Sole survivors: the very rarest cars on UK roads today

The difficulty of keeping a now rare model from the 1980s or 1990s is exemplified by there being only a single Alfa Romeo 33 Sportwagon 16v on the UK’s roads. Underlining how much effort it takes to keep these cars on the road is there are a further 11 that are SORNs (Statutory Off Road Notification – i.e. the cars still exist but, for now, can’t be driven on the public road).

When new, the Alfa 33 Sportwagon was every inch the rival to the BMW 3 Series Touring and handled well. However, the boot was far from the most generous and the load floor was anything but flat. Neglected and ignored as a used car, this has left just a sole survivor on the road at this point.

Many Alfa Romeo diehards will be very keen to forget the Arna, but it’s good to know there is at least one example still on the road in the UK as a historical footnote. There are also another couple on SORN, so there is the possibility of more emerging as road legal cars in the future. STOP PRESS: the only one out there is now on SORN.

Cooked up between Alfa and Nissan, the Arna used the Italian firm’s buzzy flat-four engine in a Nissan Cherry bodyshell. It gave Alfa a small, affordable car and offered Nissan the chance to establish itself in Europe. Unfortunately, the Arna missed Alfa’s driving flair and Nissan’s reliability, so it was doomed to obscurity from the start.

Retrospectively known as the DB1, the Aston Martin Two Litre Sports was the first post-war Aston sports car. Only 14 were ever built of the two-seat roadster, which used a 90bhp four-cylinder 2.0-litre engine to give brisk performance for the time, although it was no match for the cheaper Jaguar XK120 that arrived at the same time in 1948.

There are several surviving Two Litre Sports, but only one is on the road in the UK at the time of writing. Notable features of this car are the spare wheel mounted in the front wing and the front grille was the first time Aston used its now familiar three-piece look that persists with the DB12.

The Bristol Bullet was a classically styled speedster that aimed to revive the fame and fortune of the bespoke British sports car maker. Sadly, the 2016 Bullet didn’t catch on and Bristol went under as a company in 2020. Part of the reason for the Bullet failing to sell in any significant quantity was a price tag of £250,000.

As well as the sole example on the UK’s roads, there is one other Bristol Bullet on SORN, so there is the possible chance of doubling the likelihood of seeing this handmade V8-powered roadster being driven.

The Roadster name for this Dacia Duster is slightly misleading as any notion of a sporting car is soon dispelled when you realise it’s the soft-top version of the 1980s back-to basics 4x4. Dacia tried to break into the UK with this car and the Roadster was meant as a more fun ‘lifestyle’ version, but styling that made a Land Rover look curvy didn’t help its cause.

Only a handful of Dusters were sold between 1981 and 1990, so it’s good to know one is still on the road (with two more off it) as a blast from the past. However, the Duster Roadster was far from a blast to drive as its 1.4-litre engine wheezed the car from 0-60mph in 22.7 seconds. Suzuki’s SJ comprehensively outsold and outdid the Duster in every respect.

The earlier Daihatsu Charade GTi of the 1980s is a pocket rocket with a cult following, but its late 1990s successor was a much less vaunted machine. Gone were the racy stripes and feisty turbocharged three-cylinder engine, and in their place came a bland exterior style and 1.3-litre four-cylinder engine with 97bhp.

Daihatsu claimed 0-60mph in 9.4 seconds, which was borderline bearable in a hot hatch of the time. What wasn’t acceptable was the stodgy handling, so this GTI failed to find many buyers when new and it’s something of a surprise to find there’s one still on the road now.

One of the last factory-made limousines you could buy in the 1950s, the Daimler DK400 offered all of the stately looks and comfort you could hope for if you weren’t sold on a Rolls-Royce with standard bodywork. Most DK400s came with limo bodywork by Carbodies, though there were some hearses and droptops.

The most notable DK400 was a coupe made for Lady Docker, the wife of company boss Sir Bernard Docker. Today, there is a sole DK400 registered for road use in the UK, though there are a further four SORN’d and hopefully awaiting restoration.

Converted by well-known coachbuilder Coleman-Milne, the Ford Minster was based on the popular Granada saloon. By adding 12-inches to the wheelbase, the Minster offered town mayors and junior government officials plenty of extra rear legroom. It could also be specified with the added privacy of a glass divider that was raised electrically between the driver’s compartment and rear seats.

Sadly, plenty of Ford Minsters succumbed to banger racing when they had fulfilled their official lives. The better news is there are three survivors on the road and further eight SORN’d, so more may yet make their way back on to the roads.

