People spend a significant amount of money on customized vehicle license plates for various reasons. For some, customized license plates serve as a status symbol. For others, these plates are a way to express their identity or interests. Some people do it solely out of passion.
In April 2023, the world’s most expensive number plate sold for a whopping Rs 122 crore in Dubai, according to TOI. The ‘P7’ number plate was bought by a businessman at the Emirates Auction LLC in Dubai. The proceeds of the sale went to Dubai ruler Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid’s global food aid initiative called the 1 Billion Meals Endowment.
The selling of license plates for exorbitant sums is a frequent occurrence in the Middle East. In India, while not as prevalent as in the Middle East, it is still not an uncommon practice.
Most expensive vehicle plate numbers in India
1. Ashik Patel – Rs 34 lakh
In 2020, Ahmedabad resident Ashik Patel paid Rs 34 lakh for number “007” for his new Toyota Fortuner which he bought for Rs 39.5 lakh, according to TOI.
“I got 007 number for my maiden vehicle and it has brought a windfall for me. For me it is not about money, it is about belief that this number is lucky for me,” the 31-year-old, a transporter by profession, was quoted as saying by TOI.
Talking about the vehicle, the Toyota Fortuner comes with two engine options – a 2.7-litre petrol engine giving 166 PS of power and 245 Nm of peak torque and a 2.8-litre diesel engine offering 177 PS of power and 420 Nm of torque.
2. K.S Balagopal – Rs 31 lakh
In 2019, K S Balagopal, a resident of Kerala who owns pharmaceutical distribution company Devi Pharma, paid Rs 31 lakh for the registration number “KL-01-CK-1” of his Porsche 718 Boxster, according to India Today. Balagopal paid Rs 30 lakh for the registration number and Rs 1 lakh as the reservation fee for the same. Porsche 718 Boxster, which is currently priced at Rs 90 lakh approx. according to CarDekho, is powered by a 2.0-litre petrol engine that produces 295 bhp of power and 380 Nm of torque.
Earlier in 2017, Balagopal had paid Rs 19 lakh for the registration number ‘KL-01-CB-1’ for his Toyota Land Cruiser.
3. Rahul Taneja – Rs 16 lakh
Model-turned-businessman from Jaipur, Rahul Taneja has a collection of luxury cars, most of which have expensive number plates. In 2018, Taneja spent a whopping Rs 16 lakh to secure a unique license plate for his new car, which bears the number “RJ 45 CG 0001”, according to India.com.
Taneja, who runs an event management firm, bought a Jaguar for Rs 1.5 crore in March 2018, a month after which he acquired the number plate. Back in 2011, the businessman had paid over Rs 10 lakh for “RJ 14 CP 0001”. He bought it for his first luxury car which was a BMW 5.
