franny
09-22-2009, 07:37 PM
Unique Australia ELVIS Number Plate Up-For-Sale: Three letters and two digits have defined the Bennetts' existence. Stan Bennett will tell you it was his quick thinking and sense of adventure that created history, outwitting the lady at the transport department to walk away with a number plate that soon became a multi-million dollar marketing tool for Personalised Plates Queensland (PPQ).
"I was in the line waiting to register my plate and was originally going to put Maree's initials and year of birth on it, like everyone did, but I told the lady at the desk a fib and said our relationship was a bit rocky and I didn't want to risk it," Mr Bennett said.
http://www.elvisinfonet.com/image-files/Elvis-plates1.jpg"I knew she was a huge Elvis fan so I crossed out my wife's plate and put ELV 15 instead, the lady processed it and I had the first ever letters-for-numbers plate."
The one-of-a-kind plate has a Memphis registration, propelling it above all other imitations and helping it become the face of PPQ.
"They came to me and asked if they could use it for their billboards, which were all over the place for a few years," Mr Bennett said. "The campaign made $7 million dollars profit last year — that's why they are pretty fond of me at PPQ.
"I've made them a lot of money," the charismatic former truckie said.
So revered is the plate that of all the years it adorned his truck, it was never vandalised or stolen. But the time has come for the retired couple to part with plate, in the small comfort that its sale will more than cover the price of their new Bargara residence.
"It will be sad, but it's going to buy me a house," Maree, Stan's wife of 49 years, said.
The ELV 15 plate would fetch $1 million in Indonesia and, of course, the United States of America, where the king of rock 'n' roll is worshiped. But the Bennetts say they'll settle for a mere $400,000. "That's all we need to be happy," Stan said.
(News, Source;CarolynM/ElvisInfoNetwork)
http://www.elvisinfonet.com/image-files/Elvis-plates2.jpg
"I was in the line waiting to register my plate and was originally going to put Maree's initials and year of birth on it, like everyone did, but I told the lady at the desk a fib and said our relationship was a bit rocky and I didn't want to risk it," Mr Bennett said.
http://www.elvisinfonet.com/image-files/Elvis-plates1.jpg"I knew she was a huge Elvis fan so I crossed out my wife's plate and put ELV 15 instead, the lady processed it and I had the first ever letters-for-numbers plate."
The one-of-a-kind plate has a Memphis registration, propelling it above all other imitations and helping it become the face of PPQ.
"They came to me and asked if they could use it for their billboards, which were all over the place for a few years," Mr Bennett said. "The campaign made $7 million dollars profit last year — that's why they are pretty fond of me at PPQ.
"I've made them a lot of money," the charismatic former truckie said.
So revered is the plate that of all the years it adorned his truck, it was never vandalised or stolen. But the time has come for the retired couple to part with plate, in the small comfort that its sale will more than cover the price of their new Bargara residence.
"It will be sad, but it's going to buy me a house," Maree, Stan's wife of 49 years, said.
The ELV 15 plate would fetch $1 million in Indonesia and, of course, the United States of America, where the king of rock 'n' roll is worshiped. But the Bennetts say they'll settle for a mere $400,000. "That's all we need to be happy," Stan said.
(News, Source;CarolynM/ElvisInfoNetwork)
http://www.elvisinfonet.com/image-files/Elvis-plates2.jpg