There are more cars on the UK’s roads than ever before as the population grows and becomes more reliant on personal transport. Between 2002 and 2021, the number of cars registered in the UK rose from 28.5 million to 35m, according to the Society for Motor Manufacturers and Traders. But while the overall number is rising quickly, some models of car are vanishing even more rapidly.
A new study of DVLA data by comparison site Confused has found that some makes have seen a decline of up to 90% over the last decade and some models have dropped in numbers by up to 95%.
Among the brands, short-lived Korean oddity Daewoo is the fastest vanishing, seeing a 90% decline since 2001, just ahead of Sao - a South African brand that sold a grand total of six rebadged Mazdas in the early 1990s. Just one still exists, equating to a 83% decline. Other relative minnows such as Proton, Tata and Chrysler are also rapidly vanishing, alongside more famous but now-defunct names such as Rover and Saab.
But we wanted to get right down to the nitty gritty, so here are the 10 individual models that have declined in numbers the most since 2012.
5. Kia Mentor: -93.13% (1,383 to 95)
The Mentor was the second car Kia launched in the UK, after the Pride. Like the Pride, the Mentor was based on Mazda underpinnings (a 323 rather than the Pride’s 121 donor) and focused on offering simple, cheap motoring to those who didn’t care about badge cachet, inspiring handling or good looks. It was followed by the Mentor II and ‘New Mentor’, neither of which enjoyed much more success. | Kia
6. Hyundai Lantra: -92.09% (5,358 to 424)
Like Kia, Hyundai has gone from selling budget-focused and forgettable fare 20 years ago to selling some of the most innovative and eye-catching cars on the road today. The Lantra was a mid-sized saloon that aimed to offer Mondeo-sized motoring for Escort/Focus money, with a focus on high specification and comfort. While it is rapidly dying out now, it helped establish Hyundai as a serious presence in the UK. | Hyundai
7. Kia Clarus -91.97% (249 to 20)
It’s hard to overstate how complete Kia’s transformation has been over the last 20 years. In 2021 it sold twice as many Sportages per week in the UK than it sold examples of the Clarus over three years. The Clarus was the brand’s flagship saloon competitor in its early years but despite offering good value, buyers weren’t tempted from their Mondeos and Vectras by this bland looking, budget-focused oddity. | Kia
8. Daewoo Nubira: -91.94% (4,891 to 394)
The Nubira was the second car developed in-house by Daewoo to replace its range of rebadged Vauxhalls. Launched at the same time as the Lanos and Leganza, it was also a significant step forward over those older models but was still part of the “cars as white goods” approach, with low costs and solid aftersales support given priority over refinement, style or driver engagement. | Daewoo