Which UK cities have the oldest cars on the road?

However, whether it’s a deep emotional connection or simply a good feel for how their car operates, it’s also true that some owners keep hold of their ageing cars for far longer than they probably should, no matter how often they might need repairs.

But how old is too old for a car? And just where in the UK are drivers keeping their ancient car models in fighting fit condition, despite modern designs being infinitely easier to drive and more affordable to repair?

To find out, we dived into data from the ONS (Office of National Statistics) to see what the oldest car models in the UK were, and which UK cities had the oldest cars on average still putting rubber to the road.

Not only that, but we also sat down with the car experts here at car.co.uk to find out more about when you should start thinking about saying goodbye to your faithful car, and what signs to watch out for that may indicate scrapping your car as being the more cost-effective option than having it repaired or sold.

Take a look below to see what we discovered!

The UK cities with the oldest cars

Starting with the cities home to the highest number of older cars (older cars in this context being the average age of cars registered per city), it seems that Eastern and Southern England have a greater tendency to hang onto their cars than their northern neighbours.

Heading eastward first, Norwich places top as the UK city with the oldest cars on its road, with local cars having an average age of 11.96 years, before being closely followed by Bournemouth in the South, where the average age of roadsters is 11.70.

Third place was then claimed by Southampton, where cars are closer in age to 11.66 years old and counting before Boston and Oxford settled in to round out our top five, with their local average car ages sitting at 11.51 and 11.43 years respectively.

So, is there a particular reason as to why drivers in these towns and cities across the South and Midlands have a greater attachment to their vehicles than those in the North of the UK? Honestly, it’s hard to say, but it’s clear that cars down here spend longer on the road than in other areas of the UK.

Which old car brands are the most common in the UK?

Although the average number of older cars on the road is roughly 11 years old on average, they’re certainly not the oldest vehicles trundling down UK lanes. That honour goes to all the vintage cars out there (and there are quite a few of them). Here, we’re classifying older vintage cars as being anything produced before 1980, and only car models with 1,000 or more vehicles registered as still considered roadworthy by UK MOT standards.

As a result (and perhaps being no surprise to vintage UK car enthusiasts), the oldest car model still running in the UK, as of 2023, is the Morris Minor. Produced in 1969, and widely seen as Britain’s most popular classic car, there are still around 3,390 registered Morris Minors running around UK roads today.

But the popularity of the Morris brand doesn’t stop here, with the Minor’s compact cousin, the Morris Mini, taking second place on our list by virtue of there still being 1,735 of them making regular journeys around the UK.

The MG Midget also scored well, placing third overall and notable for having the highest number of operational cars still active in our top five, with 8,088 registered vehicles based on ONS data. Then, to round out our top five, we have the Ford Cortina and Triumph Dolomite, which still have 3,098 and 1,689 models respectively in working order.

As for why these older brands of British cars continue to be so popular for vintage car owners, a large part seems to be the reliability of these vehicles and ease of repair, with the Morris Minor having been on the road for an impressive 56 years!

Of course, there is also the fact the British vintage car sector has no doubt played a part in keeping such vehicles running and popular in people’s minds by ensuring the parts needed to keep them on the road are made available to their owners.

How do you know when it’s time to scrap your old car?

At the end of the day, even though you may be endeared to your older car, eventually, there’s going to come a time when it’s no longer considered roadworthy by UK driving standards - and that means you’ll have to consider scrapping it.

But how exactly do you tell if it’s time to scrap your car?

To find out, we spoke with our scrapping experts to understand what signs you should be on the lookout for as your car nears its twilight years:

• Consistent MOT failures – if, despite your best efforts, your car is consistently failing its MOT on physical and emission grounds, then it’s likely time to start looking for a new one. This is particularly prevalent for older car models, which were not necessarily built with low-emission outputs in mind.
• Expensive repair bills – car repairs can be expensive at the best of times, but if you’re finding that your repair bills are getting higher and more common, then it’s probably not worth the cost.
• It feels dangerous to drive – needless to say, safety is paramount when driving your car, so if you’re old car no longer feels responsive enough to drive comfortably, it’s best to take it off the road.
• Visible rust and damage you can’t fix – rust is an inevitability when it comes to car ownership, and even the most well-kept car will eventually develop damage and blemishes that you can’t get rid of. So, if rust has taken root on your car and caused permanent damage, it’s a good sign it’s time for a replacement.
• A decrease in fuel efficiency – whether from high mileage or just general wear and tear on your car’s components, every vehicle’s fuel efficiency will eventually become excessive to the point of being too expensive to justify its running costs.
• It’s not worth enough to sell – lastly, if you’re already considering selling your car, but you’re finding its value is far too low compared to what you paid for it, then scrapping is likely a better and more cost-effective alternative.

And remember, when scrapping, you should always look to get multiple quotes in order to get the best deal for your old car. And you don’t have to scrap it immediately, after all, there’s no harm in hunting around for a better deal or waiting till market conditions improve before finally saying goodbye.

Scrap your car safely with our experts

So, those were the cities and towns in the UK with the oldest cars, as well as the oldest car models still on the road in the UK. Perhaps your car made the list, or maybe it’s got you thinking that it may be time to replace your current car with a new one.

Either way, if you’re looking for a straightforward and reliable way to send your old car off, then our scrapping services may be just right for you. From the best location for you to hand your car over, to how car scrapping works, get in touch with our experts today to find out everything you need to know about the process.

Methodology

To collect this data, we created 3 datasets:

1. Longest-owned models (1000+) – this dataset looks at the longest-owned major car models. Data was collected from the ONS and analysed to calculate the average year each model was produced. The list was then filtered to only include models with 1000 or more individuals still registered as of 2023. The models were then ranked from lowest to highest, based on the average year of production.
2. Longest-owned models – this dataset looks at the longest-owned car models. Data was collected from the ONS and analysed to calculate the average year each model was produced. The models were then ranked from lowest to highest based on the average year of production.
3. Oldest average age by city – this dataset looks at the UK cities with the oldest average car age. Data was collected from the ONS and organised into buckets, showcasing the number of cars in each area, based on year of production. Using this, the mean average age of a car within each location was calculated. The ONS classified all vehicles from before 2002 into the 2002 category, hence this bucket was given a larger range (1979-2002), to align accordingly.

All data is correct as of 07/02/25. The ranking data shown is a compilation of multiple data sources and may not be representative of real life. All data is accurate with regard to the sources provided.