The Icelandic number plate system is very different to our own. They were first introduced in 1939. This early system ran until 1988; it featured silver characters on a black background and consisted of a region letter followed by a series of numbers. The plates were registered to an owner who would transfer them from their old vehicle to their new vehicle but would require a new plate if they moved from one region to another.

In 1989 a new system was introduced that is still in place today. These new number plates have a white reflective background with blue characters and are issued randomly. They have either three letters followed by two digits or two letters followed by three digits. The plates stay on the vehicle for life and cannot be changed, so sadly you can’t buy a personalised plate in Iceland. The plates themselves are manufactured in the state penitentiary. Commercial vehicles have red plates and cannot be used for personal use. If you change your vehicle in Iceland from commercial use to personal use, or the reverse, you will need a plate in the different colour, but the registration number itself won’t alter.

Photo credit: IceNineJon / Foter.com / CC BY-NC-ND

With more and more people opting to purchase a nearly new vehicle instead of a brand new vehicle, what better way to hide the real age of your vehicle but with a dateless registration such as Cheap Irish Number Plates.

With in Northern Ireland there are eight different combinations to choose from. The DVA (Northern Ireland DVLA’s counterpart) currently issue different combinations for each of the following districts:

• Armagh
• Ballymena
• Belfast
• Coleraine
• Downpatrick
• Enniskillen
• Londonderry
• Omagh

The Armagh area are currently issuing the EXZ combination for example,EXZ 4231, EXZ 1660. Once the combination reaches 9999, it will be changed to FXZ.

FRZ registrations are currently being issued in the Ballymena area, examples currently available are FRZ 6824, FRZ 6825. The FRZ combination has becoming increasingly popular with people with the surname Frazer. The next combination to be issued will be GFZ.

The current combination being issued in Belfast is NFZ, such as NFZ 5431. Perfect combination if your initials are NF, for example Nicky Fox. NFZ registrations will be replaced with OFZ when they reach 9999.

Coleraine area are currently issuing SNZ Irish registrations, for example SNZ 7205, SNZ 7250. Perfect number plates if your name is Samantha Neal, Sandra Norman. When the SNZ combination reaches 9999, it will be replaced with TNZ.

The current combination being issued in Downpatrick is UJZ, for example UJZ 2960, UJZ 2961. When the UJZ combination reaches 9999, it will be replaced with VJZ combination.

Enniskillen DVA office is currently issuing LIG combination, such as LIG 5396, LIG 5370. This combination is becoming very popular with people with the surname Liggett. The next combination it be issued in Enniskillen will be MIG.

UUI registrations are currently being issued in the Londonderry area. Once this registration reaches 9999, it will be replaced with VUI combination.

Omagh DVA office are currently issuing RHZ combinations, such as RHZ 1512,  RHZ 1513. RHZ irish registrations would be an excellent choice of Irish registration if your name is Rachael Henry, Ronnie Hunter etc. The RHZ combination will be replaced with SHZ.

The above Cheap Irish number plates are the most popular must have accessory when purchasing a second hand car. From as little as £40 plus VAT plus Transfer Fee, the age of your vehicle can be hidden, Which Cheap Irish number plates will be on your plate this summer?

Northern Irish registration dealers and fans of this coveted style of prefix registration breathed a sigh of relief as they were told at a conference in Coventry two weeks ago that plans to scrap this unique style of registration were no longer going ahead.

Northern Ireland registrations are unique in the fact that they are a dateless prefix style with three letters containing either an I or a Z followed by up to four numbers. You may have seen some of the more quirky styles such as JIG, UUI, GAZ, LIL, BAZ and so on.

These very special dateless registrations are now confirmed to be continuing despite plans by the DVLA to introduce the GB style system to Northern Ireland along with plans to centralise local offices in an attempt to harmonise and run all proceedings from head office in Swansea. Although it is not yet certain what the future of local offices in Northern Ireland will be registration dealers are very happy to see the continuation of the Northern Irish registration, which is popular throughout the UK.

Speedy Reg MD Des Elton is naturally delighted with the news as he has been campaigning long and hard not only to ensure that Northern Irish registrations continue but to maintain a unique part of the Northern Irish heritage, save many jobs and of course help the economy. Keep checking this blog for updates on the situation or you can find further information in local newspapers.

