Drivers looking to enhance the resale value of their used cars are being encouraged to consider a simple yet effective “number plate facelift.” According to industry experts, this change could add thousands of pounds to the value of older vehicles.
Recent updates to vehicle registration numbers have introduced new identifiers, with the “76” suffix rolling out on the latest models this September. This follows the earlier implementation of the “26” suffix in March. To put this into perspective, nearly 313,000 new cars were registered last September alone.
Data from Auto Trader’s Retail Price Index reveals that the average used car is valued at approximately £17,131, with cars aged between 10 and 15 years seeing a 6.9% increase in price. In light of these figures, some car owners are exploring ways to make their vehicles more appealing on the second-hand market.
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A “number plate facelift” involves replacing the current registration plate with a “dateless” one - a plate that lacks the conventional prefixes or suffixes which typically indicate a car’s age. Peter Johnson, managing director of PrimoReg.co.uk, likens this change to cosmetic enhancements: “A dateless plate is basically Botox for your car. It changes nothing underneath, but it can take years off its appearance in seconds.”
Mr Johnson emphasises the financial sense of such an upgrade, noting, “When replacing the average used car costs more than £17,000, a facelift costing under £100 for the car you already own starts to look less like vanity and more like common sense.”
He further explains the drawback of the current registration system: “Twice a year a new plate arrives and broadcasts exactly how old their own car is. A dateless registration removes the birthday badge and gives the car a cleaner, more timeless look.”
With demand on the rise, PrimoReg.co.uk is preparing for its busiest September since the post-lockdown surge of 2020. Mr Johnson advises that those interested in specific number combinations act swiftly, as each registration is unique and once allocated, it cannot be reissued.