We take a look at the UK’s most popular four-wheeled friends
Assuming you’re reading this in a UK town, city or suburb, take a minute to have a look at the cars on the street outside. Note cars in driveways, on the curb side, and those driving past. Go on, we’ll wait here while you take a peek…
…Back yet? Good, now here are some no-brainer statements:
• Some of the cars you saw were the same model
• Even more were the same make
• Few, if any, of the cars were British
• Almost certainly, none of them was a Maybach
The reason there’s a good chance that those bullet points are true is because the UK car industry is overwhelmingly dominated by a clutch of well-known brands, each with their own ubiquitous best-selling models.
The third bullet point is likely to be true because Britain has been out of the domestically-owned, mass-market car game since 1994 (when BMW put Rover on a leash). These days, ‘British car’ means coach-built enthusiast marques such as Bristol, Morgan, Noble, or kit-car fave, Caterham.
Anyway, here’s the list of the best-selling car brands in the UK, with a little more information on each brand following on…
Top-Selling Car Brands in the UK 2008
1 Ford
2 Vauxhall
3 Volkswagen
4 Peugeot
5 BMW
6 Toyota
7 Audi
8 Renault
9 Honda
10 Citroen
Manufacturer Ford
Parent Company Ford Motor Company
Nationality USA
UK Car Models Ka, Fiesta, Fusion, Focus, C-Max, Mondeo, S-Max, Kuga, Galaxy
Manufacturer Vauxhall
Parent Company General Motors Corporation
Nationality USA
UK Car Models Agila, Corsa, Meriva, Tigra, Astra, Zafira, Insignia, Antara, VXR8
Manufacturer Volkswagen
Parent Company Volkswagen Group
Nationality German
UK Car Models Fox, Polo, Golf, Beetle, Jetta, Passat, Scirocco, Tiguan, Eos, Touran, Sharan, Touareg, Phaeton
Manufacturer Peugeot
Parent Company PSA Peugeot Citroën
Nationality French
UK Car Models 107, 207, 307, 308, 407, Partner Tepee, 4007, 807, Expert Tepee
Manufacturer BMW
Parent Company Bavarian Motor Works
Nationality German
UK Car Models 1 Series, 3 Series, 5 Series, 6 Series, 7 Series, X3, X5, X6, Z4
Manufacturer Toyota
Parent Company Toyota Motor Corporation
Nationality Japan
UK Car Models Aygo, Yaris, Corolla, Verso, Avensis, Auris, Prius, RAV4, Land Cruiser
Manufacturer Audi
Parent Company Volkswagen Group
Nationality German
UK Car Models A3, A4, A5, A6, A8, TT, Q5, Q7, R8
Manufacturer Renault
Parent Company Renault
Nationality France
UK Car Models Twingo, Clio, Kangoo, Mégane, Laguna, Modus, Scénic, Koleos, Espace
Manufacturer Honda
Parent Company Honda Motor Company
Nationality Japan
UK Car Models Jazz, Accord, Civic, Legend, CR-V, FR-V, S2000
Manufacturer Citroën
Parent Company PSA Peugeot Citroën
Nationality French
UK Car Models C1, C2, C3, C4, C5, C6, C8, C-Crosser, Pluriel, Nemo, Berlingo, Picasso (C3, Xsara & C4)
Here are the best-selling car models in the UK for 2008.
Top 10 Registered Car Models 2008*
Car 2008 Sales
1 Ford Focus 101,593
2 Vauxhall Corsa 99,574
3 Ford Fiesta 94,989
4 Vauxhall Astra 90,641
5 VW Golf 65,029
6 Peugeot 207 53,462
7 BMW 3 Series 49,384
8 Ford Mondeo 44,150
9 Vauxhall Zafira 43,169
10 Vauxhall Vectra 42,555
*Data from The Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT)
One last thing, remember the fourth bullet point at the top of the page, the one that reads, ‘Almost certainly, none of them was a Maybach’? Well, that wasn’t some random statement. Sadly for Maybach, their über-luxurious 57 & 62 models, with prices starting at over £250k, were the worst-selling cars in the UK in 2008.