General News
23 July, 2024
Heritage plates return
After a year-long hiatus, VicRoads has announced that six-digit Heritage plates will be returning at the end of this month in a limited release.
It will be the first time six-digit Heritage plates have been available since July 2023, when orders had to be paused after just three days due to unprecedented demand.
In anticipation of the upcoming release, VicRoads has given a preview of the available - and likely popular - plates to inspire interest.
Some of the available combinations include:
100.055
100.066
100.077
110.001
110.100
122.234
177.701
191.100
200.021
255.225.
Additional combinations that will be available can be previewed on the Custom Plates website, vplates.com.au.
From July 30, enthusiasts will be able to choose their own combination for a six-digit Heritage plate as long as the combination is still available and adheres to some specific rules.
These include that the combination must be a number between 100.000 and 285.000 to fit into the span of the original number series first issued in the 1930s.
VicRoads’ chief executive officer Giles Thompson said the increasing demand for Heritage plates was evident from the rising average auction prices paid for three-, four- and five-digit plates in the past four years.
In 2020, the average price for three-digit Heritage plates was $135,000 but by the end of 2023 it had increased to $375,000.
Similarly, auction prices for four- and five-digit Heritage plates doubled during this period.
"Heritage plates hark back to an iconic era in Victoria’s motoring history, being faithful replicas of Victoria’s first ever number plates issued almost a century ago," Mr Thompson said.
“The plates continue to be meticulously handcrafted in Victoria to the same exact specifications as those originally issued in the 1930s, with unparalleled attention to detail reflecting the time-honoured techniques used last century and making each one unique.
“Unlike regular number plates which have a wide variety of combinations available, six-digit Heritage plates are limited to combinations between 100.000 and 285.000.
"Their exclusivity and limited availability are largely what make them so appealing to collectors."
Six-digit Heritage plates will be available from Tuesday July 30 from 8.30am AEST at the updated price of $19,995.
Orders will be accepted online, in person at a VicRoads customer service centre or over the phone.
To receive exclusive updates about Victorian Heritage plates, would-be buyers can sign up to the custom plates mailing list at www.vplates.com.au.