But now they’re coming back.
Sales for a limited release of the highly-sought after plates will reopen on July 30.
VicRoads has revealed a preview of some number plate combinations it predicts to be popular, including 100.055, 100.066, 100.077, 110.001, 110.100, 122.234, 177.701, 191.100, 200.021 and 255.225.
Further combinations can be previewed at vplates.com.au
Purchasers can choose their own combination providing it’s available and the combination is a number between 100,000 and 285,000, the original number series first issued in the 1930s.
In 2020, the average auction price for three-digit heritage plates was $135,000; by the end of 2023, it had increased to $375,000.
Auction prices for four and five-digit versions also doubled during this period, according to VicRoads.
VicRoads chief executive Giles Thompson says heritage plates hark back to an iconic era in Victoria’s motoring history.
He said they were faithful replicas of Victoria’s first-ever number plates issued almost a century ago.
“The plates continue to be meticulously handcrafted in Victoria to the same exact specifications as those originally issued in the 1930s, with unparalleled attention to detail reflecting the time-honoured techniques used last century and making each one unique,” Mr Thompson said.
Sales for the $19,995 six-digit plates open at 8.30am on July 30.
They will be available online, in-person at a VicRoads Customer Service Centre, or over the phone.
