Why the number 1 is the most valuable digit on a number plate
By Steven Jackson OBE, Founder, New Reg Limited
On a number plate the digit 1 is worth more than any other. It takes up less space, reads more cleanly and stands for being first, which is why buyers pay a premium.
Ask anyone in the number plate trade which character adds the most value, and the answer is the same: the number 1. It is not sentiment, it is a mix of how the plate looks and what the number represents.
It takes up less space. Under the display rules every character on a plate is 50mm wide, with one exception: the number 1 and the letter I are narrower. A 1 therefore leaves more space around it and reads more cleanly than any other digit. On a plate, cleaner and less cluttered means more desirable.
It reads as the first. The number 1 stands for being first and best, so a plate built around it carries a status that no other number matches. That is why single-figure plates, and especially those with a 1, sit at the top of the market.
It can work twice. Consider a plate like AB11 ACB against AB27 ACB. The double 1 makes the first plate read almost as AB1 and 1ACB at the same time, two desirable low-number combinations in one. The second plate has none of that. It is the clearest example of why the same layout can be worth very different money depending on the number.
Across our figures from official DVLA new-reg data and newreg.co.uk, low numbers consistently outsell high ones, and the 1 leads them all. If you are buying, treat the number as seriously as the letters. You can search low-number plates at newreg.co.uk. This is general information, not advice.
Verified against an official source
Based on official DVLA display rules and New Reg market expertise.
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