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A Dirty Volvo V70 Is Selling for $20 Million, Would Be World’s Most Expensive

How much would you pay for a good family car? If the answer is $20 million, this one comes with a bit of DMV history attached, as well as the title of the world’s most expensive Volvo. But only because you paid $20 million for it.
This Volvo V70 with the first and only legal "New York" New York vanity plate is selling for $20 million 6 photos
Photo: DuPont Registry
This Volvo V70 with the first and only legal "New York" New York vanity plate is selling for $20 millionThis Volvo V70 with the first and only legal "New York" New York vanity plate is selling for $20 millionThis Volvo V70 with the first and only legal "New York" New York vanity plate is selling for $20 millionThis Volvo V70 with the first and only legal "New York" New York vanity plate is selling for $20 millionThis Volvo V70 with the first and only legal "New York" New York vanity plate is selling for $20 million
Vanity license plates are a thing all over the world. In some countries, like the U.S., the UK, or Australia, historic plates occasionally change hands for hefty amounts of money—sometimes even ridiculous amounts of money no one but a vanity plate collector would even consider paying. This wants to be one of those cases.

The first-ever, the one and only, and the only legal “New York” New York vanity plate is for sale. If you have $20 million to spare, a private seller will trade it to you and throw a dirty, rather sad-looking Volvo V70 in the mix. The listing is live with DuPont Registry, which boldly calls this Volvo the most expensive in the world. It would be if you paid this kind of money for it.

According to the seller, their father acquired the plate in the late 1970s, when New York introduced vanity plates. It now has somewhat of an iconic status: it “is a significant part of New York’s history,” the listing says, “so much so that its likeness is sold in souvenir shops across New York City as well as online.”

The plate has been in the family since it was acquired, more or less on a dare and a mild hunch that it would be worth something someday, and is now offered for the first time for sale. It is the only legal “New York” vanity plate and can’t be duplicated. The listing notes that it is completely transferable to the owner and “can be placed on most vehicles,” and the seller also covers transfer fees.

That said, without denying the historical importance of this particular vanity plate, you should know that its use is limited strictly to New York, since U.S. residents can’t live in one state and register their car in another. Similar “New York” vanity plates might exist in other states, as well.
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About the author: Elena Gorgan
Elena Gorgan profile photo

Elena has been writing for a living since 2006 and, as a journalist, she has put her double major in English and Spanish to good use. She covers automotive and mobility topics like cars and bicycles, and she always knows the shows worth watching on Netflix and friends.
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