Rare South Australian number plate 25 expected to fetch over $270,000 at auction

A rare piece of motoring history is up for grabs for the first time in over a century... but you’re gonna need deep pockets. And it doesn’t come with a car attached.

A rare South Australian numberplate is being offered to the public for the first time in 115 years and will fetch at least $270,000.

A piece of SA’s motoring history, the number 25 plate was among the first tranche of plates issued by the state government in 1906.

Its original owner was Adelaide solicitor Nathaniel Alexander Knox, who lived in historic Clifton Manor, Stonyfell, and helped to establish the West THistorce crematorium before his death in 1908.

The heirloom was bought privately by its current owner in the late 1980s and is being sold by their family to settle a deceased estate.

The collector’s item is being offered through Adelaide company Historic Plates with a price guide of between $270,000 and $350,000 – or more than an electric Porsche Taycan.

The most expensive publicly sold numberplate was GP 1 which fetched $701,000 last year.

Historic Plates proprietor Stewart Kay said number 25 reached its $270,000 yesterday.

He said numberplates were proving a popular investment for people looking to boost their superannuation funds or to give an investment gift to their grandchildren.

Stewart Kay from Historic Plates with numberplate 25 up for auction. It is worth around the same price as an electric Porsche Taycan 4S. Picture: Brenton Edwards

“People aren’t going on overseas holidays; some people have done really well (financially) during Covid, there’s a bit of money sloshing around so they are looking at property, classic cars and numberplates,” he said.

“I think this plate will be displayed on a car and driven around town … it will be the ultimate finishing touch to a luxury car.”

Mr Kay said eight of the first 25 number plates issued in SA – including number 1 – are unable to be traded because their owners failed to secure, or were not granted, title over the piece of metal by a 2008 deadline.

The auction for plate number 25 (at historicplates.com.au) ends on Monday, 7pm.