D1 ANA Looms as Hottest Item for British Motorists

The government has announced a new plan to help finance its car licensing department--the sale of vanity plates.

The hottest item, says Transport Secretary Paul Channon, may be D1 ANA, which would appeal to fans of Princess Diana, wife of the heir to the throne.

Other likely attractions are DAV 1D, F1 RST, CHR 1S, F111 JET, and F1 DEL.

Because such plates must have at least one digit, zeroes pass for the letter O, 1 for I and 5 for S.

Channon told Parliament on Wednesday the plates will go on auction in an effort to cut $1.7 million per year from vehicle registration costs.

Unlike American motorists, who for a fee can order the license plate lettering of their choice, British drivers now depend on the computer to churn out lucky combinations of letters and digits.

Some of the plates slip through the system, however, and 70,000 change hands each year, some fetching thousands of dollars. Private dealers advertise the cherished plates in newspapers and auto magazines.