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.
9. Fiat Marea: -91.87% (5,205 to 423)
The Marea was another late-90s Fiat that promised great strides forward over its predecessor but failed to deliver on the sales front. Based on a stretched version of the Brava/Bravo platform it was sold as a four-door saloon or five-door estate to challenge the Mondeo and Vectra. Sadly, despite a decent specification and a range of engines that included the 155bhp 2.0-litre from the Fiat Coupe, the Marea never got the love the Ford and Vauxhall enjoyed, as its dwindling numbers show | Fiat
10. Proton Wira: -91.20% (3,421 to 301)
In keeping with many of the cars on this list, the Proton Wira was a faintly miserable mid-sized saloon from the Far East that never gained much traction in the UK. Originally named the Persona, the Wira was based on Mitsubishi underpinnings and was aimed at people who wanted a Cavalier-sized car for Astra money. That was enough to appeal to a few thousand buyers back at the turn of the century but the used market hasn’t been kind to the Wira and just 9% of those car survive in 2022. | Proton