Photo: Lloyds Online
'NSW 1' is the most sought-after Heritage Plate in Australia. People would kill to have it. Or rather pay a fortune for it. Bidding has already hit 10 million Australian dollars and counting because the auction won't be over before the end of January.
That amount of money translates to more than 6.7 million US dollars at the current exchange rates. That is the price that someone is willing to pay for a piece of metal to slam at the back of their car. It might even worth more than the car itself. Such a number plate is a 'unicorn' or the 'holy grail must-have’' for any automobile enthusiast who has something special back home in their garage. NSW stands for New South Wales, with the '1' being very obvious to what it refers to.
What is so special about it? Plates such as the 'NSW 1' were issued to a vehicle of the state's first Police Commissioner. In the 1930s, this plate ended up in the hands of Sir Frederick Stewart, the Newcastle-born railway man who eventually turned into a bus company owner. He was also founding chairman of the Australian National Airways.
In 1932, Sir Stewart was appointed Minister of Commerce, then Minister for Health in 1939. When World War II started, he was given an extra portfolio, that of Minister for Navy and, eventually, Minister for Supply and Development. With such a prolific political career, no wonder Sir Frederik Stewart wanted a special registration plate for his car. He put the very much desired plate on his Oldsmobile. He passed away in 1961, but the 'NSW 1' remained in the family.
In 1988, his widow, Lady Majorie Stewart, reportedly refused an offer of $200,000. So, the number plate was locked away from anyone dreaming of it, with not a single chance for anyone to get anywhere near it for decades.
Lady Stewart passed away in the year 2000. But the number plate has not been on the market until now. It is thus, the first time NSW 1 is being offered via public auction in more than 110 years. Most likely, it will take another 110 years before it goes on the market again. So this is what a lifetime opportunity looks like.
Single-digit plates are from 1 to 9, with the series always starting at 1. With the bidding hitting 10 million Australian dollars (6.7 million US dollars), it is more likely that the number plate will be more expensive than the car itself.
From 1910 to 1937, serials on registration plates for cars were all-numeric, running from 1 to 274-000. Between 1910 and 1924, all plates featured black characters on a white background. From 1924, the color scheme was reversed, with the authorities switching to white characters on a black background.
The government supplies the rear plates, but car owners have to request front plates. License plates in Australia were introduced in 1910, following a similar move in the United Kingdom. The license plates were indispensable to help identify cars and drivers.
The Lloyds auction house is offering the number plate at an auction event that will not end before January 27. So, there is still plenty of time for the bidding to double. We’ll let you know when the auction comes to an end.
The NSW 1 motorcycle plate sold for an undisclosed price in 2018. Yet estimates suggest that it might have been sold for between 500,000 and 1 million Australian dollars (335,000 and 669,000 US dollars), which isn’t quite relevant considering the gap between the two sums.
Yet the most expensive number plate in the world ever sold was the 'P7,' which was purchased by an undisclosed customer in Dubai for $14.2 million. Now, a Tesla Model X is wearing it. However, that record is about to be smashed. Someone in the United Kingdom is asking for 20 million pounds (more than $24 million) for the ‘F1’ plate. The current owner is Afzal Kahn, automotive designer and entrepreneur. A Bugatti Veyron is currently wearing it. Khan bought the plate in 2008 from the Essex County Council.
According to a report from Regransfers, the X1, G1, and M1 are also for sale for one million pounds ($1.27 million) each.
What is so special about it? Plates such as the 'NSW 1' were issued to a vehicle of the state's first Police Commissioner. In the 1930s, this plate ended up in the hands of Sir Frederick Stewart, the Newcastle-born railway man who eventually turned into a bus company owner. He was also founding chairman of the Australian National Airways.
In 1932, Sir Stewart was appointed Minister of Commerce, then Minister for Health in 1939. When World War II started, he was given an extra portfolio, that of Minister for Navy and, eventually, Minister for Supply and Development. With such a prolific political career, no wonder Sir Frederik Stewart wanted a special registration plate for his car. He put the very much desired plate on his Oldsmobile. He passed away in 1961, but the 'NSW 1' remained in the family.
In 1988, his widow, Lady Majorie Stewart, reportedly refused an offer of $200,000. So, the number plate was locked away from anyone dreaming of it, with not a single chance for anyone to get anywhere near it for decades.
Lady Stewart passed away in the year 2000. But the number plate has not been on the market until now. It is thus, the first time NSW 1 is being offered via public auction in more than 110 years. Most likely, it will take another 110 years before it goes on the market again. So this is what a lifetime opportunity looks like.
Single-digit plates are from 1 to 9, with the series always starting at 1. With the bidding hitting 10 million Australian dollars (6.7 million US dollars), it is more likely that the number plate will be more expensive than the car itself.
From 1910 to 1937, serials on registration plates for cars were all-numeric, running from 1 to 274-000. Between 1910 and 1924, all plates featured black characters on a white background. From 1924, the color scheme was reversed, with the authorities switching to white characters on a black background.
The government supplies the rear plates, but car owners have to request front plates. License plates in Australia were introduced in 1910, following a similar move in the United Kingdom. The license plates were indispensable to help identify cars and drivers.
The Lloyds auction house is offering the number plate at an auction event that will not end before January 27. So, there is still plenty of time for the bidding to double. We’ll let you know when the auction comes to an end.
Rare heritage plates are usually passed down through generations
Usually, such rare heritage plates are passed down through generations and are next to impossible to procure unless you are an heir. That is what makes the bidding a record-breaking event. The number ‘4’ plate in New South Wales sold back in August 2017 for 2.45 million Australian dollars, the equivalent of 1.6 million US dollars, according to a report from the Financial Review. Aussie Home Loans founder kept the plate on a Rolls-Royce. The mystery buyer, however, reportedly put it on a more modest Toyota Tundra pickup truck.The NSW 1 motorcycle plate sold for an undisclosed price in 2018. Yet estimates suggest that it might have been sold for between 500,000 and 1 million Australian dollars (335,000 and 669,000 US dollars), which isn’t quite relevant considering the gap between the two sums.
Yet the most expensive number plate in the world ever sold was the 'P7,' which was purchased by an undisclosed customer in Dubai for $14.2 million. Now, a Tesla Model X is wearing it. However, that record is about to be smashed. Someone in the United Kingdom is asking for 20 million pounds (more than $24 million) for the ‘F1’ plate. The current owner is Afzal Kahn, automotive designer and entrepreneur. A Bugatti Veyron is currently wearing it. Khan bought the plate in 2008 from the Essex County Council.
According to a report from Regransfers, the X1, G1, and M1 are also for sale for one million pounds ($1.27 million) each.
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