Motoring expert shares how to make thousands on your car sale

Motorists looking to sell their cars should do so before the end of February or risk missing out on thousands of pounds, according to industry experts.  

When new “25” plate vehicles go on sale on March 1st, car owners could see the value of their current vehicle drop as the market adjusts to an influx of new stock, Motorpoint has warned.  

Discussing how March’s new registration plate might impact the value of your vehicle, Tim Rodie, driving expert at Motorpoint said: “It’s well documented that new car prices are heavily impacted by the plate change, but motorists may not be aware that the price of their current vehicle can also be affected.  

“Interestingly, it isn’t the new plates themselves that impact the value of your car but rather the influx of brand-new vehicles on the road. With newer models entering the used car market and lots of drivers looking to sell, you could see the value of your car decline quite considerably. If anyone is looking to sell their car, I would strongly recommend that they do so ahead of March 1st.” 

The introduction of “25” plates on Saturday 1st March will be the first registration-plate change to take place in 2025 and will impact drivers across England, Scotland and Wales. 

Since 2001, the UK Government has rolled out new number plates on March 1st and September 1st to clearly differentiate when a new car has been registered. 

When it came to what elements of the plate change are most important, Tim said: “To understand a number plate, you don’t really need to worry about the letters, the first two act as a DVLA memory tag and the final three are completely random. The most important bit for motorists is the two numbers in the middle because these show the age of a vehicle.1  

“Those registered between September and the end of February have the current year plus 50, hence why the last plate to be released was the “74” plate. For any car registered between March 1st and the end of August, the identifier will be the last two digits of the current year – which is why this time it will be “25”.”  

Discussing why motorists should be aware of the plate change, Tim said: “Age is one of the most important factors to impact the value of your vehicle and each time a new registration plate is introduced your car will be considered older and therefore lose some of its value.  

“Keeping tabs on the age of your vehicle and selling your car ahead of the plate change is one of the easiest ways to ensure you are getting the best price possible.“ 

If you are planning on selling your car, find out how much your vehicle is worth by visiting: https://www.motorpoint.co.uk/sell-my-car for a competitive valuation.  

ENDS