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A driver has handed over a small fortune after being awarded the “luckiest” license plate, 888-888.
An anonymous buyer placed the winning bid of $230,000 for the personalized Victorian license plates at an auction on Sunday.
Plates 888-888 have not changed hands for 30 years.
The lucky plates sold for almost five times more than the luxurious Mercedes-Benz CL600 V12 they adorned.
The auction saw fierce bidding with buyers present in the room, by phone and online, and was ultimately contested by two bidders.
The coveted plates (pictured) went to the winning bidder who spent $230,000.
In June 2022, a South Australian license plate, SA 888, (pictured) sold for a staggering $355,000. The number 8 is considered lucky because it sounds like “make money” or “make a fortune” in Cantonese and Mandarin.
Auction house Donington told Daily Mail Australia the sale set a record for personalized number plates in Victoria.
The previous maximum amount, which was set in 2022, was for ‘911-911’ plates that sold for $53,000.
Donington director Cameron Sabine said personalized plates are now seen as a “shrewd investment” and the number eight is very popular.
‘On the number plates you look for eight and with these plates (888-888) they are going to be the knees of the bees because you can’t get more ‘eights’ than that,” he stated.
According to Chinatravel.com, the number eight is highly regarded due to its sound.
‘(It is) the luckiest in Chinese culture as it is associated with prosperity as its pronunciation closely resembles the phrase for (fā) “to make money,”‘ its website said.
“Chinese people tend to prefer the number eight when buying a house, a license plate or a telephone number, because they believe that the number eight can bring them good fortune and prosperity.”
Sabine said the recent rise in popularity of collecting number plates is because people see heritage plates as a good investment.
A bidder paid $11.5 million for the ‘NSW 1’ heritage plates (pictured), believed to have belonged to the first New South Wales police commissioner. Set an Australian record
‘Demand has increased as people diversify their investments. They are easy to store and cheaper,’ he said.
“Some people put them in their car, some hide them, and some treat them like they’re great.”
Sabine said traditional plates, which are very rare and attract high prices, have caused buyers to look for cheaper options, such as personalized number plates with six numbers.
The cost of custom and traditional license plates has increased in recent years.
In June 2022, a South Australian license plate, SA 888, sold for a staggering $355,000.
In January this year, a successful bid of $11.5 million won the ‘NSW 1’ heritage plates, which is an Australian record for a number plate auction.
It is understood that ‘NSW 1’ was attached to a vehicle owned by the first New South Wales police commissioner and was later purchased by Sir Frederick Stewart, a well-known businessman.