I must not be bright enough to “get” most of the examples mentioned here, but, at the same time, I’m bright enough to realize that personalized plates predate all degrees of ego and narcissism that we see in contemporary social media! Long live randomly assigned alpha-numeric plates from the DMV!
I’ve seen a Missouri plate that reads MSTRBCN. Oddly, I saw it on the Bay Bridge in San Francisco. I mean, who would ever expect to see a plate that says Mister Bacon. That is what it means. Right? Sure. Absolutely. Of course.
I have lists of hundreds of these I’ve seen over the years. One of my more recent sightings this year may be recognized only by those of a certain age: JUN CLVR.
Yes, as in Leave it To Beaver. Oh, and I didn’t see the lady driving that car. I’d expect her to be a senior or someone close to retirement.
Actual NON-vanity plate assigned in NY…669-IUD. On a VW Beetle belonging to the company slut…at least that’s how she fancied herself.
Hey it was 1980.
Vanity plate on an Eldorado as it whizzed by me on NY 9-A in the same time frame…
“FUELISH”. (Remember “don’t be fuelish”?)
From my high school days in Brattleboro, VT – early 1970s:
“IOUAF”. On a blue, hot-rodded C2 ‘Vette fastback.
A current WV plate, belonging to family friends:
“SLOFAMLY”. Short for “Slowikowski Family”. But adding to the fun is their having had the plate on a MoPar cloud car, which, to me, has always worn the perception of slow.
Vanity plates have been such a part of my life that I can’t remember when I’ve had a standard issue plate for more than two months at a time. A quick sampling:
My Scion xB is SYKE (that’s the main plate that gets passed to whatever is the main ride). Originally it had MAUS CAR, which is what I still call it.
Any motorcycle I’ve owned has had SYKE plus a number: SYKE1, SYKE2, SYKE3, etc.
My Porsche 924S was PZKW 924.
Our van, which is the reenactment and sutlering vehicle is SHRTMKR.
My pickups which hauled the trailer in my 90’s sutlering days was RNDHEAD (because my regimental captain’s van was CAVL1ER).
Before we were married, Patti’s M3 was NOANJEL (her husband at the time thought it was a Mae West reference, Patti didn’t mention is was from a Michael Monroe song – much dirtier).
The pickup I used to haul bikes for antique motorcycle shows was BRIT IRN. Patti mentioned later than when she was driving, people assumed she was an English nurse. Also, being a Rocker fanatic, the ACE CAFE plate passed amongst a number of cars.
Here’s mine. Originally ordered for the totaled MBZ that I rebuilt, the plate took over a year to arrive, during which time I sold the car. I figured since I’d already paid for it, why not put it on my Protege5. Even in SoCal, I get the strangest looks…
Supposedly a call girl in the Los Angeles area had PAN8, pronounced “panocho” in Spanish–cholo slang for female anatomy. The DMV wised up and yanked it at some point.
Seen in Seattle over the years: Y55MPH, MENOPOZ, FIATSCO (on a Fiat 124 sedan), EXOCET (on a Fiat X1/9), PEPLETR (on a purple Saturn SL). I remember reading that someone complained about MENOPOZ (some people need to get a life), but I don’t remember the outcome.
When I lived in North Carolina, they used the format XXX-9999. Still do, I think. The first cluster of letters changes, with new plates using the same first three letters in batches. So a few years ago, I started seeing plates in the format WTF-9999. Quite a large number of these plates were distributed before someone wised up to the acronym meaning of “WTF” and ordered them to immediately move to the next three letter combo.
They offered a free exchange for anyone who had received a WTF plate and was offended, but I don’t know what the take rate was. It wasn’t a mandatory recall, so quite a number of WTF-9999 format plates can still be seen.
As far as WTF vanity plates, I once saw a Jetta with a “MUGEN” plate. Not sure if he had just swapped the plates from a Honda…or if he was just an idiot.
On the cleverer side of the coin, and for one that will only make sense to computer geeks, there was a student in the College of Engineering where I used to work who had the plate /dev/nul.
