Bidding for ‘lucky number 8’ licence plate starting in August

From Thursday, a motley crew of revheads, antique lovers and numerologists will be competing to own an unusual slice of SA history.

The day is drawing nearer for one of the biggest events on the motoring calendar – and it is all happening off road.

One of the state’s most hotly sought-after licence plates, the lucky ‘number 8’, is going on the block this month, and bidders are expected to cough up as much as $1m.

The South Australian government auctioned off several rare plates last year to the tune of $2.26m – but number 8 will attract special interest when bidding registrations open on Thursday.

One of the first number plates ever issued in South Australia is being auctioned off and Transport Minister Tom Koutsantonis expects the final bid to hit seven figures. Picture: Naomi Jellicoe

Apart from the prestige that comes with single digit plates, number 8 also represents luck and prosperity in Chinese numerology.

Transport Minister Tom Koutsantonis said money raised from this “special piece of South Australian automotive history” will fund road works.

“I expect there to be significant interest in this auction after we saw the New South

Wales number one go for over $10m in January this year,” Mr Koutsantonis said.

“We know the number eight is considered lucky and with any luck a South Australian

will snap it up later this month so that ownership of this exclusive and incredibly rare

piece of local history will stay at home.”

Number 8 will go to auction alongside a series of other rare and unusual numbers.

Lucky number 8 is set to go for ‘seven figures’. Picture: Naomi Jellicoe

Slattery Auctions and Valuations SA general manager Richard Ward has been in the business for more than 30 years and said that rare number plates were fetching upward of $1m.

Mr Ward, 58, believed the final bid could land “in the vicinity of seven figures”, particularly because it is a single digit plate and the first to be auctioned in SA since 1985.

“I think there will be a lot of interest across Australia in relation to this plate and we anticipate the bidding will be very intense, particularly towards the end,” he said.

Registrations for the auction open on Thursday through the Slattery Auctions website, while bidding will run from August 28 to September 16.