At 7am on June 27, the number plate ZH 24 will be put up for auction online, the lowest number plate ever sold in Canton Zurich. Could it break the all-time record?

Number plate auctions in Switzerland

Along with staring at each other while toasting and fines for recycling in the wrong place, one of the strangest quirks about Switzerland has to be the famous number plate auctions. Unlike in other countries, vehicles are registered to families and individuals rather than specific cars and motorcycles.

This means that some number plates have a lot of provenance and value - BE 1, for example, was owned by the first person to register a car in Canton Bern. However, if a number plate is deregistered or falls out of use, many cantons place the most valuable plates up for auction, which motorists can buy and use on their own vehicles. 

In Zurich alone, the Security Directorate estimated that number plate auctions have earned the canton 5 million francs in the last two years. “All proceeds flow into the general state treasury of the canton and thus benefit the entire population of Zurich," they noted.

Hopes that ZH 24 will break the overall Swiss record

For some drivers in Switzerland, having a low or interestingly numbered plate is a sign of prestige, meaning many often sell for thousands of francs. The record is still held by ZG 10, which sold at an online auction for 233.000 francs. ZG 10 is followed by ZH 100 (226.000 francs) and ZH 50 (202.000).

When ZH 24 goes up for auction on Thursday, it will become the lowest-numbered plate ever sold in the most populous canton. Writing in a statement, Zurich government councillor Mario Fehr (SVP) said that ZH 24 “represents a football summer full of emotions”, following the progression of Switzerland in the European Football Championships in Germany.

As it is such an alluring and low number, there is a chance that ZH 24 could break the overall Swiss record. The auction will be online 24 hours a day between 7am on June 27 and July 3, 2024. Live in Canton Zurich and want to place a bid? Check out the official website.