This month the new 13 registration plate is being launched, and whilst some motor traders are concerned the supposedly unlucky number could hinder sales, CAP has claimed that they will not be affected. CAP have stated that they do not believe that superstitious customers will refrain from buying vehicles just because of the new registration, and furthermore that even those looking for used cars will not be put off by the registration plate.
However, over the past few weeks there has been an increase in people enquiring about ‘cherished plates’, but CAP has stated this will not affect the motor trade market as it is only a small minority of people who are concerned about having the number thirteen on their registration plate. In the months ahead CAP are planning on keeping an eye on the sales of the new registration vehicles in order to make sure that the new registration does not affect the market. They will be using their unique ‘real-time’ used car valuation system called Black Book Live in order to keep track of the prices of vehicles with new registration plates and discern whether the number 13 causes any real problems.
Senior editor of Black Book Live, Derren Martin said: “The key thing to remember is that customers make the decision to buy the car first and what appears on the plate is an afterthought. For this reason we believe retail sales are not likely to be affected in any significant way – either this month for new cars, or in the future for used cars. For fleet and business users, even though they are more likely to be aware of the numbers on the March plate, their car replacements are governed by fleet replacement cycles, which means they have little choice to defer purchases until the next plate. We will of course monitor the performance of 13 plate cars in the market over the coming months and will report on our findings should evidence emerge to the contrary.”
Motor traders will want to make sure that they don’t have to depend on good luck over the next few months in order to sell the new registration cars, but if you are the superstitious type then maybe now is a good time to buy a motor trade insurance policy to protect your business and your vehicles!
