‘HOTPOT’ to ‘HASHTAG’: Hong Kong driven to distraction by multi-million dollar vanity license plates with one sold for US$3.3 million
- Expert predicts record HK$26 million (US$3.3 million) paid for ‘W’ plate in 2021 will be topped next year due to pent-up demand
- Each one is a statement about status, wealth, humour, desires and superstition, says vanity plate aficionado
Walk the streets of Hong Kong and it soon becomes clear that the city just loves vanity car license plates.
So does amateur number-plate cruncher Jamie Lloyd: “My favourite is ‘BATMAN’ on a Rolls-Royce,” said British-born Lloyd who has called Hong Kong home for 50 years, adding: “‘BIMBO’ on a Lamborghini is also fun!”
Personalised plates - which are sold at auction by the government’s Transport Department - are big business.
In 2021, a “W” plate smashed records when it was auctioned for HK$26 million (US$3.3 million). The owner’s identity is not known but the car it now adorns is a black Lamborghini.
That topped the previous record set in 2016 when someone forked out HK$18.1 million for the number “28”. A year later, another car owner paid HK$13 million for the letter “V”.
License plates which include the number “8”, lucky in Chinese culture because when spoken in Cantonese it sounds like wealth, are much sought after.