A 1 Number Plate
The known history of A1, bringing together documented vehicle assignments, auction sales, advertisements, photographs and other evidence.
Last checked by our plate checker: 12 Sept 2026, 16:26
A 1 (A1) — Number Plate History & Timeline
Also written as A1. History, past vehicles, DVLA records, auction sales, advert appearances, spotted photos, pictures and images for number plate A 1.
This number plate is known to be owned by Prince Jefri Bolkiah, brother of the Sultan of Brunei. Contrary to popular belief, A 1 was not the first number plate ever issued in the UK – this title belongs to DY 1.
On Vehicle
Was on a 2007 Mini Cooper S Auto
On Vehicle
Was on a Silver Rover 800 Sterling
Advertised for Sale
Advertised for sale for £380,000 in 1995 by Car Marks of Hull in Unknown (circa) along with 1 A
Owned By
Owned by Dunlop Tyre Company
On Vehicle
Was on a Red Jaguar XJ6
On Vehicle
Was on a Standard Vanguard Six
Sold
This number plate was sold via Private Sale in 1959.
It sold for £2,500.
Accounting for inflation, that's £51,824 in today's money.
On Vehicle
Was on a Green Humber Hawk – the 38th car to bear the registration
On Vehicle
Was on an Austin A90 – the 37th car to bear the registration
On Vehicle
Was on a Sunbeam-Talbot 90
On Vehicle
Was on a Jaguar Mark IV (it was on a Singer before this – no image and exact date unknown)
On Vehicle
Was on a Lanchester (Daimler) Ten (it was on an MG and a Morris Isis before this – no images and exact dates unknown)
On Vehicle
Was on an Alfa Romeo
Sold
This number plate was sold via Private Sale in 1907.
It sold for £30.
Accounting for inflation, that's £3,197 in today's money.
On Vehicle
Was on a Napier On the right is Frank Russell, 2nd Earl Russell, who is said to have queued outside the council offices all night, or sent his butler to do so, to secure the registration, allegedly beating the next applicant by just five seconds. However, more reliable accounts say that A 1–A 11 were actually allocated by ballot.
Issued
This number plate was originally issued between December 1903 and May 1905 in London
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What is A 1 worth?
The value of A 1 is influenced by its rare 1x1 dateless format, the desirability of the letter A and prices achieved by comparable registrations.
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