Whether your car is a polished, purring machine or a bucket of bolts with enough faulty wiring to make seasoned electricians despair, it is required by law to have a legitimate vehicle number plate. This is essential as the number plate corresponds with details about your car and ownership stored on the national database. No reputable panel beaters will deal with an unregistered vehicle, and driving without car number plates could land you in trouble with the traffic police.
While the format of a car number plate will vary according to the country and province of registration, many car owners like to add their own personal touch with custom number plates. While some people may think of them as tacky, many others feel that personalised number plates are a great status symbol or a fun way of expressing themselves. On an almost daily basis, you are bound to drive past a number of cars with custom number plates ranging from the quirky and cute to the witty or just plain arrogant.
Here are a few examples of personal number plates spotted on the roads:
• IOWE 000 GP: This guy wants his number plate to tell the world he paid for his Mercedes in full.
• 4 U 2 NV: A Porsche driver who loves the jealous looks from other motorists.
• GROWWL GP: A number plate on a noisy Jeep Cherokee.
It doesn’t end with letters and numbers. Some vehicle number plate manufacturers will even add a picture of your favourite football crest, pop star or movie star. Imagine the looks you’d get driving around town with Lady Gaga’s face on your number plate!
Of course, if you decide to get a personalised number plate, choose carefully. Whether it’s for your own vehicle or a gift for a loved one, make sure you choose a number plate that’s tasteful, thoughtful or at least witty. Bear in mind that you may be stuck with the same custom number plate for some time, so basing it on a passing fad is probably a bad idea. On the other hand, a number plate like QT-PIE or C00LESTM0M might just discourage your teenage son from taking your precious vehicle out for a joy-ride!