Barrister's rare $1m 'X' number plate sold for just $238
A Sydney barrister's prized 'X' number plate, worth more than the average price for an apartment in Sydney, was sold for just $240.
A rare number plate worth as much as $1 million changed hands for just $238 due to a “failure of policy” by Transport for NSW, which it then attempted to cover up.
The licence plate with the single letter “X” has belonged to a Sydney barrister since the 1980s, over which time car experts estimate its value has risen to seven figures.
The owner – who did not want to be named – had allowed his friend Chris Heffron to use the plates on his vehicles for a number of years, and so when the owner spotted “X” on someone else’s luxury car driving through the Eastern Suburbs on August 12, 2022, Mr Heffron went to TfNSW service centre at Bondi Junction in search of answers.
Mr Heffron was told his registration had lapsed and “X” had been given to a new owner.
But importantly, TfNSW claimed that before being given to someone else, the “X” plates he possessed had been handed back – something he knew not to be true.
Mr Heffron complained and TfNSW began an investigation, but three years on there is still no clear answer about whether an impostor handed in a “fake” set of “X” plates, or if actions by a staff member led to the plates worth seven figures, to sell for just a few hundred bucks.
A freedom of information request by The Daily Telegraph has uncovered emails between TfNSW and MyPlates – who are responsible for the issuing of personalised number plates – showing internal concerns the change of ownership of “X” may have involved an inside job.
Before ownership of personalised licence plates can be transferred, policy dictates the original owner must hand in the plates or destroy them.
But internal emails reveal staff were suspicious a fake set of “X” number plates may have been handed in by an unidentified person.
“Moving forward if we ever have any fake plates in the future, please can we get an image and description from the team,” an internal email reads.
“That will ensure that we are alerted to the fact the real plates were not handed in.”
Another internal email from a TfNSW manager to MyPlates confirms there was “a failure to follow policy in allowing ‘X’ to be available”.
“I’m concerned that the timeline implies that this was a deliberate attempt to overt policy,” the TfNSW manager wrote.
Mr Heffron concedes he was responsible for the registration lapsing, but denies receiving any of the reminders TfNSW claims it sent him at the height of the Covid pandemic.
TfNSW claims the original “X” plates were handed in to its service centre at Silverwater on July 22, 2020.
But it can be revealed records show that same day, a person rang MyPlates twice regarding taking ownership the licence plates.
Email exchanges between TfNSW and MyPlates appear to suggest suspicions a fabricated story may have been told to service centre staff, to induce them to handover the “X” plate.
Notes of the first call show staff were asked about a transfer of a recent plate purchase.
“Customer Service Operator (CSO) asked if the plates were currently registered or on a vehicle. Customer stated he ‘bought’ the plates off the guys and are with him and not registered. CSO advised that the plates need to be handed in to a NSW registry and marked as returned,” an internal email states.
In the second call, the same person said they wanted the plates transferred into their name, and again claimed to have bought them off someone else.
They were told by the customer service operator that as the “X” plates had been unregistered for three months, they could order the plates and have them transferred into their name.
“The unknown element here is the action taken at NSW centre and the documentation provided by the customer to the actions taken by the Service NSW operator,” an email from TfNSW about the transfer of “X” says.
On July 22, 2020, the same day the plates were said to have been handed into the Silverwater service centre, and the calls were made by an unknown person, the “X” plates were registered in another person’s name for $238.00
“They could not have been handed in unless they were fake … I had the originals!” Mr Heffron said.
“I did hand those ones back after being threatened with thousands of dollars in fines, but I was guaranteed an investigation was ongoing and would not hurt my chances of ever getting them back.
“Since then, over two years ago, I have heard nothing.”
When Mr Heffron pushed TfNSW for answers he was warned a $2557 fine should apply because of his failure to register them.
Then, he says, TfNSW conveniently offered to waive the fine if he handed the “X” plates in.
The Daily Telegraph understands the TfNSW staff member involved in the exchange of the “X” plates at Silverwater service centre no longer works for the agency.
It is unclear if their departure had any connection to the “X” licence plate saga.
Further highlighting the internal concerns about the situation that led to the “X” licence plates changing hands, emails by TfNSW spin doctors in responding to The Daily Telegraph – which were also accessed under freedom of information – show them discussing how MyPlates had “put too much information into the response” to this masthead’s inquiries.
“We have removed mention of Service NSW however Transport’s intel is that records indicate that the plates were returned to Silverwater SC (service centre) on 22 July 2020,” one email states.
Legal action over the mysterious changing of hands of the “X” plates has not been ruled out by their original owner, it is understood.
Any lawsuit could also include claims for compensation, with auctioneer Martin Farrah – who regularly sells vintage cars and plates – saying the owner could have missed out on up to $1 million from the sale.
“It is not unreasonable that the “X” licence plate could be worth up to a million dollars,” Mr Farrah, owner of Lawsons Auction house, said.
The letter “F’ for Ferrari is be touted around Sydney for $1m according to industry sources.
While the prices for single letter licence plates are high, they actually pale in comparison to the value of single number licence plates – with the “1” licence plate selling for $12 million last year.
In a statement, TfNSW said they had carried out an investigation into the “X” licence plate and found “no evidence currently available to suggest fraudulent activity”.
“The customer lost their rights to the ‘X’ number plate when their vehicle registration was cancelled on June 29 2020, three months after it had expired on 28 March 2020.
“These number plates have since been issued to another customer after the registration was cancelled. Service NSW is aware of an administrative error occurring at Silverwater Service Centre regarding the return of the ‘X’ vehicle number plate on July 22, 2020.
“Service NSW is not aware of any other instances of similar transactions.”
Originally published as Barrister's rare $1m 'X' number plate sold for just $238
