‘1 HRH’ kept in British hands

A Berkshire-based millionaire bought the registration 1 HRH for £113,815 at the DVLA Personalised Registrations auction at Whittlebury Hall, Northampton, today.

The wealthy businessman, who wished to remain anonymous, declared he’d bought the registration as an investment and, because of its potential royal connotations, was “determined to keep it in British hands”.

He said: “In my mind, there aren’t many registrations that can better 1 HRH. While I bought it as an investment, its obvious royal links made me determined to keep it in British hands.”

The mystery buyer was unsure which of his “regal” cars to place the registration on, either his Bentley or Rolls Royce Phantom! However, he is now turning his attention to the personalised registration 1 O being auctioned at 8.50am tomorrow (Friday, January 30).

The fact DVLA has set a £10,000 reserve on 1 O – seen by many private plate enthusiasts as arguably one of the last great registrations available from its 30 million-strong war chest – may mean he’ll have to dig deep again.

Damian Lawson, DVLA Personalised Registrations’ Marketing Manager, said: “As with 1 O being auctioned tomorrow, we received immense interest in 1 HRH and we are delighted at the sum raised, especially given the tough current economic climate.”

He added: “Demand for personalised registrations seems to be holding up well. This is the first of six three-day auctions this year and we are on target to raise more than £3 million from this event.”