Dubai number plate auction fetches more than Dh14.7m

Number plate V12 sold for Dh7 million while the S20 fetched Dh4.06m

Plate number V12 sold for Dh?? million at auction. Courtesy: Roads and Transport Authority

A licence plate auction in Dubai on Saturday made more than Dh14.7 million when 90 premium plates went under the hammer.

Car enthusiasts entered a bidding war for super plate number V12, which eventually sold for Dh7 million.

Plate numbers X505 and I334 fetched Dh570,000 and Dh266,000, respectively.

Another plate, S20, sold for Dh4.06m while R506 went for Dh222,000.

Finally, plate number Y66 sold for Dh3.2m.

It was the 104th public auction hosted by the Roads and Transport Authority.

Online registration for the auction was opened on August 16 and keen bidders joined the live event which kicked off at 4.30pm on Saturday at the InterContinental Hotel in Dubai Festival City.

The VIP plates on offer had two to five digits in series H to I, K to L and N to Z.

The emirate, series and number of a plate determine its value. Letters earlier in the alphabet are usually worth more.

Car number plates garner huge interest among motor heads in the UAE. In 2016, Indian businessman Balwinder Sahni paid Dh33 million for plate D5 - thought to be the most expensive sale on record worldwide.

And when individuals are not paying out millions for the privilege of owning premium digits, many opt for the more affordable collector’s plates.

Earlier this year, before the Covid-19 pandemic hit, the RTA released a series of numbers plates with designs to commemorate the Expo that was due to kick-off in October.

The plate featured distinctive golden rings, a logo inspired by a 4,000-year-old gold ring found in the Dubai desert, and cost just Dh200 each.