When vanity plates were pretty new in California, and the DMV didn’t really review (censor) them carefully, I saw this one on Hwy 101 in San Jose: FKSLK12. It took me a minute, but it was on a VW Rabbit so that helped me. I inherited a vanity plate when I bought my long-gone Alfetta; the seller didn’t want it so I paid to transfer it. The plate is still hanging on the wall in my garage. Not odd, or even clever … ALFA75.
I swear LA has the most vanity plates of any place on earth. I try to document as many funny / unique ones that I see and put them on my Instagram account. I’ll post a few here.
Repeatedly seen on my daily commute in central VA:
POOJA 7 first-gen Toyota Highlander
PLAID Chrysler Pacifica
SAYLAH V Ford Probe, then Jag X-Type
CADMIUM bright yellow Jeep Cherokee (XJ)
SHIF (Shifflett is a common surname around here) Toyota 4Runner
IGNORUM Honda CR-V
Theres a late model Mustang GT roaming locally number plate of KRAP why I dont know looks like a reasonable car and I see it driving not broken on the roadside.
The irony of the TIPSY Envoy is that its owner probably sees his/her share of DUI accidents. Note the IAFF (firefighters’ union) sticker.
I must not be bright enough to “get” most of the examples mentioned here, but, at the same time, I’m bright enough to realize that personalized plates predate all degrees of ego and narcissism that we see in contemporary social media! Long live randomly assigned alpha-numeric plates from the DMV!
This may just be a Porsche thing… But yes, that was a lady driving!
So? She’s proud of her Friday nights!
I’ve seen a Missouri plate that reads MSTRBCN. Oddly, I saw it on the Bay Bridge in San Francisco. I mean, who would ever expect to see a plate that says Mister Bacon. That is what it means. Right? Sure. Absolutely. Of course.
I have lists of hundreds of these I’ve seen over the years. One of my more recent sightings this year may be recognized only by those of a certain age: JUN CLVR.
Yes, as in Leave it To Beaver. Oh, and I didn’t see the lady driving that car. I’d expect her to be a senior or someone close to retirement.
“Grrrr” on a Porsche 911 with Belgian plates (seen in Brussels).
Actual NON-vanity plate assigned in NY…669-IUD. On a VW Beetle belonging to the company slut…at least that’s how she fancied herself.
Hey it was 1980.
Vanity plate on an Eldorado as it whizzed by me on NY 9-A in the same time frame…
“FUELISH”. (Remember “don’t be fuelish”?)
From my high school days in Brattleboro, VT – early 1970s:
“IOUAF”. On a blue, hot-rodded C2 ‘Vette fastback.
A current WV plate, belonging to family friends:
“SLOFAMLY”. Short for “Slowikowski Family”. But adding to the fun is their having had the plate on a MoPar cloud car, which, to me, has always worn the perception of slow.
A San Francisco 1963 Lincoln whose license plate proudly proclaimed:
9UNCUT
Best one I ever saw was on a Morgan roadster: NOTANMG
Vanity plates have been such a part of my life that I can’t remember when I’ve had a standard issue plate for more than two months at a time. A quick sampling:
My Scion xB is SYKE (that’s the main plate that gets passed to whatever is the main ride). Originally it had MAUS CAR, which is what I still call it.
Any motorcycle I’ve owned has had SYKE plus a number: SYKE1, SYKE2, SYKE3, etc.
My Porsche 924S was PZKW 924.
Our van, which is the reenactment and sutlering vehicle is SHRTMKR.
My pickups which hauled the trailer in my 90’s sutlering days was RNDHEAD (because my regimental captain’s van was CAVL1ER).
Before we were married, Patti’s M3 was NOANJEL (her husband at the time thought it was a Mae West reference, Patti didn’t mention is was from a Michael Monroe song – much dirtier).
The pickup I used to haul bikes for antique motorcycle shows was BRIT IRN. Patti mentioned later than when she was driving, people assumed she was an English nurse. Also, being a Rocker fanatic, the ACE CAFE plate passed amongst a number of cars.
Here’s mine. Originally ordered for the totaled MBZ that I rebuilt, the plate took over a year to arrive, during which time I sold the car. I figured since I’d already paid for it, why not put it on my Protege5. Even in SoCal, I get the strangest looks…
Supposedly a call girl in the Los Angeles area had PAN8, pronounced “panocho” in Spanish–cholo slang for female anatomy. The DMV wised up and yanked it at some point.
