Driver and Vehicle Standards began trialling the scheme in May and, so far, 431 number plates have been sold, generating a total of £107,750.
The sale has been so successful that it could be extended in the future to include more numbers.
Proceeds from the scheme have helped to plug funding gaps at Transport and Technical Services, paying in part for replacement vehicle safety-testing equipment, nine bus shelters and improvements to a pedestrian crossing – projects which otherwise could not have been afforded under existing departmental budgets.
One of the bus shelters is currently being erected at Red Houses on land owned by the Channel Islands Co-operative Society, which has also contributed towards the cost of the amenity.
Available number plates that are not considered to be of high value and worth auctioning off are available to buy over the counter for £250.
The highest number currently available is J311299.
TTS director Tristen Dodd said that the scheme had proved very popular and people could now search online for available number plates at gov.je.
‘The first few days were extremely busy, mostly with customers searching for dates of birth either for themselves or loved ones.
‘Some were so keen that they almost purchased the wrong date and would no doubt have been in big trouble if they had not checked before finally paying,’ he said.
‘We have had some customers selecting wedding anniversary dates, and vehicle model numbers have proved very popular to add that finishing touch to a customer’s “pride and joy”.’
Mr Dodd added: ‘We have been very pleased with the amount of interest this scheme has created and we have had very good customer feedback.
‘There is potential to extend the scheme further in the future.’
WHILE bidders in Jersey spent a total of nearly £200,000 on desirable car number plates at an auction in December last year, a few days later a British record sum of £518,000 including taxes and fees was paid for a personalised registration.
The Island’s star lot, JSY2, sold for £43,000 – almost of quarter of the £198,100 total that was raised.
Meanwhile, J611 sold for over £15,000, while more than £13,000 was spent on JSY30.
The UK amount smashes the previous DVLA record of £352,411, which was spent on 1D in 2009.
The plate 25 O was sold at a three-day DVLA event in Cardiff marking the 25th anniversary of the Personalised Registrations sales.
The buyer, John Collins, owns Talacrest, a dealer in rare classic Ferraris, and just hours after paying £130,320 for the registration 250 L he spent almost five times as much on 25 O.
He also paid £3,000 for 500 FER. Both registrations are already destined for classic Ferraris; 25 O will be worn by a 250 SWB once owned by Eric Clapton, while 250 L will go on to a 1964 Ferrari Lusso.
Moments after his success, Mr Collins said: ‘I was just determined to own them. It was just a case of how much I was going to have to pay for the privilege.’
Asked just how much he was prepared to pay for 25 O, Mr Collins replied: ‘I’m not too sure. It could possibly have been the first £1 million personalised registration!’
Jody Davies, DVLA Personalised Registrations’ Events Manager, said: ‘What a spectacular way to mark our 150th auction during our 25th Anniversary year.
‘While we had high hopes for both registrations, we never dreamt they would be so successful and enable us to make history for the DVLA.’
The other highest sellers so far in the sale include CU11 ENS (£26,648), FU11 ERS (£23,202) and 1 HJW (£21,084).
The Jersey auction was held by auctioneer Simon Drieu at Highlands College on behalf of the Transport Department.
A total of 50 lots went under the hammer, including a number of three- and four-digit J and JSY plates.
