HONG KONG (Hollywood Today/AFP) – For those who love a GR8 PL8, A Bruce Lee fan has doled out $5,100 US on a Hong Kong car license plate bearing the name of the legendary martial arts film star, local media reported Sunday.
The “BRUCELEE” license plate was sold at an auction by the Hong Kong transport department, the Sunday Morning Post reported. The bidder said he would have paid many times more for the plate, but would consult with Lee’s widow before deciding what to do with it.
Even that would have been a bargain, given Hong Kong’s frenzy over vanity plates. If you are a BGSPNDR, lucky numbers are a hot commodity and the number “9″ went for $4 million US . The simple number “12″ just sold for $910,000 in the former British Colony, and the craze spread to the UK itself. “CEO1″ recently sold for $300,000 in England, though the record is the $660,000 fetched by “M1.”
In California, where vanity plates have been a car culture staple since the 70s, the state has raised $1 billion cumulatively for its environmental funds.
“When I studied in Britain, I saw that foreigners only knew Bruce Lee and chairman Mao Zedong,” the Hong Kong man, identified only as Mr Wong, said after Saturday’s auction.
“Bruce Lee was great and he contributed a lot to China. He has influenced people from a few generations and his influence can still be felt today.”
Lee was born in the United States but his fame grew from Hong Kong where he made movies including “Fist of Fury” on his way to become a legend to fans worldwide.
The actor, who died at the age of 32 on July 20, 1973, helped to popularize martial arts in the West and opened the door to Hollywood fame for other Asian stars such as Jackie Chan and Jet Li
With the advent of international eBays, prices are likely to go higher as plates can cover a whole country. In the US, they are only good for the state the car is driven in. For instance, If George Bush wanted POTUS, it would only be vaild only in Washington, DC and he would lose the distinction if the car was driven for more than 30 days elsewhere. Hmmm.