Every time I hear about something like the Audi TT being cancelled and replaced by an electric car, I try to take comfort that all of the good combustion cars currently on the roads won’t be going anywhere overnight. However, this new study about the cars most likely to go extinct in the UK has me worried.
Admiral Insuranceran through current car registrations in the United Kingdom based on Department of Finance data, and compiled a list of all of the again cars on the verge of extinction in the country.
The list only covers cars produced between 1984 and 2001, and while some of them are European-only sedans you may not think twice about, others are fairly well known cars you wouldn’t think would be in such a dire state.
First up is a list of the 25 cars on the verge of “extinction,” which Admiral considered to be cars with fewer than 50 current registrations:
Advertisement
The ones that pain me the most are the Saab 90, Audi 200, and the Peugeot 605, which was one of the cars used by the bad guys in the first incredible car chase in Ronin (the second, more popular chase was the Peugeot 405). This is also a sad reminder for me that the Chevette was sold in Europe as a Vauxhall and Opel, and it’s future there is not looking bright.
The study also included a list of the most endangered registered cars in the UK:
Advertisement
These are only “expert picks” from the data set because Admiral was looking for once-popular cars that are now close to disappearing, and while I don’t have a great idea of UK car tastes, it’s very surprising to see cars like the Citroen 2CV, Ford Puma and Toyota MR2 on there, because I still always come across people and stories beaming about them.
Admiral made a few interesting conclusions from the data it found. It would seem younger car shoppers are turning away from the old common practice of trying to find a fun, older used car that may not be in like-new condition as a first ride. Now the focus seems to be more on reliability and practicality, and to get that, buyers are more willing to turn to financing to buy something a little newer and safer.
It’s going to have to come down to us, the weird car enthusiasts who like unspeakably average Peugeot sedans, to try and keep these cars maintained and on the road. So if you’re in the UK and looking for a fun second or third car, or a project, consider targeting one of the cars you like on this list before it’s too late.
Leave a Reply
Leave a Reply
This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.
