According to Auto Express anyway.

Here is the article

LONDON (Reuters) - Once as ubiquitous as red telephone boxes, the humble Morris Marina has become the rarest car on Britain's roads, closely followed by the Ford Cortina, according to Auto Express.

Just 745 of about 807,500 cars made are still on the road, making Ferraris and Porsches look positively common for car spotters.

"Catching a glimpse of the Marina today is very rare -- you'd never imagine that it was regularly the third or fourth best-selling car in Britain throughout the 70s," the magazine said in its latest issue.

The magazine looked at cars from the 1970s, 80s and 90s that once sold in massive numbers but which are now rarities.

Using data from the DVLA and a formula that levelled the playing field for different vintage cars, the magazine came up with the top 10 of once-common vehicles which are now rarely seen.

At number two was the Ford Cortina Mark IV/V (1976-1982) of which just 2,101 remain working against over one million made while at number three was the Renault 18 -- 317 left out of a run of 131,241 in the country.

In contrast, the first incarnation of the Nissan Micra, along with the Mark III/IV Ford Granada (1985-1994) and the Mark I Volkswagen Golf (1974-1983) were all deemed to be among the best survivors with a high proportion still operating.

The 10 rarest list:

- Morris Marina (1971-1980)

- Ford Cortina Mark IV/V (1976-1982)

- Renault 18 (1979-1986)

- Renault 5 (1972-1983)

- Skoda Estelle (1977-1992)

- Vauxhall Cavalier Mark III (1981-1989)

- Austin/Rover Metro (1980-1994)

- Austin/Rover Montego (1984-1995)

- Austin/Rover Maestro (1983-1995)

- Fiat Uno (1083-1989)


Interesting to see the Austin/Rover Maestro makes the list too.

Rarity could have something to do with all of the Marinas and Austins having fallen to bits already. My dad used to work for British Leyland at the time of the Metro, Montego and Maestro, and they were truly hideous cars with atrocious build quality. Having said that though, they were all better than the Morris Ital- we had one of those too!

My first car was a Morris Marina 1.7 Super. I think the "super" was ironic, because it was anything but!

My dad used to work for British Leyland at the time of the Metro, Montego and Maestro, and they were truly hideous cars with atrocious build quality.

Hideous in your opinion, have owned 3 metros to date models from 1988, 1990 & 1994 never had a problem with build quality, so I dont know what your on about here

Not seen many scabby Metros, but Montego's and Maestro's had horreendous build quality. And the Allegro has to be one of the ugliest cars I've ever seen, almost as bad as the Multipla

i was named after the morris marina :)

i always knew i'd be worth something one day :hihi:

You clearly weren't named after mine or you would be called something quite different.

Oh, and I'd have to shove you down a hill every morning to get you going lol ;)

You clearly weren't named after mine or you would be called something quite different.

Oh, and I'd have to shove you down a hill every morning to get you going lol ;)

Well- that's tea needing to be wiped from my screen!

You clearly weren't named after mine or you would be called something quite different.

Oh, and I'd have to shove you down a hill every morning to get you going lol ;)


thanks :o :o :o

Hideous in your opinion, have owned 3 metros to date models from 1988, 1990 & 1994 never had a problem with build quality, so I dont know what your on about here

Same here currently own 3 maestros, never had any problem with build quality. Yup they rust, but what other 1980 car doesn't? At least the rust is hardly ever structural.

Same here currently own 3 maestros, never had any problem with build quality. Yup they rust, but what other 1980 car doesn't? At least the rust is hardly ever structural.

Maybe they mellow with age, but back at the stage when they were new dad used to have a new one every 9 weeks (or 5000 miles) and we never seemed to get out of the teething problems and build issues before they were whipped off and replaced with another one that needed sorting out.

That said, my mum still drives a Metro that she's had since brand new (L reg, which I think makes it 1993), but then it has only covered 20,000 miles in 13 years and garaged every night, so it's had a very easy life.

According to Auto Express anyway.

Here is the article




Interesting to see the Austin/Rover Maestro makes the list too.
metro for sale £2000 ono:hihi:

Is it me, or is every car on that list well known to be a rust bucket, regardless of how well built it was?

Is it me, or is every car on that list well known to be a rust bucket, regardless of how well built it was?The list is compiled by comparing the number still on the road (or not scrapped) with the number originally made and is thus directly related to rustbucketness. The fact that there are so many BL models does not say much for them originally but it does say something for those who have battled to keep them going which must be quite a challenge.

I saw a Marina in a driveway up Halifax Road the other day.

Is it me, or is every car on that list well known to be a rust bucket, regardless of how well built it was?

Early Lancia and Alfa Romeo's spring to mind, some cracking cars but disolved in the wet british climate.

According to Auto Express anyway.

Here is the article


- Fiat Uno (1083-1989)

Interesting to see the Austin/Rover Maestro makes the list too.

god they made the fiat for over 900 years thats why the romans made all them roads :hihi:

Maybe there rare because, thieving toe rags nick `em and burn em out! The security on the older style cars was not that great. I`ve nothing against them myself owned 2 marinas loads of metros from the early 80 `s and had endless fun with mates who owned maestros and montegos.

yes the change to unleaded petrol didnt help 2 years ago

Why didn't it help, sorry I wasn't sure what you were trying to say?

I remember I mate had a hand-painted purple 1800 Marina about 23 years ago. It was a right shed - but great fun.
There was something incredibly dull about Marina though.

Guess what was sat outside my window this morning? Really lovely condition in red! I don't really know a lot about these cars, but I remember this thread a while back.

I would have taken some pictures but I needed to get to work. I just thought it was really class how I had the rarest car in Britain sat right outside my window.

I wouldn't want to own one though, I'm more of a Ford man myself. :D

Tra
Matt

hi just to let you know i own a moris marina and its a top car she is mint and i enjoy taking her out yes people look and talk but who cares its british and not many left:thumbsup:

They may have always been awful, but there was something endearing about them.