Abu Dhabi status: Ferrari means nothing unless it has a multi-million dollar license plate 1The third most expensive license plate in the world has been sold in Abu Dhabi, cementing the United Arab Emirates as a vanity-plate record holder. The license bearing solely the digit “7” was sold for 17 million dirhams ($4.6 million) in a government auction.

In all, 72 specialized plates were sold in the auction for a total of 50 million dirhams ($13 million).

According to the Guinness Book of Records, the most expensive plate with the digit 1 was sold to Emirati businessman Said Khouri in 2008 for 52.2 million dirhams ($14.2 million).

The second most expensive plate “5” was also sold in Abu Dhabi for 25.2 million dirhams, ($6.86 million) during a special number-plate auction organized by the Emirates Auction Company in 2007.

Abu Dhabi status: Ferrari means nothing unless it has a multi-million dollar license plate 2

โ€œI think itโ€™s a matter of recognition,โ€ said Muhammad Kashif, owner of the UAE Number Plates Company. โ€œJust having a Ferrari isnโ€™t much these days. People want a nice number to go with the car. It makes them just that much more popular than the other Ferrari drivers.โ€

Kashif said the trend for personalized and distinctive number plates is so popular in the Emirates those with a flare for the fanciful and a few dollars to spare will settle for something unique, if a little less glamorous.

As number plates in the UAE come by default with five digits, the fewer digits on the plate, the higher the price. A number plate with four digits can cost around 5,000 dirhams, ($1,300) but prices are pushed up for numbers that are memorable, in sequence (4567) or all identical (4444).

To view new car reviews, videos or other automotive content, visit: dev.theweeklydriver.com.

Article Last Updated: February 22, 2010.

1 thought on “Abu Dhabi status: Ferrari means nothing unless it has a multi-million dollar license plate”

  1. This is ridiculous.. with all the hunger and poverty in the world, these people will spend millions to put a "5" on their car? Their priorities are in the wrong place for sure!! If you need to put a "1" on your car, you aren't No. 1

    Reply

Leave a Comment

Share to...