CarLashes and Carstache - Car Personalisation Crazy!

The latest car personalisation craze to sweep America will have you rubbing your eyes in disbelief!

Will Ladies Love CarLashes?
Yes, you can believe your eyes! CarLashes "eyelashes" for cars – and accompanying product, crystal eyeliner, represent perhaps the quirkiest automotive personalisation to date!

Touted by their US manufacturer as the new automotive brand "created to allow cars to be personalised with a feminine touch", the personalisation costs about $25/£16. The creators claim it is simply fitted to the car using double-sided automotive trim tape, the same tape that is used to attach body trim.

The optional car "eyeliner" appears to be diamante-style beading that attaches across the rim of the headlight, as eyeliner would line the eye.

I don't know what to make of this funny personalisation! But it's obvious that this product certainly makes any car stand out! The thick curled black lashes are slightly over the top, but in a fun way. The cars do look kind of cute once they've been CarLashed.

I can't be the only person who thinks so, because about 1,500 people on Facebook 'Like' the product. So it seems there is plenty of interest in these girly accessories.

Check them out for yourself on the CarLashes web site, which takes International orders.

Carstashe for the Gents
Not to be outdone by the ladies, men can add oomph to their wheels with the Carstache; as the name suggests, a moustache for your car. Your car can look like the next Burt Reynolds with this masculine personalisation!

The web site says "it just feels good, it feels powerful, your car has been naked until now!"

The Carstache costs about $40/£26 and there are five different colours to choose from, Classic Black, Firestache Orange, Legendary Blond, So Hot Pink, and Wisdom Grey, so you can get just the manly look you want! The Carstache comes with three rubber coated attaching wires that allow strapping to the car grille.

Orders are taken directly from the Carstache web site, which also ships International orders.

There seems to be something of a craze on the web surrounding these products right now. Those who can't decide which they prefer can vote for their favourite on Lashes vs. Staches, a web site set up to allow a battle of the automotive sexes! In case you were wondering, Carstache is leading by more than a whisker!

I thought I had seen it all when it came to personalising cars, but this really is the pinnacle!

I still think number plates are the best personalisation a car can have. Personalised number plates have the benefit of being totally unique and can last longer than your vehicle! Check out our web site to find a personalised registration based on your name, a number, or any other word.

Or see our new Number Plates Facebook App for more personalised suggestions.

Car Prizes for DVLA and Public Sector Staff

The Times reported on Sunday that public sector employees are being motivated to turn up for work each day with lures of cars and cash incentives.

The incentives are part of a Government scheme which aims to reduce absenteeism thus saving £11 billion across the public sector. If employees turn up to work, they have more chance of winning prizes as part of the long-term scheme.

Those benefiting from the scheme include public sector workers, such as employees of the DVLA, fire-fighters, and postal workers; all of whom have already received some of the impressive prizes on offer.

Some of the more conventional prizes include cars like the brand-new Honda Jazz, and cash amounts of thousands of pounds. Nationwide, 37 postal workers have each won a Ford Focus.

The DVLA, however, seem to have taken a somewhat different approach. Their "In to Win" prize draw gives staff a day's extra holiday allowance. DVLA employees already receive annual leave and can take up to three "duvet days" a year. On these days, an employee is free to choose a particular day not to work, and is presumably allowed to spend the day as they choose (although I’ll go for the duvet option any day!)

The tactics appear to be working: according to the article, the Royal Mail has reported a fall in absence rates from 6.1% to 4.8% over three years. In areas of the UK, both the Royal Mail and fire-fighters have achieved 100% attendance levels since the introduction of the scheme.

I have to wonder if a free personalised registration would motivate public sector staff to show up to work? We have millions to choose from on our web site, and registrations to suit all sorts of professions and jobs. So if you’re looking for a personalised number plate why not try a search on our web site?

Alex Ferguson not ‘United’ with Number Plate Namesake

The Sun newspaper on Friday reported the plans of Manchester United fans to club together to buy Sir Alex Ferguson a personalised number plate.

The number plate - UTD 805S, which reads UTD BOSS, was shunned by Ferguson, who told the fans that he "wasn't interested".

The loyal fans had raised £10,000 to fund the present, which was up for grabs at the DVLA Spring Auction in Old Trafford.

Damian Lawson of the DVLA reportedly hoped to make £3 million from the sale, saying that "the players are keen to buy it."

But, despite the media attention and high-profile of the number plate, it sold for just £2,500 on the hammer; bought by a seemingly unrelated couple at the auction.

So, Fergie gave the plate the thumbs down, but I am sure UTD 805S will be spotted somewhere, proudly displayed on a loyal fan's vehicle, and flying the flag for the Red Devils. Hundreds of fans who support Manchester United display Manchester United number plates to show their allegiance and support of the side.

