UK's top off-roaders revealed
Kwik Fit | Thursday 28th April 2016 11:30am
- Ford Sierra, Mini and Peugeot 205 most likely to be off road
- Almost two million cars now registered as being off road
- More Golfs, Fiestas and Corsas off the road than any other car
New analysis of the UK’s national car parc reveals the top selling cars of yesteryear which are now most likely to be up on bricks in the driveway, in pieces as a garage ‘project’ or perhaps just quietly rusting among long grass in the back garden. The study, carried out for Kwik Fit, the UK’s leading automotive service and repair company, shows that many models which were once the nation’s favourites are now among the 1.94 million cars registered as being off road1.
Kwik Fit has analysed the data for all car models with at least 10,000 vehicles still registered in the UK, to find which have the greatest proportion off road. Although the Ford Sierra was one of the most popular cars of the 1980s, 75% of the Sierra models remaining in the UK are no longer being used on the road. Kwik Fit found that two cars which are widely regarded as having changed everyday motoring now find themselves almost as neglected - 67% of Austin Minis and 63% of Peugeot 205s are registered as off road. 61% of Vauxhall Cavaliers are now off road, while the Rover version of the Mini completes the top five with 58% no longer in daily usage.
Roger Griggs, communications director at Kwik Fit, said: “Our analysis of the data shows that significant numbers of some of the most popular cars of previous generations are still in existence, but not being seen on the road. It may be that our collective love for these models stops them heading for the scrapyard, with their owners believing that they will get them back on the road some day and we would certainly encourage them to keep these much loved cars in working order.”
The top 10 car makes and model with the highest proportion registered off road (table includes only models with more than 10,000 vehicles in the UK)
| MAKE AND MODEL | TOTAL IN THE UK | NUMBER REGISTERED AS SORN | PERCENTAGE OF TOTAL REGISTERED AS SORN |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ford Sierra | 13,651 | 10,277 | 75% |
| Austin Mini | 23,166 | 15,416 | 67% |
| Peugeot 205 | 17,135 | 10,767 | 63% |
| Vauxhall Cavalier | 10,449 | 6,357 | 61% |
| Rover Mini | 28,813 | 16,810 | 58% |
| Ford Escort | 58,085 | 33,651 | 58% |
| MG Midget | 14,216 | 7,096 | 50% |
| MG MGF | 21,655 | 10,227 | 47% |
| Mercedes 300 | 12,876 | 6,061 | 47% |
| MG MGB | 36,046 | 16,512 | 46% |
| Mercedes 200 | 14,060 | 6,368 | 45% |
| Saab 900 | 10,273 | 4,287 | 42% |
When looking at the cars with the highest total numbers off road, the Volkswagen Golf tops the list with nearly 61,000 lying idle. There are over 57,600 Ford Fiestas and 53,800 Vauxhall Corsas registered off road, with 50,400 BMW 3 Series and 48,400 Vauxhall Astras making up the top five.
The top 10 car models with the greatest number registered off road
| MAKE AND MODEL | NUMBER REGISTERED AS SORN | TOTAL IN THE UK | PERCENTAGE OF TOTAL REGISTERED AS SORN |
|---|---|---|---|
| Volkswagen Golf | 60,875 | 1,102,638 | 6% |
| Ford Fiesta | 57,612 | 1,523,111 | 4% |
| Vauxhall Corsa | 53,873 | 1,244,538 | 4% |
| BMW 3 Series | 50,447 | 705,022 | 7% |
| Vauxhall Astra | 48,467 | 1,121,893 | 4% |
| Ford Focus | 43,129 | 1,508,036 | 3% |
| Renault Clio | 38,041 | 613,193 | 6% |
| Ford Escort | 33,651 | 58,085 | 58% |
| Peugeot | 206 32,769 | 405,686 | 8% |
| Ford Mondeo | 32,715 | 477,127 | 7% |
Roger Griggs continues: “Sometimes all that’s keeping these cars from daily use are some new tyres and a valid MOT certificate. As we offer fixed priced servicing for most makes of car, anyone with a vehicle currently registered off road can come to us and see how much it would cost to get it back road legal and running well – it may be a lot less than they imagine and more cost effective than buying a new car.”
For the latest news and updates from Kwik Fit, customers can follow the company on Twitter at @kwik_fit.
- ends -Note to editors
Sources:
Kwik Fit analysis of car statistics tables produced by the Department for Transport and published 14 April 2016 covering cars licensed and those registered with a SORN (Statutory Off Road Notification).
To ensure meaningful comparison of cars with highest proportion registered off road, the analysis excluded makes and models with under 10,000 vehicles remaining in the UK.
About Kwik Fit
Established in 1971, the Kwik Fit Group is one of the largest independent automotive parts, repair and replacement specialists in the world. Kwik Fit has over 600 service centres across the UK and more than 200 mobile tyre fitting vehicles, making it the UK’s leading tyre, exhaust, brake and MoT specialist. Details of its range of products and services can be found at kwik-fit.com
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