{"id":245865,"date":"2023-11-21T11:49:00","date_gmt":"2023-11-21T11:49:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/automotobuzz.com\/?p=245865"},"modified":"2023-11-21T11:49:00","modified_gmt":"2023-11-21T11:49:00","slug":"au-1-made-famous-by-goldfinger-goes-on-sale","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/automotobuzz.com\/news-features\/au-1-made-famous-by-goldfinger-goes-on-sale\/","title":{"rendered":"‘AU 1’ made famous by Goldfinger goes on sale"},"content":{"rendered":"

Choose your next numberplate carefully, Mr Bond – it may be your last <\/h2>\n

By PH Staff \/ Tuesday, 21 November 2023 \/ Loading comments<\/p>\n

Shocking, positively shocking. \u2018AU 1\u2019, the numberplate made famous for its association with the James Bond franchise (it appears on Auric Goldfinger\u2019s Rolls-Royce Phantom III), is up for sale, and expected to fetch \u2018in excess of \u00a3300,000\u2019 according to the number plate dealer charged with finding a buyer. <\/p>\n

Primo Registrations suggests it\u2019s an opportunity \u2018for someone to own a piece of film history\u2019 – although based on the 59 years that have elapsed since Goldfinger premiered in cinemas, you might have to jog the memory of anyone under the age of 40 if you\u2019re keen for the connection to be explicit. That doesn\u2019t mean the enduring appeal of Bond as an \u2018iconic cinematic reference\u2019 won\u2019t help to shift \u2018AU 1\u2019 (being the periodic symbol for gold ought to help, too) but it\u2019s safe to say the numberplate would already be worth its weight in the stuff regardless. <\/p>\n

And that\u2019s because personalised plates remain big business – certainly big enough for their investment potential to be a consideration. In those terms, shorter generally equals better, with two-letter and one-number derivatives often ranking among the most highly sought-after. That includes \u201925 O\u2019, still the UK record-breaker after it fetched more than half a million quid back in 2014 (because Ferrari 250 GTO). <\/p>\n

While Primo Registrations clearly doesn\u2019t expect \u2018AU 1\u2019 to reach those heights, its managing director, Peter Johnson, reckons there\u2019s plenty of reason to be excited: \u201cThe last time \u2018AU 1\u2019 sold, it realised a huge return on investment for its then-owner, and we anticipate the trend will only continue, especially with shorter plates. We can\u2019t wait to see where this one will go in the future \u2013 maybe it\u2019ll go onto another Rolls-Royce!\u201d Just not gold-plated one. Unless you\u2019ve got the industrial laser to match. <\/p>\n\n