The £1 million number plate

One of the first number plates ever issued in the UK is up for sale – for a staggering £1 million!

McLaren X-1

BMW X1

Kahn Range Rover Evoque RS250

X1 was first issued in 1903, by Northumberland City Council. It was granted to the chairman of a Tynemouth committee that helped overturn the ‘red flag’ legislation that limited cars to just 4mph.

This infamous rule also required someone to walk in front of the car holding a red flag to warn others of the car’s presence. As if the noise of early cars wasn’t enough…

The Tynemouth committee helped overturn this running and, by way of reward, its chairman was issued the X1 number plate. Other committee members received numbers X2 to X5 for their efforts.

Now, it’s up for sale by Regtransfers, in an online auction.

If it does sell for £1 million, X1 will become the UK’s most expensive number plate ever – with ease. The previous record was £375,000, for the registration F1.

Owners of two cars may be interested in the X1 plate, although only one is likely to have the funds to buy it: a BMW X1 costs from £24,660: the one-off McLaren X-1 is rumoured to have cost well into seven figures…

McLaren X-1

BMW X1

Kahn Range Rover Evoque RS250