Why not try a search on our web site for Manchester United football number plates today, or try a search for anything else – we’re sure to 'unite' you with something special!

Try Our New DVLA Online Auction Bidding Service

We are pleased to announce that we are offering a free online DVLA auction bidding service to those wishing to purchase personalised number plates online through the DVLA's online auction service. The new online service complements our well-established offline auction service; both aim to make using the DVLA's auction services easier.

Buying number plates at auction can often be a daunting task and requires time and dedication to observe and react as bidding unfolds. National Numbers like to take the hassle out of buying number plates. At our offline auction service, we bid on registrations for customers. Our online service works in exactly the same way – we will purchase the registration on your behalf, while you relax and put your feet up!

This new service is the first of its kind to be offered to number plate buyers. National Numbers Chairman, Eric Craggs, says:

"This excellent online auction service gives our number plate customers the same fantastic opportunities as offline auction buyers. Tell us what plate you are interested in and let us do the legwork for you – don’t miss out on this opportunity to buy your perfect registration at auction."

DVLA's online auction service allows buyers to bid on number plates in a similar way to the popular auction web site eBay. For more information about how the service works view our DVLA online auction bidding service article.

Call us today on 01642 36 37 38 to see how we can help, or for more information read our auction testimonials from previous satisfied customers, or learn more about DVLA auctions.

National Numbers Launches iPhone Number Plate Search App

Last week we launched our fantastic number plate search app for iPhone! The app sits alongside our web site, giving you even more ways to search and enquire on personalised number plates not just whenever, but wherever you choose.

The number plate search app is perfect for busy people. It takes less than five seconds to search over 30 million registrations (all from the palm of your hand!). Or browse popular number plate categories to get inspiring ideas and helpful suggestions.

The app updates in real-time, which means that our best plates are available to view right away. If we are unable to find a suitable registration, let us help by choosing to phone our experienced sales team, who can search for you.

We are proud to announce that the app is the first of its kind to be offered to number plate buyers.

We are offering the app completely free of charge to iPhone users’.

Eric Craggs, Chairman of National Numbers said, “National Numbers like to push the boundaries in the number plate industry. We wanted to make our vast database available to everyone, wherever they are. Launching the world’s one-and-only number plate search using an iPhone application seemed the logical way to do it”.

To download yours now, simply follow the link to the National Numbers Number Plate Search App in the iTunes Web Store.

DVLA Competition to Win Supercar Track Day

The DVLA has teamed up with Everyman (I hope that includes women, too!) to offer 25 people the chance to win a supercar racing day experience.



The track day winners will enjoy getting behind the wheel of a car from Ferrari, Lamborghini, or Aston Martin, at a leading race track in the UK.

The competition is part of DVLA's Plate Match game and can be entered online. Entering is as simple as visiting the DVLA's web site, playing the game, entering your contact details, and crossing your fingers until the 29th January!

If you're going to the Autosport Show on 14th – 17th January at the NEC, Birmingham, you can play the game via DVLA's stand in Hall 20.

The game involves matching cars to their most suitable number plate. Luckily I got all matches correct (I'd be worried if I didn't!).

Have a go, and good luck! But please don't rub my nose in it if you're lucky enough to win!

Government Guidance on DVLA Wording Slammed by Industry

New guidelines issued by a Government agency outlining the language to be used by employees of the Highways Agency and DVLA has advised against the use of the word 'motorist', and several other phrases.

The guidance has met with a negative reaction from the motoring industry.

The guidelines advise employees to replace certain phrases with phrases that may be perceived as more inclusive to general road users. The use of some negative and informal phrases has also been advised against.

The guidelines, released by the Department for Transport following a Freedom of Information request, advise employees not to slip into using 'jargon' and to think of customers "out there on the network". The guidance also includes the sections "How do we sound human?", "How do we sound helpful?" and "How do we sound active?"

Employees of DVLA have been asked not to use "unfortunately" along with the phrases "I'm afraid ...", "not possible" and "I can't".

Peter Roberts of the Drivers' Alliance said: "This is an absurd and typically overly-bureaucratic piece of guidance that just goes to reinforce the belief that this Government has an ideological hatred of motorists and anything to do with the motor vehicle".

James May, the television presenter, slammed the guidelines as a "complete waste of time and money".

When asked about the ban on the word "motorists", a spokeswoman for the Department for Transport said: "The dictionary definition of a motorist is a car driver. As an agency we target all road users, including those in vans, buses and on motorcycles, not just those that travel in cars. The word 'driver' is a more inclusive term".

What do you think? Is this guidance a step in the right direction to remove negative and non-inclusive language from communications with such agencies, or bureaucratic red tape? Have your say in our comments!

Search our web site for personalised number plates, or why not check out our new 10 registration number plates?