I Spy R

Registration plates are…wow…one of the most exciting inventions in the history of mankind and I really don't know where to begin my article championing them because there have been so many previous attempts singing the praises of this device.

Found all over the world in various shapes and sizes, with numerous combinations of letters and numbers, on an array of different coloured backgrounds, but what is it with this little plate that is affixed to the front and rear of automobiles?

Over the last few years, they have been doggedly photographed by speed cameras and they have become an affordable status symbol, but their basic use is to easily trace cars in the event of an accident or contravention of the law. Sounds boring, yet this is a fact.

Thanks to the ingenuity of the human spirit, we have taken a small lacklustre metallic rectangle of officialdom and given it a twist. Have you ever heard of the Number Plate Spotting Game? It is a simple process of counting from 1 to 999 using the number plates of the cars around you, but you must go in order - 232 cannot be counted as a 2, 3, 23 or 32, it is 232.

As a kid, my dad used to play the game, although it was slightly harder since there were fewer horseless carriages upon the road. Nevertheless, he stuck to his hobby and it influenced his decision when choosing which football team to support. His initials are BB and, on the old-style British registrations, BB signified that the car was registered in Newcastle-Upon-Tyne, thus he began supporting a team hundreds of miles away from Guildford, Surrey.

While stumbling around researching this article, I discovered that a life-long Arsenal fan spent £45,000 on a personalised plate that reads AR53 NAL and the most money ever spent on a plate was £231,000 for K1 NGS. Other high figures include £200,000 for 1A, £108,000 for S1 NGH, £106,000 for 1RR and £100,000 for 1S, but even though these are off the market there are more out there for you to invest in.

In Britain, the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) is an executive agency that sells personalised plates for the Department for Transport and prices range from a £100 to £99,995. A quick scan through their site revealed that the devil in me could buy SAT 4N for £70,000 or if the ego needs reassurance then 8 OSS for £99,995 is a steal. However, since I live in Finland the number plate FR03 ZEN is very suitable and a bargain at £995.

My brother has one, my parents have one and a local girl managed to get her picture in the paper because she bought Donald Duck's 313 with her initials RR. For those who are unacquainted with British number plates, they are allowed to be transferred from one car to another, which can also help disguise the age of the car.

If you want to disguise more than the age of the car with their number plate, you should investigate a unique spray-on formula. This spray reflects the high intensity flash of speed cameras resulting in an over-exposed photograph of your number plate. Highly dubious that it is legal, but the manufacturer does not condone driving at high speed, thus avoiding any legal challenges. If only there was a spray that the Beckhams could use to avoid photographs of them appearing in the tabloid press.

Number plates have raised both legal and political issues, especially with some British newspapers claiming that they must bear the EU flag and not any of the national symbols, such as the cross of St George. This is not true; the EU emblem does not have to be shown and you are permitted to display national flags and symbols - football team crests are not allowed.

Now you are familiar with the exhilarating world of vehicle registration plates, you may find yourself giving your plates an extra coat of polish next time you wash the car. My dream is to have enough money to purchase either ACE 1 or ASA 22, but I guess the first step should be to buy a car.