Anything including JEHAD or HAMAS is also out.

Other plates on a black list drawn up by a secret panel are thought provocative on religious grounds or likely to spark racial hatred.

They include MO56 LEM (Moselm), anything with the letters KORAN or JESUS, GA55 OVN (gas oven) and GO05 TEP (goosestep). Plates like BO04 ZYY (Boozy) are banned to discourage drink-driving. And sex is a no-no.

A spokesman for the Swansea based DVLA said: “Every number is checked to ensure it doesn’t cause offence.”

Lib Dem transport spokesman Norman Baker, who obtained the list under Freedom of Information laws, said: “Some combinations would be deeply offensive. But it’s over the top to ban words about booze and sex. It’s a bit nanny state”.

To search for your non-offensive number plate just click here,

A retired businessman from Surrey has paid almost £250,000 for a personalised number plate at an auction.

Rob Haversaon, 47, paid a total of £247,652.50 for the registration 1 RH, 30 times more than the reserve price.

The multi-millionaire, who owns 10 private plates, out-bid Richard Harris, a businessman from Skegness.

A spokesperson for the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) said they were stunned at the price of one of its last “jewels in the crown”.

It was one of the 1,600 registrations being sold at the three-day DVLA event at the Tankersley Manor Hotel, near Barnekly, South Yorkshire.

Mr Harverson said:

” I came with £150,000 to spend but, in the end I was just determined to buy 1 RH and nothing was going to stop me.

“Richard made me sweat a little but it is the ultimate registration for me”

The final payment included his winning bid of £197,00 plus auctioneers’ commission, VAT and the £80 Transfer Fee.

Damian Lawson, marketing manager for the DVLA Personalised Registratons , said

 ” I’m absolutely delighted for the agency. The sum 1 RH achieved far exceeded our expectations”

To search of your own personal number just click here,

Our Mechanic Craig has hit the local headlines again for his handy footwork!! Local Football Teams are eager to sign Fermanagh’s Answer to George Best!!

In our local Paper today Craig made the following headlines, LIVINGSTONE’S PILE DRIVER IS ENOUGH FOR ORCHARD!!

For long periods of this third division encouter it looked like it was going to end up up goalless as Orchard Farm looked as though they were going to have one of those days when the ball wouldn’t go in for them but with time running out they struck for a winner which on the balance of play they thoroughly deserved.

Naill Bradley went close on a couple of occasions for the visitors in the first half although they had also keeper Timothy Elliot to thank for a couple of decent saves at the opposite end of the field.

In the second half it was all Orchard Farm as they continued to put the pressure on the Drum United defence with Bradley and Mc Kernan both going close to breaking the deadlock.

With only five minutes left to play they finally broke the deadlock when a corner wasn’t cleared properly by the Drum United defence and the ball broke for Craig Livingstone who hit a real pile driver low into the corner of the net from twenty five yards out to decide the setiny of the points.

To search for your own Football Plate just click here

On the 2nd December the new 09 registrations will become available for you to purchase. Customers will be able to secure a 09 registration for their new vehicle in March 2009.

Examples of some of the registration that will be due for release will be:

FR09 LEG (Frog Leggs)

FR09 SAM (Frog Sam)

GO09 LES (Googles)

To reserve your 09 registration click here,