Invest
An investment with wheels?
The most expensive number plate ever sold in Australia recently went for nearly $2.5 million, so it could be time for investors to consider this alternative asset.
An investment with wheels?
The most expensive number plate ever sold in Australia recently went for nearly $2.5 million, so it could be time for investors to consider this alternative asset.
NSW number plate '4' sold to sex toy magnate Peter Tseng in August last year for $2.45 million, and Numberplates.com.au recently sold NSW number plate ‘1’. The sale price has not been made public, but director Steven Hantos said the vendor was satisfied with the price after predicting it would go for even more than NSW ‘4’.
This plate dates back to around 1910 when it was issued to penny-farthing dealers, Bennett and Wood.
“The market for number plates has taken off over the last two decades, with NSW and Victorian plates highly sought after. The lower the number, the more desirable and valuable the number plate,” Mr Hantos said.
“Some plates take decades, if not longer, to change hands and are often passed from generation to generation. This makes their worth even greater.”
He said investors are generally car lovers on the look-out for plates to suit their own personalities and vehicles.
“However, the ones with serious price tags are usually held by investors looking to increase their portfolio with a one-of-a-kind purchase or superannuation funds looking for good returns with value growing around 20 per cent year on year,” Mr Hantos said.
NSW ‘6’ sold for $895,000 in 2008, beating NSW ‘2’ and its 2003 sale price of $683,000.
The highest public sale in Victoria was for ‘21’, which went for $536,000 in 2016.
“Heritage number plates were issued in the early 1900s. In 1937 (NSW) and 1939 (Victoria) those plates were discontinued and handed back over the years to the government,” Mr Hantos said.
“This stockpile of historic numberplates is now slowly being drip-fed back onto the market since 1983, keeping the value of those in circulation high.
“Many consider them to be artwork as they are manufactured in heavy vitreous enamel; furthermore, buying number plates can be considered as speculative as investing in artwork.”
RELATED ARTICLES
-
Trust, technology and triage: what NSW’s ‘name and shame’ signals for real estate governance
-
Vacancy is rising, demand is resilient: A case study in defending yield as Australia’s rental cycle rebalances
-
Don’t lose the deposit: A case study in stopping real estate payment fraud — and the ROI for doing it
Property
Trust, technology and triage: what NSW’s ‘name and shame’ signals for real estate governance
NSW’s latest enforcement action on real estate trust accounts isn’t a one-off embarrassment; it’s a stress test of sector governance. With licences suspended and penalties applied, the message is ...Read more
Property
Vacancy is rising, demand is resilient: A case study in defending yield as Australia’s rental cycle rebalances
After a blistering run, Australia’s rental market is loosening at the edges. Vacancy is edging up off historic lows, rent inflation is set to moderate into 2026, yet underlying demand remains ...Read more
Property
Don’t lose the deposit: A case study in stopping real estate payment fraud — and the ROI for doing it
Deposit redirection scams are quietly eroding buyer savings and agency reputations in Australia’s property market. This case study unpacks how a mid-tier real estate group redesigned its settlement ...Read more
Property
The $12m threshold: Why portfolio value, not property count, now defines Australia’s investor elite
The old yardstick of six properties as shorthand for investment success has been overtaken by a harsher reality: in today’s market, elite status is defined by balance-sheet strength, not asset countRead more
Property
From intuition to instrumentation: How a "two-stakeholder" sales playbook lifted close rates and cut cycle times
High-stakes consumer purchases are increasingly joint decisions. When one partner is under-served, deals stall. This case study follows an Australian real estate group that rebuilt its sales motion ...Read more
Property
Selling in 2025: How to spot bad agents fast—and build an ROI-first vendor playbook
In Australia’s property market, choosing the wrong listing agent isn’t just inconvenient—it’s a textbook principal–agent failure that can wipe tens of thousands off your sale outcomeRead more
Property
Selling in 2026: How to de‑risk your agent choice and protect tens of thousands at settlement
Choosing the wrong selling agent isn’t just an inconvenience — it’s a balance‑sheet risk. In a market where digital discovery is concentrated and AI is recasting how listings are priced and promoted, ...Read more
Property
Rate resilience in Australian housing: why scarce supply is overpowering monetary tightening
Australia’s housing market is defying higher borrowing costs because the binding constraint isn’t demand—it’s supply. Brokers report persistent buyer competition and investor repositioning, while ...Read more
Property
Trust, technology and triage: what NSW’s ‘name and shame’ signals for real estate governance
NSW’s latest enforcement action on real estate trust accounts isn’t a one-off embarrassment; it’s a stress test of sector governance. With licences suspended and penalties applied, the message is ...Read more
Property
Vacancy is rising, demand is resilient: A case study in defending yield as Australia’s rental cycle rebalances
After a blistering run, Australia’s rental market is loosening at the edges. Vacancy is edging up off historic lows, rent inflation is set to moderate into 2026, yet underlying demand remains ...Read more
Property
Don’t lose the deposit: A case study in stopping real estate payment fraud — and the ROI for doing it
Deposit redirection scams are quietly eroding buyer savings and agency reputations in Australia’s property market. This case study unpacks how a mid-tier real estate group redesigned its settlement ...Read more
Property
The $12m threshold: Why portfolio value, not property count, now defines Australia’s investor elite
The old yardstick of six properties as shorthand for investment success has been overtaken by a harsher reality: in today’s market, elite status is defined by balance-sheet strength, not asset countRead more
Property
From intuition to instrumentation: How a "two-stakeholder" sales playbook lifted close rates and cut cycle times
High-stakes consumer purchases are increasingly joint decisions. When one partner is under-served, deals stall. This case study follows an Australian real estate group that rebuilt its sales motion ...Read more
Property
Selling in 2025: How to spot bad agents fast—and build an ROI-first vendor playbook
In Australia’s property market, choosing the wrong listing agent isn’t just inconvenient—it’s a textbook principal–agent failure that can wipe tens of thousands off your sale outcomeRead more
Property
Selling in 2026: How to de‑risk your agent choice and protect tens of thousands at settlement
Choosing the wrong selling agent isn’t just an inconvenience — it’s a balance‑sheet risk. In a market where digital discovery is concentrated and AI is recasting how listings are priced and promoted, ...Read more
Property
Rate resilience in Australian housing: why scarce supply is overpowering monetary tightening
Australia’s housing market is defying higher borrowing costs because the binding constraint isn’t demand—it’s supply. Brokers report persistent buyer competition and investor repositioning, while ...Read more
