Victorians will soon see the first 7-character licence plates on the road, following strong demand at last night’s auction for the inaugural ‘Seven Reserve’ release.
The twelve plates, part of a prestige release known as ‘Seven Reserve’, attracted bidding from motoring enthusiasts at an in-room and online auction held at the Park Hyatt Melbourne on Tuesday 26 May. All plates were collectively sold for more than $2million.
‘Seven Reserve’ marks the first time a 7-character plate format has been made available in Victoria, unlocking new possibilities for customers to personalise their plates. The extended format will allow for greater flexibility, with customers able to choose longer words and distinctive number sequences not possible under the existing six-character system.
The release featured 12 one-off lots selected for their visual impact and uniqueness, including 11 pre-selected combinations and one Winner’s Choice lot.
The Winner’s Choice lot enabled the successful bidder to select any available 7-character combination, subject to standard eligibility, approval and availability rules.
The combinations available at the auction were:
1234567 · PORSCHE · 8888888 · MCLAREN · 1111111 · XXXXXXX · 6666666 · 7654321 · AAAAAAA · 9999999 · FERRARI · Winner’s Choice
This prestige release is an initial step, with broader public availability of 7-character plates currently being developed and expected from next calendar year.
Among the results for the twelve ‘Seven Reserve’ plates:
- Top selling lot: FERRARI achieved $328,000
- Other highlights included: 8888888, sold for $270,000; 1111111, sold for $190,000; 9999999, sold for $185,000; and MCLAREN sold for $166,000.
- Winner’s Choice selection: $202,000
“This result shows the strong appetite for more personalised and distinctive plate options in Victoria,” said Giles Thompson, Chief Executive Officer, VicRoads Registration and Licensing Services.
“For the first time, we’re unlocking seven-character combinations that allow for surnames, your business name and longer words — something customers have been asking for.”
“This auction is an important first step as we expand what’s possible and bring more choice to the market.”
The auction was hosted by VicRoads in partnership with Heritage Only, with participation limited to registered bidders.
Interest in custom plates continues to grow across Victoria. Of more than 6.8 million registered vehicles, over 1.7 million display non-standard plates — around one in four vehicles on the road.
For more information: www.vplates.com.au
Important note: VicRoads sells rights to plate combinations, not brands. Plate combinations do not imply any third‑party endorsement, affiliation or sponsorship. VicRoads is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by any person, car manufacturer or organisation whose name, image or brand may appear on a custom plate.
VicRoads may cancel registration number rights if it believes, amongst other things, the registration number rights or custom plates are used, displayed or dealt with in a manner that infringes third party rights (including intellectual property rights) or in breach of laws (including the Australian Consumer Law).