History on a plate - collector’s item to go under the hammer

Thursday, 8 August 2024

An exclusive and rare piece of South Australian automotive history will be up for grabs when it hits the auction block for the first time later this month. 

The iconic plate 8 was among the first numeric plates issued in 1906 and is the first single digit numeric plate to be sold by the State Government in South Australia since plates 3, 6 and 9 were sold in 1985.

Now the ultimate car accessory, plates with white figures on black backgrounds were once a mark of prestige typically displayed on the vehicles of prominent South Australian families.

Number eight is considered the luckiest number in Chinese culture, while in some numerology schools it represents strength, prosperity and victory.

Experts say having an ‘8’ within a plate sequence has become the digit of choice among number plate collectors, both for its luck and symmetrical format.

Just how popular the plate is will be determined by a two-week online auction opening on Wednesday, 28 August.

The ‘8’ will go to auction alongside a series of other genuine numeric number plates including numbers 55, 873, 5566, 46000 and 111444.

All plates will be auctioned with ‘Class Specific Rights’ which entitles the owners to long-term rights to their plate. This means the plate can be transferred to vehicles registered in the same name and sold to a third party, extending the buyer market to include investment opportunities.

Anyone can purchase the rights to a numeric plate, however the plates can only be affixed to a vehicle that is registered in South Australia.

Revenue raised from the auction will be returned to the Department for Infrastructure and Transport to fund services for South Australians.

The State Government is also issuing a warning to collectors to be wary when purchasing Custom Plates via private sellers, including third party auction sites.

The Government is aware of such sales in which custom plates are being incorrectly designated as historic plates. We advise vigilance when purchasing such plates.

Buyers should also be aware that Custom Plate agreements do not entitle the agreement holder to any long-term rights to have a particular number allotted to their vehicle, and that Custom Plate agreements may be terminated by the Registrar of Motor Vehicles at any time in their sole discretion.  Upon termination, the holder will no longer have the rights to that specific number or plate.

Buyers are encouraged to undertake all necessary due diligence prior to purchasing any number plate rights from private sellers and to ensure that they understand the type of plate being purchased, the nature of the rights which attach to that plate and the conditions on which they are purchasing those rights. 

Registrations for the Government auction are open from today, Thursday 8 August until Wednesday, 28 August when the auction will go live. The auction will close 7pm Monday, 16 September.

The online auction will be run by third-party auctioneer Slattery Auctions and Valuations. Visit South Australian Exclusive Numeric Plate Auction - Slattery Auctions to register.