This data shows how classic car purchases are as much driven by nostalgia as any money-saving aspect of avoiding ULEZ charges;
Survey by Scrap Car Comparison has disclosed the nation’s favourite retro car and which discontinued models they would bring back. The Volkswagen Beetle, Ford Escort and the classic Mini are the top three discontinued car models Brits would most like to see return, with Ford dominating the top 10.
Gen Z want icons they never drove, Millennials long for sporty 90s/00s favourites, while over-55s champion Ford classics and the Morris Minor.
With a flurry of historic motorsport events happening across the country in September, Scrap Car Comparison, the UK’s biggest scrap car service, wanted to discover which discontinued car models the British public would most like to see the return of.
By surveying 2,000 motorists, they revealed that the original Volkswagen Beetle is the car model most people would love to come back into circulation, followed by the Ford Escort and the classic original Mini.
The top 10 car models people want to bring back
From being a car icon with a strong pop culture presence to mass ownership over the decades, it is no surprise to see the Beetle topping the ranking.
Likewise, the Ford Escort was the UK’s best-selling car for years, meaning every man and their nan had access to it, but it was also cemented as a motorsport legend since the Mk1 and Mk2 became rally icons.
Ford models feature heavily in the top 10 ranking – more than any other brand – with the Cortina and Sierra both joining the Escort. These models are particularly favoured across older age groups and could be explained by the “everyman brand” position the Ford brand has in Britain.
| Rank | Car model | Percentage |
| 1 | Volkswagen Beetle | 23% |
| 2 | Ford Escort | 22% |
| 3 | Classic, original Mini | 19% |
| 4 | Ford Cortina | 18% |
| 5 | Audi Quattro | 14% |
| 6 | Jaguar XJ (classic saloon) | 13% |
| 7 | The original Land Rover Defender | 13% |
| 8 | Morris Minor | 13% |
| 9 | Ford Sierra | 12% |
| 10 | Peugeot 205 | 12% |
How would Brits like to see retro cars return?
When asked in what capacity participants would like to see the old cars brought back in, the majority (28%) said they would like something as close to the original as possible to make it a true retro car, but a very similar number (27%) answered that they would be open to a modern reimagining of the cars – the same style, just new and improved technology.
A small number (12%) even said they would like to see the cars return as electric vehicles! This was especially apparent among Gen-Z respondents, while Boomers preferred authenticity (only 6% of this age group would like to see an electric revival).
On the other hand, almost a quarter of those surveyed (22%) don’t want any comeback, especially among the 18–24s age bracket and those over 65s, suggesting nostalgia peaks most strongly in middle age.
What do Brits love about classic and discontinued cars?
The top reason people get nostalgic around old cars that are no longer in production is the design and style (44%), but a third of respondents (33%) also have fond memories of seeing the cars on the streets growing up, while another third (29%) remembers the vehicles being their family cars.
Personal car ownership is a powerful factor for those aged 65 and over – these respondents (39%) said they feel nostalgic because they once owned and drove the car themselves.
A generational look: Gen-Z has nostalgia for cars they never drove while Millennials crave 90s and 00s comebacks
Taking a closer look at the age breakdown of respondents, 18–24s are most likely to want the Mini (25%) and VW Beetle (25%) to return, despite these models being discontinued long before most could drive them. This could be explained by the iconic status of these models or their prominence in film and TV, such as the Mini appearing in The Italian Job from 1969 or the Beetle featuring in the Herbie series.
More logically, Millennials have strong attachments for sporty cars from the 90s and early 2000s, such as the Toyota MR2 (18%), Celica (19%), Peugeot 205 (20%) and Mitsubishi Evo (15%) – all favoured by the 25–34 age group much higher than the average.
For older age groups (55+), the Ford models are the winner, but the Morris Minor also ranks high among this demographic. In fact, among the over-65s, the Morris Minor is nearly twice as popular as among under-35s.
Matt Clamp, Customer Service Manager at Scrap Car Comparison comments:
“What really stands out from this research is how differently each generation connects with cars of the past. For younger drivers, nostalgia isn’t about personal ownership – it’s about the cultural impact of cars like the Beetle or Mini, which have stayed iconic through film, music, and design. Meanwhile, older motorists remember the role these cars played in family life, whether it was their first Ford Escort or long road trips in a Morris Minor. It shows that cars are more than just vehicles – they become markers of identity and memory, which is why the desire to see them return is still so strong today.”
Be the first to comment