An auction of specialty license plate configurations raised $23,540, giving a boost to a Colorado state disability fund that has struggled to raise money in the past.

The auction, to benefit the state’s disability funding committee, ran from Oct. 1-12. The last day of the auction was an in-person event at the Vehicle Vault car museum in Parker. That day featured a handful of the most-desired plate configurations (that’s the letters and numbers on a plate) like the top-bidded “McLaren,” which netted $6,000.

A plate labeled “Itsfast” was the hottest plate of the auction, with 95 bids; it raised $4,005. A “Bentley” plate raised $3,500. The plates’ owners now can register the plate configuration, subject to existing state and motor vehicle laws and rules.

Past efforts to fund the program – the legislation dictated that it be funded mostly by the specialty license plate program – have been slow starters.

Some initial funds from the General Assembly have kept the program afloat. Doug Platt of the Department of Personnel and Administration, which administers the fund, had hoped the online auction – a first – will generate the kinds of money that will provide grants to nonprofits and individuals who need help collecting disability benefits.

To date, according to Platt, they’ve only been able to give out “microgrants” in the $5,000 to $10,000 range. But the fund’s website talks about much bigger grants – up to $50,000 – for the future.

While the auction didn’t quite raise that kind of loot, other auctions are planned for the future. If high-end cars aren’t your thing, stay tuned. Platte said future auctions could be held for animal lovers or sports fans, for example.