Why Corsican number plates are popular

JUST OVER a decade ago, France dropped a rule that had obliged motorists to change their car’s number plate each time they moved house to a new administrative . The point was to ensure, in true bureaucratic style, that the vehicle’s plate matched the place of residence. Since 2009, however, car owners have been free to choose which code they display, turning number plates into a test of sentimental attachment, with unexpected results.The surprising favourite is Corsica, an island that is home to just 340,000 people. The 2A that represents one of the island’s two , along with its symbol of a bandanna-wrapped head, was the most sought-after plate, relative to the local population, over an eight-year period. Mountain regions were also popular. Paris did not get into the top ten.