Diana Still Cherished

The memory of the late Diana, Princess of Wales, is still alive and well as a forthcoming motoring auction suggests, with the cherished registration number D1 ANA up for grabs. It is unlikely that the majority of her fans will be in the market however, as the number plate is forecast to sell for a price ranging from £80,000 to £100,000. It is also highly improbable that there will be much interest shown in SW1!

The elusive registration number is expected to be the star attraction of the auction. The very near-perfection of this name representation, together with the extraordinary interest in what is likely the most famous 'Diana' in history, will almost certainly ensure a spectacular price.

Since there is little distinction between the characters "1" and "I" in most character sets, including the legal number plate font, for all intents and purposes they look exactly the same. So, although it must be displayed with the legal spacing, the plate clearly reads "DIANA". This makes it a top grade private number plate. Similar examples include S1 MON, CHR IS and LOU IS.

A bidding frenzy is expected amongst the Princess's fans with deep pockets, cherished number plate enthusiasts and collectors of memorabilia at the auction, which will be held at the London Royal Horticultural Hall. This demonstrates how personalised number plates are becoming increasingly popular, and are chosen for diverse reasons. People often buy registration numbers that spell out their favourite celebrity, interests or profession.

The event, organised by Coys, who will be celebrating their 90th anniversary, will also feature around sixty sports and classic cars and famous guitars from the rock world. Among the cars being offered is a 1963 Porsche 356B Cabriolet, a 2004 Ferrari Enzo, a 2005 Koenigsegg CCR, a 1969 AC 428 Frua with only two owners, which may go for as much as £80,000, and a 1955 Mercedes-Benz 300SL Gullwing, which might even fetch as much as staggering £350,000.

D1 ANA was originally purchased for £26,000 by the late husband of a woman called Diana, in 1986, when the 'D' registrations were first issued.