King Edward VII passes the Motor Car Act 1903 on 14 August 1903, although it doesn't officially come into force until 1 January 1904. It requires all motor vehicles to display a unique, alphanumeric registration mark on a number plate.
The UK's first number plate, DY 1, was issued in Hastings. It is commonly, though mistakenly, believed that A 1 was the UK's first plate. Many plates, including Y 1 (issued on 25 November*) and D 1 (issued on 30 November*), were issued before A 1. *These are the dates they are believed to have been issued.
London's first number plate, A 1, is issued to Earl Russell's Napier
All motor vehicles must now require number plates, and use the 'forward dateless format'. Learn more here
CR 1 becomes the first number plate to be transferred from one vehicle to another (a 5hp Kimberley car to an 11hp Clement) by Dr Robert Lauder of Southampton
Combinations begin to run out so an additional letter is added to the start. Learn more here
An additional letter is added to the end, creating more combinations, as well as being used as a year identifier. Learn more here
White/yellow retroreflective plates become a legal requirement.
The Department of Transport, DVLA, takes over the responsibility for issuing registrations rather than the local authorities. Decisions and management become centralised and some area codes change.
Suffix format is reversed, creating the prefix. Allows for many more years worth of combinations.
The DVLA's first auction consisted of 74 lots including 1 A, BRA 1N, MUS 1C and 1 T.
The current style of number plates was adopted in 2001 and has enough combinations to last 50 years.
The most expensive number plate to ever sell at a DVLA auction - 25 O for £400,000 plus fees and taxes.
A memorable day at Stratford Manor Hotel as 1000 lots were sold and bidders looked back on the 34 years of in-person auctions. There were cheers, applause and tears when the last lot was sold.