10 classic cars drivers want to return

Nostalgia for now-departed models is part of the appeal of classic cars. However, some are more desirable than others.

Research undertaken by Scrap Car Comparison asked 2,000 motorists in the UK which classic vehicle they would like to see brought back.

While younger, Gen Z respondents favoured brands they have never driven, Millennials longed for performance heroes from the late 1990s and early 2000s. Those aged over 55, meanwhile, tended to pine for retro Fords.

We have rounded up the top 10 cars ranked as the most-wanted in the survey. Let’s count them down in reverse order:

10th. Peugeot 205

Kicking off the top 10 is an iconic French supermini, chosen by 12 percent of survey respondents as a model to bring back to life.

With sharp styling and an engaging driving experience, the Peugeot 205 instantly became the benchmark for small cars during the 1980s.

Even today, every new Peugeot hatchback launched cannot escape comparisons with the legendary 205.

10th. Peugeot 205

In particular, we imagine many of those surveyed were clamouring for the return of the Peugeot 205 GTI. Made in both 1.6- and 1.9-litre guises, the GTI remains one of the greatest hot hatchbacks ever created.

Earlier this year, Peugeot used the 24 Hours of Le Mans endurance race to launch its new electric e-208 GTI model.

A special parade saw a host of classic Peugeot models hit the famous Circuit de la Sarthe, but most eyes (and cameras) seemed glued to the 205 GTIs.

9th. Ford Sierra

Performance models play an important part in the nostalgia felt for classic cars, and few are more famous than the Ford Sierra RS Cosworth.

A true homologation special, motorsport versions of the Sierra dominated Group A touring car racing across the globe. This added to the mystique of road-going models, including the limited-production RS500.

9th. Ford Sierra

However, the Ford Sierra was about more than just the flame-spitting race cars. Combining futuristic styling with proven mechanicals, the Sierra became a common sight on British roads.

Almost 1.3 million examples were sold in the UK during its production life. It was eventually replaced by the first-generation Ford Mondeo.

Just over 12 percent of respondents said they wanted to see the return of the Ford Sierra. Perhaps ‘Sierra’ will be the next badge Ford chooses to slap onto an electric SUV…

8th. Morris Minor

Some 13 percent of those asked said they’d like to see the Morris Minor make a comeback. The compact saloon was a mainstay of British motoring for more than two decades.

Launched in the aftermath of the Second World War, the Morris Minor was designed under the leadership of Sir Alec Issigonis.

It became the first car to sell more than a million in the UK, a figure achieved in late 1960 after just 12 years in production. A limited-edition Minor Million (the car pictured here) was made to celebrate.

8th. Morris Minor

Selling a total of 1.6 million between 1948 and 1971, the Morris Minor remains one of the most affordable routes into classic car ownership.

This, combined with its quintessential Britishness, will likely have helped it achieve eighth position on this list.

7th. Land Rover Defender

Of all the cars on this list, the original Land Rover Defender is the one that ceased production most recently. In fact, it’s less than 10 years since the final Defender 90 rolled off the line in Solihull.

Nonetheless, many survey respondents were adamant about the classic Defender making a comeback, seemingly uninterested in Land Rover’s own new Defender.

7th. Land Rover Defender

Built for more than 30 years, the original Defender developed a strong reputation for its go-anywhere ability, along with its sheer versatility. Relative simplicity ensured it could be kept running with only limited mechanical knowledge.

Land Rover clearly understands the enduring appeal of the classic Defender, having launched several restomod versions in recent years.

6th. Jaguar XJ Classic

The Jaguar brand is undergoing a complete reinvention, as it pivots towards electric-only power. However, some 13 percent of UK motorists would like to see the classic XJ saloon make a return instead.

First launched in 1968, the original XJ remained in production until 1992, passing through several iterations along the way. Close to 250,000 examples were made, with the V12 engine playing a starring role.

6th. Jaguar XJ Classic

Effortless performance, a comfortable ride and a dignified design by Sir William Lyons made the XJ a success when it first hit the market.

Waiting lists quickly grew when the XJ went on sale, not helped  by industrial action that curtailed supply. In XJ12 guise, the Jaguar also became the world’s fastest four-door car.

Whether an entirely new electric Jaguar can generate the same level of enthusiasm remains to be seen.

5th. Audi Quattro

The Audi Quattro may not have been the world’s first production four-wheel-drive car, but it certainly help to popularise the technology

Developed to allow Audi to go rallying, more than 11,000 examples of the Quattro had been made by the time production finished in 1991.

5th. Audi Quattro

A warbling five-cylinder engine, boxy wheelarches and all-weather traction made the road-going Quattro a performance car to be reckoned with.

It was also catapulted into the public eye thanks to its dominance of the World Rally Championship, becoming even more dramatic in design as the Group B era developed.

All of this led to 14 percent wanting the Quattro to make a comeback. Or perhaps they all just loved the Audi’s role in the Ashes to Ashes TV show.

4th. Ford Cortina

The Ford Cortina was only sold in the UK for 20 years, yet the Blue Oval rolled out five versions of its family saloon during that time.

The Lotus-engineered version of the first-generation Cortina remains a true motorsport icon. It achieved success in both touring car racing and rallying.

4th. Ford Cortina

As the Cortina progressed, it became a staple of British motoring life, often stereotyped as the preferred vehicle of the travelling salesman.

Even into the early 1980s, the Cortina remained one of the UK’s best-sellers, despite it looking increasingly dated. Rust killed many of the final Cortinas, making resurrection a harder feat to achieve.

3rd. Mini

For anyone over a certain age, it might be hard to believe that the original Mini ended production 25 years ago.

Built between 1959 and 2000, a total of 5.38 million examples were manufactured. The Mini was the de facto first car for multiple generations of British drivers.

3rd. Mini

The Mini is the second car on our list to feature the ingenious input of Sir Alec Issigonis. Its transverse engine and front-wheel-drive layout were revolutionary at the time.

This made it affordable and space-efficient, while the performance Cooper versions became giant-killers in the world of motorsport.

Given BMW has developed Mini into its own hugely successful brand, the 19 percent of respondents who want the classic Mini to return are likely to remain disappointed.

2nd. Ford Escort

Like other Fords on this list, the Escort was a persistent top-selling model in the UK for decades. Passing through six generations between 1967 and 2004, it evolved from a traditional rear-wheel-drive saloon into a modern front-driven hatchback.

The performance of fast Fords at collector car auctions demonstrates the level of enthusiasm for models such as the Escort RS2000, with huge sale values achieved.

2nd. Ford Escort

However, the Escort RS Cosworth is the most easily identifiable version of Ford’s family car, and the one that has driven up auction prices in recent years.

We imagine the Cosworth’s legacy played a part in convincing the 22 percent of respondents who wanted to see the Escort brought back from the grave.

1st. Volkswagen Beetle

Topping the chart for the cars UK motorists would most like to see return is the original Volkswagen Beetle. More than 21.5 million were made in 65 years of production: the longest life for a single-generation model.

Much like the Mini, the Volkswagen Beetle combined affordability and practicality, all while playing an important part in automotive culture.

1st. Volkswagen Beetle

We have, of course, seen the Volkswagen Beetle undergo two previous reincarnations. In both 1997 and 2011, Volkswagen released new Golf-based versions of the Beetle, both of them tributes to the original.

Neither Beetle captured the imagination in the same way as the original, though, nor did they sell in anything like the same numbers.

Clearly, this left 23 percent of those surveyed hoping the affordable air-cooled Beetle will make a proper comeback.