Seen in Seattle over the years: Y55MPH, MENOPOZ, FIATSCO (on a Fiat 124 sedan), EXOCET (on a Fiat X1/9), PEPLETR (on a purple Saturn SL). I remember reading that someone complained about MENOPOZ (some people need to get a life), but I don’t remember the outcome.
When I lived in North Carolina, they used the format XXX-9999. Still do, I think. The first cluster of letters changes, with new plates using the same first three letters in batches. So a few years ago, I started seeing plates in the format WTF-9999. Quite a large number of these plates were distributed before someone wised up to the acronym meaning of “WTF” and ordered them to immediately move to the next three letter combo.
They offered a free exchange for anyone who had received a WTF plate and was offended, but I don’t know what the take rate was. It wasn’t a mandatory recall, so quite a number of WTF-9999 format plates can still be seen.
As far as WTF vanity plates, I once saw a Jetta with a “MUGEN” plate. Not sure if he had just swapped the plates from a Honda…or if he was just an idiot.
On the cleverer side of the coin, and for one that will only make sense to computer geeks, there was a student in the College of Engineering where I used to work who had the plate /dev/nul.
My personal favorite, seen on an Audi wagon: 4V4N7.
It helps to know that Audi refers to their wagon models by the name “Avant”.
Here’s a University of Virginia special edition plate, I have to admire their cleverness in getting this past the DMV:
When vanity plates were pretty new in California, and the DMV didn’t really review (censor) them carefully, I saw this one on Hwy 101 in San Jose: FKSLK12. It took me a minute, but it was on a VW Rabbit so that helped me. I inherited a vanity plate when I bought my long-gone Alfetta; the seller didn’t want it so I paid to transfer it. The plate is still hanging on the wall in my garage. Not odd, or even clever … ALFA75.
I swear LA has the most vanity plates of any place on earth. I try to document as many funny / unique ones that I see and put them on my Instagram account. I’ll post a few here.
#2
#3
#4
#5
On an S-Class in NYC: THX ALLAH
Repeatedly seen on my daily commute in central VA:
POOJA 7 first-gen Toyota Highlander
PLAID Chrysler Pacifica
SAYLAH V Ford Probe, then Jag X-Type
CADMIUM bright yellow Jeep Cherokee (XJ)
SHIF (Shifflett is a common surname around here) Toyota 4Runner
IGNORUM Honda CR-V
Why, yes… A middle aged man was driving this car. Why do you ask?
On a Volvo wagon in suburban St. Louis, EIEIO, as in Old McDonald had a farm…
2TH DR , I assume the guy is a dentist
I knew a guy who had OOH TAY for years, in Arnold MO…a reference to Buckwheat…not sure if he still has it or not.
Seen in Yuma, Az. N8VUMN. Pretty clever.
Not something I personally would want but I did see C4EAT last week on a Mitsubishi pickup.
Choose the correct typeface (which you aren’t supposed to do) for the 4 and ……
Seen today ~4:30 p.m. on northbound I-5 just south of downtown Seattle: BATGRRL on black Mercury Grand Marquis.
VOLVITO (= small Volvo) on Volvo V50. Spotted in Seattle, but it was a Montana plate.
Theres a late model Mustang GT roaming locally number plate of KRAP why I dont know looks like a reasonable car and I see it driving not broken on the roadside.
Spotted this past weekend in Seattle: HAUS RX on a Mercedes Sprinter van belonging to a contractor.
SMRT ASP on a Viper GTS belonging to a member (actually, officer) of the Maryland/Virginia Viper Club.
FAST ASP (same origin as above)
E TICKT (as in an E-Ticket Ride at an amusement park, the most expensive ticket for the best rides) (also on a Maryland/Virginia VCA member’s Viper.)
V10SNAKE (same)
SNKBTN (snakebitten) (same origin)
REDRKT (red rocket) (a red Viper GTS, also belonging to a Maryland/Virginia VCA member.)
V10PWR (V10 Power) (also a Viper belonging to a MD/VA VCA Member)
2FST4U (also on a Viper belonging to a MD/VA VCA Member)
KEEPUP (also on a very powerful sports car, but it was so long ago I don’t remember what kind, but it wasn’t a Viper.)
4RE (on a Ferrari)