Nissan to trial driverless cars in London in February

Owners of traditional vehicles won't be the only ones fuelling demand for private car registrations soon; a whole new wave of cars is about to hit the road. Although a world where driverless cars are the norm may still feel like a while off, we may actually start spotting them on the roads sooner than we think. This week, car giant Nissan announced that it will start trialling its breed of driverless cars on the streets of London in just a few weeks' time.

Trialling the new Nissan LEAF

Government and safety professionals will be among the privileged few to try out the driverless Nissan LEAF, and will be accompanied by technicians from Nissan's London office. If these trials are successful, new versions of the LEAF and Nissan's popular Qashqai will be built with systems that will be capable of autonomous driving on single lanes of motorways. So they won't quite be fully driverless, but this new capability will be first-of-a-kind nonetheless, and a step closer to cars that completely eliminate the need for a driver.

Nissan is one of several major car manufacturers that is investing billions of pounds into autonomous vehicle systems. The car manufacturer follows in the footsteps of Tesla, which has already built its Model S car with hardware that can enable autonomous driving should an operating system be installed.

Autonomous Vehicle Design on the Rise

This isn't actually the first trial of autonomous vehicles to happen in the UK. London recently saw driverless cars trialled around its O2 Centre as part of the Greenwich Automated Transport Environment (GATEway) project, which was an experiment to see how members of the public reacted to being in an autonomous vehicle. Other companies are dabbling in driverless cars too; cab company Uber has been trialling autonomous vehicles in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and plans to carry on developing its driverless vehicles in the city. And Volvo and Google have been other front-runners in the race to develop driverless technology that could become mainstream.

DVLA Number Plates

So could we soon see fully autonomous cars being issued DVLA number plates? Maybe not this year... but even the Queen laid out priorities to develop driverless cars in her Christmas day speech - so it could be a lot sooner than we think.

SOURCE: https://www.theprivateplateco.co.uk/news/general/nissan-to-trial-driverless-cars-in-london-in-february.html

The World's Most Expensive Number Plates

Personalised number plates are certainly not just for the super rich and you don't need to break the bank to get your very own private plate. However, there are a few highly sought after plates that sell for eye-watering sums of cash.

Here is a rundown of the five most expensive plates ever sold around the world to date.

1. Registration Number '1'

The astounding sum of £7.25 million is the highest price paid ever for a plate. Abu Dhabi property mogul Saeed Abdul Ghaffar Khouri snapped it up in 2008. He later commented: 'I bought it because it's the best number'.

2. Registration Number '25 O'

This is the most expensive plate that has been sold here in the UK. A cool £518,000 bought John Collins this plate in 2014 at a DVLA auction. Rumour has it that it is now on his Ferrari 250SWB, a car that used to belong to Eric Clapton and is believed to be worth around £10 million.

3. Registration Number 'F 1'

A businessman from Bradford, Afzal Khan, bought this number plate in 2008. He secured it for £440,000. It is reported that he would consider selling it, but it would have to be at the right price.

4. Registration Number 'S 1'

'S 1' is a historic plate. It's thought that it was the first one ever to be bought in Scotland. It originally belonged to Sir John HA MacDonald, who served as Lord Justice Clerk of Scotland from 1888 to 1919. It was issued in Edinburgh to its proud owner in 1903 when motor registration marks were introduced. In 2008, it was bought for £404,000 by an anonymous buyer.

5. Registration Number 'VIP 1'

In 2006, Russian billionaire and owner of Chelsea Football Club Roman Abramovich bought 'VIP 1' for £285,000.

While these personalised car registrations may be a little out of reach for most of us, you can still have your own bespoke plate to cherish. We have almost 50 million registrations on offer that start at a rather more reasonably priced £59.00 plus VAT and DVLA transfer fee. So why not splash out in 2017 on a little something just for you? Dont forget, Valentines Dayis just round the corner.

SOURCE: https://www.theprivateplateco.co.uk/news/general/the-worlds-most-expensive-number-plates.html

Why Get a Personalised Number Plate?

The popularity of personalised number plates has never been higher. This is partially thanks to the never-ending desire to turn something which can be a little generic, like our cars, into something which is uniquely ours. After all, if you have a number plate with your initials on it, there can be little doubt that the car is yours, and it can offer a little thrill every time you see it. Given that you are likely to see your car several times every day, that little boost in mood can have an incredibly powerful effect.

The other reason for buying a personalised number plate is as an investment. While this is often a secondary consideration, it is nonetheless an important one for many people. The scarcity of the number plate won't change, after all, but the number of people who happen to share your initials probably will. If you own a number plate with a particularly desirable set of initials, it can be a very good investment. It is not unheard of for auctions of personalised number platesto reach over £250,000 – a genuinely good investment which is only likely to increase with time.

So, if you do decide to get a personalised number plate, what do you say to the people who think that you are wasting your time?