At the time of writing, a sole Gordon Murray model is registered for the road in the UK. While this will undoubtedly rise as customers take delivery of their V12-powered T.50 hypercar, it also shows the British firm’s dedication to testing in real-world conditions rather than just on test tracks.

Professor Gordon Murray is a keen driver himself, so it makes sense his cars are honed on the road so they work at their best in the places where they are most likely to be driven.

Before GM started to badge its Australian offspring’s cars as Vauxhall VXRs in the UK, the Maloo GTS pick-up arrived as a straightforward Holden. It’s a uniquely Aussie take on a workaday vehicle as it does have a pick-up bed but it also comes with a thumping 576bhp supercharged 6.2-litre V8. That was enough for 0-60mph in 4.9 seconds and 155mph.

Always a rare sight in the UK, it was also sold with an automatic gearbox in place of the standard six-speed manual. It’s the auto version here that has just on example left on the UK’s roads, while there are two of the manual cars that remain road legal.

Long before Hyundai became the big player it is today in the UK market, it was something of a peripheral presence in the 1980s. However, the Pony was a taste of what was to come with its clean lines, reliable mechanical parts, and a list of standard equipment that put most rivals to shame.

For a car that sold in reasonable numbers when new in the 1980s, it’s sobering to realise there is now just a single example left on the UKs’ roads. This car is a mid-spec GL model and there is one other on SORN.

Infiniti proved to be a short-lived attempt by Nissan to bring its more upmarket brand to the UK. The EX37 GT was intended as its big seller, which it should have been as a rival to the Audi Q5 and BMW X3. However, buyers were wary of a new and relatively unknown name in the market and stuck with their familiar prestige brands.

This was a shame for the EX37 GT which had a sweet 3.7-litre V6 with 316bhp and decent handling. However, sluggish sales mean there is now just one EX37 GT left on the road in the UK, though there are 34 of the less well equipped base version still running around.

How to make a rare sporting coupe even more of a hen’s tooth – fit it with an automatic gearbox. This is what has happened with the already thin on the ground Isuzu Piazza Turbo as there is but a single example of it left in base automatic transmission form (and another four on SORN).

Handsome styling by Giugiaro and a punchy 150bhp from its turbocharged 2.0-litre engine should have made the rear-drive Piazza a keen rival to the Ford Capri. However, the handling and ride were not up to much until Lotus was called in to sort things out, but by then it was too late and sales floundered.

From a high of almost 3500 registered for the road in the UK in 1999, there is now just a solitary Kia Mentor GLX left on the road in the UK. That’s quite an attrition rate for what was the most popular trim level for this compact four-door saloon that went on sale in 1992, though there are another 18 on SORN.

When it was new, the Mentor was a rival to the Ford Escort and Vauxhall Astra, but significantly cheaper. That didn’t stop the Kia using a strong 1.6-litre petrol engine sourced from Mazda, which helped build the South Korean firm’s reputation for appealing, durable cars.

The Stradale at the end of this Lamborghini’s lengthy name denotes it’s the roadgoing version of the Gallardo one-make race car. In road trim, the Super Trofeo that was launched in 2011 came with a 562bhp 5.2-litre V10 engine capable of taking the car from 0-60mph in 3.4 seconds and in to 193mph – slightly less than the Superleggera’s 202mph due to the Super Trofeo’s large rear wing.

At the time, the Super Trofeo Stradale was the most extreme road legal Gallardo that Lamborghini had built. It weighed 70kg less than a standard LP570-4 and only 150 examples were sold worldwide. There are now two examples on UK roads.

Even among the sparse number of Leyland Princess cars still on the UK’s roads, the base 1800 Auto is a real unicorn with only one remaining. The late Harris Mann’s sharp styling might have divided opinion, but there’s no denying it made for a very practical car. It’s also a pity that Leyland’s poor quality standards and refusal to go with Mann’s hatchback idea - despite its appearance it was a saloon - undermined the car’s appeal to buyers.

The 1.8-litre engine was the entry-level motor for the Princess and the automatic gearbox was not a commonly chosen option. Now an overlooked car in classic circles, it’s reassuring that at least this one car has stood the test of time.

Search for a Lincoln to buy in the UK and you’ll most likely discover some Town Cars and Navigator SUVs, but you’re unlikely to find an LS as there’s only one registered for the road. There is another on SORN, but to appears the roadworthy example was imported to the UK around 2012.

The LS is not the most obvious Lincoln to ship over from the US as it has anonymous four-door styling. Underneath, it shares the same platform as the Jaguars S-type and XF Mk1, and the V6 and V8 engines used in the Jags, this sole UK Lincoln LS is a V8 model, so that means a 4.0-litre motor and five-speed automatic gearbox are fitted.

