$1.5m for a number plate! 21 of Qld’s insanely expensive plates for sale

Personalised number plates have been dubbed one of the hottest investments of 2023. These are the most expensive and unique on the market.

Sarah Petty

3 min read

March 5, 2023 - 12:00AM

Lifestyle

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Heritage and personalised number plates have been dubbed one of the hottest investment opportunities of 2023, with some number plates more valuable than prestige cars.

On Australia’s largest number plate marketplace, Mr Plates, some asking prices exceed $1 million such as the plate ‘CRUZ1NG’ which is listed at $1.2 million and ‘AAA’ at a whopping $1.5 million.

SCROLL DOWN TO SEE THE LIST OF SOME OF THE MOST EXPENSIVE PLATES

Patriotic Queenslanders, especially those local to Fraser Island, may find interest in the number plate ‘K GARI’ — the original name for Fraser Island — with an asking price of $200,000 while avid real estate agents or a salesperson could invest in the number plate “SELLER,” on the market for the same starting price.

Imran Sudradjat is selling two personalised plates for $300,000 each. Picture: NIGEL HALLETT

For comparison, you could buy the Ferrari LaFerrari which costs around $1.4 million for less than some number plates.

A Queensland Transport and Main Roads spokesperson said Queenslanders were some of the most passionate and creative plate buyers in Australia, and have seen a spike in demand in recent years.

“As any combination can only be issued once, there is an inherent collectability, especially for a combination which makes reference to something personal or popular (name, place, vehicle, or date for example),” the spokesperson said.

“Personalised plates are often a reflection of who people are, and where they belong.

“With this in mind, it is no wonder there is a large and growing community of plate aficionados.”

Personalised number plate collector Imran Sudradjat, who’s selling two plates on Mr Plates with starting prices of $300,000 each, said buying unique plates with five characters are “instantly valuable”.

“It’s a good investment opportunity. You know, they will always be valuable. There’s limited supply,” Mr Sudradjat said.

“If you get the right set, they can really make you some money down the track.”

The most valuable licence plates are called ‘Q plates’ or ‘heritage licence plates’ which contain less than six digits, and in Queensland, starting with a ‘Q’ alongside digits. The first ‘Q’ plate, ‘Q1’, was issued in 1921, and the last, ‘Q687612’ in 1955.

Imran Sudradjat with his pair of plates. Picture: NIGEL HALLETT

Since 1921, ‘Q’ plates have been held by prominent Queenslanders, with the first Q plate registered in Queensland, Q1, bought by the founder of the McGuire hotel conglomerate, James Thomas McGuire. 64 years after Mr McGuire purchased the plate, it was bought in The Great Queensland Plate Auction in 1985 by Brisbane hairdresser Stefan Ackerie for $100,000. From there, Q plates have continued to gain value and prestige.

The fewer digits on a number plate, the higher the value is the general rule.

The spokesperson said specifically for Q Plates, in addition to their distinctive look, the range had both historical significance and a finite number of combinations made available in any year.

“This makes these plates an exciting way to own a piece of Queensland motoring history,” the spokesperson said.

Shannons Auctions’ national auctions and external relations manager Christophe Boribon said Q plates had shown clear value growth over the past few years, with no outgoings unlike property or even the stock market.

“We have seen interest grow over the past 10-15 years, with PPQ promoting the sale of Q plates through their website and social media and auction houses like Shannons now offering a regular selection of Q plates to market,” Mr Boribon said.

“The real growth has emerged over the past 2-3 years, where values of Q plates have tripled in some cases, some of it down to people not travelling and choosing to invest locally.”

Ahead, we look at the top 20 most expensive unique licence plates up for sale right now.