London, UK, September 5, 2008 — The first registration number plate to be issued in Edinburgh – ‘S1’ – will be auctioned at Bonhams’ Goodwood Revival Sale on 19 September 2008, Chichester, West Sussex. It is estimated at £200,000-250,000.

The registration number ‘S1’ originally belonged to Sir John H A MacDonald, Lord Kingsburgh (1836-1919) and Lord Justice Clerk of Scotland (1888-1919) – a leading pioneer of motoring, who foresaw the rapid development of the motor car and the need for a proper road system.

Sir John MacDonald was one of the first owners of a car in Scotland. He was also a founding member of the Automobile Club of Great Britain and Ireland – later to become the R.A.C. – and the first president of the Scottish Automobile Club, founded in 1899.

Motor registration marks were introduced in 1903 and Sir John H A MacDonald became the owner of registration number ‘S1’, the very first number for Edinburgh that same year. This historic number has been in the same family since then.

Bonhams has a strong track record of achieving high prices for registration numbers. In 2005, the company sold registration ‘1F’ for £144,5000 and in 2006, it sold ‘M1’ for a world record auction price of £331,500.

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