6 O sale crowns fine year for DVLA

A 24-year-old bought the registration 6 O for a staggering £100,216 during the final day of DVLA Personalised Registrations’ Christmas auction staged at Tankersley Manor Hotel, near Barnsley.

Incredibly, 6 O takes his total spend for the year to more than £246,000 on just three number plates and yet Ghanim al-Hadaifi declared his spending spree is far from over.

A member of the Qatar diplomatic family living in London, he bought 4 O from the DVLA summer auction for £63,000, 5 O from the agency’s autumn event for £83,000 – though that plate was a gift for the Qatari ruling family.

A spokesman for Mr al-Hadaifi said: “Money is not really an issue, he just wants the best registrations he can have for his cars. Even though he has bought 4 O and 6 O for himself, he already has his sights set on numerous others which we hope will be auctioned next year.”

DVLA Personalised Registrations released the O-series as part of its 20th anniversary celebrations. Each of its six auctions of the year – commencing with 1 O in January – has featured them. In total, 1 O, 2 O, 3 O, 4 O, 5 O and now 6 O have amassed a colossal £666,560 with all the money raised going to the Treasury.    

Damian Lawson, DVLA Personalised Registrations’ Marketing Manager, said: “The O-series has been a phenomenally success for us. Clearly Mr al-Hadaifi has the bug to buy the best plates he can. What is extremely pleasing is that he always makes the effort to come along to the auction in person and raises the atmosphere to a whole new level.”

The sale of 6 O crowns off an hugely successful year for DVLA Personalised Registrations, the highlight of which came in March when the registration 1 D smashed all records when it was sold for £352,000.