Well, to begin with, check to make sure that this sentiment isn't motivated by simple jealousy. Sour grapes is a very real phenomenon, and if you are well off enough to be able to afford a personalised number plate, you probably know at least a few people who will be jealous of your success. If this is the case, take their attitudes with a pinch of salt. Chances are good their complaints will fade once they get used to the fact you have a personalised number plate.

If the attitude comes from genuine concern for how you are using your money, however, then it is worth explaining that your personalised number plate is an investment for the future.

Most of all, remember to enjoy it! You are unique, and there is no reason not to flaunt that fact.

SOURCE: https://www.theprivateplateco.co.uk/news/general/why-get-a-personalised-number-plate.html

​3 Remarkable Cars 2016 Gave to Us

For many people 2016 will be remembered as the year of the E.U referendum, or the year that Donald Trump, against all odds, became the president elect of the world's largest superpower. Other people will remember 2016 as the year that David Bowie, Leonard Cohen, Alan Rickman, Muhammed Ali, Prince and of course, Paul Daniels all passed on. Despite much of the doom and gloom, many people in the world of motoring at least will be able to look at 2016 with a smile on their faces. Here are three remarkable cars released in 2016.

The Jaguar F-Pace SUV

The Solihull build SUV launched in April of this year has gone on to become Jaguar's fastest ever selling car. The parent company of Jaguar had been increasingly relying on the sales of Land Rover models until the F-Pace SUV took the UK and the world by storm. Even the most cursory of glances will show you that its success was no accident. The distinctive sporty take on the classic SUV chassis, its phenomenal level of internal comfort and six models to choose from reassured us all that Jaguar still have a lot to give in these modern and forever changing times.

The Aston Martin DB11

Arguably the most iconic car of the year was brought to us by the legendary Aston Martin. With a price tag of around £154,900 it is unlikely to feature in many Christmas stockings this year but has sent a collective shiver of excitement down the neck of the motoring world. The success of the DB11 was vital to a company with a rocky past and a new CEO, but Aston Martin has been utterly vindicated by this new model. The unique body sculpturing, world class level of comfort and the 5.2-litre V12 engine which sends you from 0 - 62mph in only 3.9 seconds - all add up to make a truly remarkable car.

The McLaren 570GT

Launched in May this year the McLaren 570GT was essentially a remarkable work of fine-tuning from the earlier 570S model. Despite being slightly slower off the mark than its predecessor (about one fifth of a second slower to 62mph), the car was significantly quieter and all round a much more manageable driving experience. The torque-hungry power enthusiasts may complain that the 570GT model lacks the frightening power of the 570S, but many people who have driven it hold it in higher esteem. Let's be honest - it is hardly slow!

SOURCE: https://www.theprivateplateco.co.uk/news/general/3-remarkable-cars-2016-gave-to-us.html

Personalised number plates of the rich and famous

The famous people we watch every year on our TV screens have fabulous lifestyles – yachts, private planes and, of course, stunning cars with personalised number plates. From the royal family to celebrity hairdressers, they have the cream from the number plate machine. Here are five of the cherished number plates of the rich and famous, and the stories behind them.

A1 – The Queen: This plate was released in 1903 by London Council and it is owned by HRH Queen Elizabeth II. It seems these private number plates were released on a first-come, first-served basis and so Earl Russell queued outside the London City Council offices all night to secure the A1 plate.

MAG 1C – Paul Daniels: Sadly we lost this accomplished magician this year. But it was in the mid-80s that Paul discovered a Ferrari with the plate MAG 1C. In an interview, Paul said the owner was pleased that he was buying the car and plate as "he was sick of people asking if it belonged to Paul Daniels". Oddly, MAG 1C was not an original issue by DVLA Registrations but a replacement mark that was issued in error. If this registration was to be sold at a DVLA Auction these days, it would probably fetch around £100,000.

H41 RDO - Nicky Clarke: This plate is an easy choice for Nicky, who owns hair salons in Mayfair, Birmingham and Manchester. The famous names he has worked with include George Michael, Yasmin le Bon, Gwyneth Paltrow and David Bowie.

COM 1C - Jimmy Tarbuck: With this plate, Jimmy is probably the envy of every comedian in the country. Famous since the mid-60s with his show 'It's Tarbuck 65', Jimmy has owned this registration since it was first issued during that decade.

S8 RRY – Robbie Williams: Apparently this apologetic plate, which went on a Ferrari, was a message to his fans for spending so much on a car. Eventually, the shy and retiring pop star opted for something a bit more low-key – a moped! He's not short on cash though, as six of his albums are among the all-time Top 100 biggest selling albums in the UK.

For a personalised registration plate that suits your lifestyle, get in touch with us today. We have a selection of almost 50 million registrations starting at just £59.00 plus VAT and DVLA transfer fee.

SOURCE: https://www.theprivateplateco.co.uk/news/general/personalised-number-plates-of-the-rich-and-famous.html