If you’ve owned your car for a while, chances are you’ve got a bit of a soft spot for it, whether it’s a trusty second-hand motor, a slightly outdated ride, or even one that’s seen better days. But while some drivers hold onto their cars for sentimental reasons, others just know how to keep an ageing vehicle running, no matter how many repairs it takes.
So, where in the UK are people hanging onto their cars the longest? And at what point does an old car become too old?
To find out, car.co.uk looked at data from the Office for National Statistics to see which cities have the oldest cars still going strong.
Top UK Cities with the Oldest Cars on the Road
| Rank | Location | Average Age |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Norwich | 11.96 |
| 2 | Bournemouth | 11.70 |
| 3 | Southampton | 11.66 |
| 4 | Boston | 11.51 |
| 5 | Oxford | 11.43 |
| 6 | Southend-on-Sea | 11.40 |
| 7 | Bristol | 11.28 |
| 8 | Brighton | 11.22 |
| 9 | Reading | 11.21 |
| 10 | Gloucester | 11.18 |
| 11 | Cambridge | 11.15 |
| 12 | Plymouth | 11.14 |
| 13 | Wrexham | 11.11 |
| 14 | Eastbourne | 11.11 |
| 15 | Cheltenham | 11.06 |
Some areas of the UK are better at keeping old cars alive than others. According to the data, cities in Eastern and Southern England tend to have the oldest cars on the road. Norwich takes the top spot, with cars averaging 11.96 years old. Bournemouth comes in second, with an average car age of 11.70 years, followed by Southampton at 11.66 years. Boston and Oxford round out the top five, with their local average car ages sitting at 11.51 and 11.43 years respectively.
Why do drivers in these areas hold onto their cars for longer? It’s hard to say for sure, but whether it’s a love for older motors, lower mileage, or just avoiding the cost of a new car, these cities are leading the way in keeping older vehicles on the road.
While most of the UK’s ‘older’ cars are around 11 years old, there are still plenty of real classics out there, some dating back over 50 years. In this case, we’re talking about cars built before 1980 that still have at least 1,000 roadworthy models registered. The Morris Minor, first produced in 1969, is the UK’s most popular classic car, with 3,390 still on the road. Its smaller sibling, the Morris Mini, follows closely behind, with 1,735 still in use today. The MG Midget has the highest number of still-operational classics, with 8,088 registered, while the Ford Cortina and Triumph Dolomite are still going strong with 3,098 and 1,689 working models, respectively.
A big reason these classic cars are still running is their reliability and ease of repair. British-built cars like the Morris Minor have been on the road for over half a century, and thanks to a thriving vintage car scene, owners can still find the parts needed to keep their beloved vehicles in top condition.