If you love the idea of having a personalised plate but just don’t have the cash for your dream plate, all may not be lost. Anyone in the UK can legally buy and display an Irish number plate on their vehicle and they are very cheap. Take a look at the Irish plates available from Speedy Reg and you’ll see there’s a great range of personalised plates to choose from, for as little as £40! There’s an added advantage with Irish plates as they are dateless. Their system differs from that of the DVLA, the plates issued in Ireland don’t indicate the year of issue, so if you’re looking for a dateless  plate to hide to age of your vehicle, the cheapest way to do it is to buy an Irish plate. They can be transferred to a vehicle of any age and the process is simple.

Irish number plates are shorter than UK plates so they’re more desirable looking to start with. Any Irish plate will look cool on your car or motorbike, but Speedy Reg have loads of plates so as well as having a short plate, you are bound to find something that means something to you, perhaps your name or initials?

Photo credit: National Library of Ireland on The Commons / Foter.com

Are you known for being a fun loving party animal or a bit of a Victor Meldrew? Either way, you could use this to inspire your choice of personalised license plate.

If you’re always cracking a joke you could go for FUN 3Y or PUN 853.

If you’re always up for fun then there are loads of FUN plates to choose from such as TO04 FUN and P15 FUN. If you’re feeling down in the dumps then you could opt for SAD 64 or 10 SAD, or E13 BLU if you’re feeling blue. If you’re feeling more positive then how about JOY 9E, F2 JOY or JOL 3Y? If you have a crazy side then F12 MAD or MAD 11V might be perfect for you, or if you’re just downright bad, there’s still a plate for you, despite whether or not you deserve it! You can have BAD 17K or W40 BAD.

Whatever your personality and whatever your mood, there’s a huge range of plates to choose from. If you have several cars you could buy a couple of plates and pick the plate you want to take out and about depending on how you’re feeling! FUN or SAD?  MAD or BAD? The choice is yours!

Photo credit: Pink Sherbet Photography / Foter.com / CC BY

With the weather finally taking a turn for the better you’re no doubt making the most of it; sunbathing, throwing a barbecue party or relaxing in your garden. You’re probably also taking the opportunity to get out in the car with the sun roof open, for a trip to the seaside or the countryside. Why not use the summer weather as inspiration for a new personalised number plate?

Let’s take a look at the summery plates you could pick up from Speedy Reg. We’ve got some great SUN plates. You can take your pick from SUN 11K, SUN 1S, J9 SUN or A13 SUN. We’ve also got some (literally!) HOT plates. You could have HOT 15H, HOT 111Y, D18 HOT or N44 HOT. If you love lazing in the garden on a hot summer day how about LAZ 4444 or LAZ 1? You can celebrate summer with AA02 SUM or ABO2 SUM for under £200.

We also love these other weather related plates which are all available at the time of writing. Perfect if you’re not a sun worshipper but still want a stylish personalised plate. There’s 33 SKY, 105 SNO or J5 NOW. You could have FOG 3Y or R66 CHL. Whether (or should that be weather?) or not you love this weather, you’re bound to love the amazing choice of number plates available at Speedy Reg.

Photo credit: mayrpamintuan / Foter.com / CC BY-ND

The BBC recently obtained a list of the ten most expensive DVLA number plates under the Freedom of Information Act and it makes for interesting reading.

At number 1 is the plate 1 D. It’s easy to see why this sold for a massive £352,000. It’s short and so looks incredibly cool and it would be desirable for so many people. The number 1 would be preferred over any other number, and anyone whose name begins with D would love this plate and there are plenty of Davids, Debbies and Daniels out there! Coming in at number 2 is 51 NGH that sold for £254,000. This represents the name Singh, a common Asian surname, so again there would be a big market for this plate. The third most expensive plate is 1 RH selling for £247,000, again a nice short plate that would suit anyone with those initials. In fourth place is K1 NGS that sold for £231,000 and the fifth most expensive plate sold was 1 O which went for £210,000.

The sixth most expensive plate was 1 A that sold for £200,000, the seventh was 1 OO going for £197,000, the eighth 2 O selling for £142,000, the ninth 6 B went for £130,000 and finally 1 HRH sold for £113,000 perfect for a member of the Royal Family!

Photo credit  HowardLake / Foter.com / CC BY-SA

If you’re getting married soon you might love a romantic number plates for your car as you drive off on your honeymoon. Or do you know someone who is getting hitched?  Then a personalised license plate would make the perfect gift. It needn’t cost you a fortune, there are plates available for as little as £40, or you could club together with other wedding guests and get the lucky couple a highly desirable plate.

Of course you can go for a plate that has their initials on, or perhaps incorporates the wedding date. You could have a plate that declares their love such as 30 LUV or LO57 YOU. You could celebrate the marriage with 12 WED or WED 1M or the fabulous MAR 11Y. E3 HUB would make a great gift for a new hubby, or likewise, 14 MRS would be great for the new Mrs! There are plenty of plates that start with MR or MRS so you may be able to find one with the couple’s surname.

If you buy the newly weds a personalised number plates you can sure that your present will be appreciated and you’re far less likely to duplicate your gift than if you’d opted to get them a toaster or a bale of towels!

Photo credit  wtl photography / Foter.com / CC BY-ND

Plenty of celebrities have a birthday this month, and celebs love personalised number plates so let’s find the perfect plates for the birthday boys and girls this month.

Ray Parker the singer and songwriter who created the famous Ghostbusters theme song celebrated his birthday on May 1^st. We think he’d love the plate 66 RAY.  Actress Kay Panabaker born on 2^nd May 1990 might love the plate C5 KAY. George Clooney also celebrates his birthday in May and we’ve found two great plates for him. He could take his pick from GEO 26E or G36 RGE. Of course he’s very famous and very rich, so we’re sure he could snap up them both. He’s bound to have two fabulous cars to put them on!

For young Disney Channel actress Debby Ryan there are plenty of great DEB plates to choose from. We like 87 DEB and 400 DEB. X-Factor finalist Olly Murs could celebrate his May birthday with D10 LLY or MUR 12. Tennis champion Andy Murray celebrates his birthday on May 15. Ideal plates for him would be MUR 444Y or perhaps TEN 11S!

Chow Yun Fat, star of the hit film Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon could be driving around with FAT IIE plates, or he could pick up A9 YUN for under £200!

Photo credit: Aih. / Foter.com / CC BY

If you’re looking for an investment that’s also a lot of fun, you really can’t go wrong with personalised license plates. They may not be the first thing you think about when you’re looking for an investment, but they are definitely worth considering. Personalised plates retain their value well and often increase in value too.

Any short plate will be desirable, as will those that clearly represent a desirable word or a common name. You might get lucky and pick up a cheap plate that becomes far more valuable when the words you’ve chosen become more popular, perhaps representing a new band, celebrity or high rating TV show that didn’t exist when you bought the plate.

Of course the joy of investing in number plates is that you can use them while you’re waiting for them to increase in value. They’re great fun to have, they turn heads and they can also be a good way to advertise your business. The car you put your plates on will no doubt keep depreciating, but the plates will keep their value, often ending up being worth more than your car.

Unless you get very lucky, your plates probably won’t rocket in value overnight, but as a safe medium to long term investment they’re ideal. They’re easy to buy; you can have them on your car within days, and they’re easy to sell when you’re ready to. Of course they are a luxury item, but even in these tough economic times sales of personalised number plates are on the increase, so there’s no great risk that trends will change and personalised plates will go out of fashion. They’ve been with us a long time and these days they’re chosen by people from all walks of life, they’re no longer considered to be a frivolous extravagance for the rich and famous, but an accessory for anyone with any type of car. The perfect way to express your personality via your vehicle.

There are few products in life that you can buy, use and enjoy, without them depreciating. Personalised plates are a pretty safe bet in the risky world of investments. There are plates available to suit any budget, so whether you want to invest a hundred pounds, or hundreds of thousands of pounds, you’ll find a plate that’s just right for you. Pick a good plate that is both desirable to others, but personal for yourself too, and you can enjoy it for a few years until you cash in your investment and reap the resulting rewards.