The Kyalami was a bit of a hotch-potch of parts after De Tomaso took over Maserati in 1975. It used the body of the De Tomaso Longchamps mated to the Maserati V8 motor, offered in 255- and 320bhp forms. It gave Maserati a two-door, four-seat rival to the Ferrari 365 GT4, but sales were always slow.

When production of the Kyalami ended in 1983, a mere 187 had been produced, so it’s not such a surprise to find only one in use on the UK’s roads. There are, however, a further 11 Kyalami’s SORN’d in the UK, so we may yet see an increase in the number being road registered.

The Mazda 929 is one of those cars that has simply faded from view with barely anyone paying attention. There is one (wonderful) driver, however, who has kept a 929 L on the road, as well as a handful of others with different versions of this large estate car.

Much of the reason for the 929’s near silent slide into obscurity is there wasn’t much to recommend it beyond its vast cargo carrying capacity. It may have been practical, but the likes of the Ford Granada Estate and Volvo 240 had more appeal to buyers, so the 929 was always a rare sight in the UK.

Mazda took on the BMW 3 Series and Mercedes C-Class with its compact Xedos 6 saloon. Attractively styled, the Xedos 6 came with a cracking 2.0-litre 24-valve V6 engine, though it drove the front wheels when buyers in this sector preferred rear-drive. No matter, the Mazda was good to drive and very well equipped.

The problem for the Xedos 6 was its price, which was higher than the competition’s, which kept buyers away from Mazda showrooms. Now, there is just one Xedos 6 left in SE trim on the UK’s roads, plus a tiny number of other versions of this compact executive that lasted from 1992 to 1999. 22 more Xedos 6 SEs are on SORN.

Part of McLaren’s Ultimate Series of cars, only 106 Speedtails were built in total and most have been squirreled away in collectors’ humidity controlled silos. There is, however, one Speedtail registered for road use in the UK and its lucky owner has the chance to enjoy this 1036bhp hypercar in the real world, even if its 250mph top speed is academic in these conditions.

The thinking behind the Speedtail was to create the most aerodynamically efficient car possible. This is why the Speedtail has cameras instead of rear view mirrors and the front wheels use covers to smooth out air flow. Other details such as the extended tail design and slim headlights all contribute to the car’s drag figure of just 0.17.

Production figures for the MG XPower SV and SV-R models vary from as few as 50 to a high of 82 depending on who you ask. What we do know for certain, however, is there is just one XPower SV-R Auto on the road in the UK. If you want this car with a manual gearbox, there are seven registered as road legal.

This makes the SV-R Auto an intriguingly unique car as the XPower model was highly regarded when new for its performance and handling. The 5.0-litre V8 made it capable of 0-60mph in 4.8 seconds and 175mph, yet build quality was what let it down and steered buyers to the safety of a Porsche 911.

In some ways, the MIA L3 was a car ahead of its time. As a very practical electric car, it was seen as an oddball when it was launched in 2011, yet it’s the sort of thing the Volkswagen ID Buzz offers today. Built in Germany, the MIA used plastic panels to keep weight down, while a rear-mounted 13bhp electric motor was fine around town and the L3 had an 80-mile battery range.

The standout design feature of the MIA L3 was its centrally mounted driver’s seat, which gave a good view in all directions. There were three passenger seats behind with excellent leg room in a car that was barely any bigger than a Smart Fortwo.

The Moskvich 412 had one saving grace when new and that was its incredibly low price compared to other similarly sized four-doors such as the Ford Cortina. For the price of a Mini, you could have a roomy saloon, but what you didn’t get was any sort of build quality or driving ability even if the 1.5-litre engine leaned heavily on BMW’s four-cylinder design for its inspiration.

For some, the 412’s low price was reason enough to buy it, and it helped Tony Lanfranchi win the 1972-73 British saloon car champion when categories were decided based on price rather than engine capacity. There's only one left on the road, with another two on SORN.

The Cutlass F85 was Oldsmobile’s compact car offering that was first introduced in 1961 as a four-door sedan, station wagon estate, coupe, convertible, and two-door saloon. A later derivative of the F85 went on to become its own model and even ranked as the best-selling mid-sized car in the US in 1976.

In the UK, the F-85 has always been a rare bird and the most that have been road registered in the past three decades is five. Now, that’s down to just one car plus three that are SORN’d. The F-85 spawned the Jetfire, the world’s first series-produced turbocharged car; we’d love to say at least one of these made its way to the UK, but sadly we can’t.

By the mid-1970s, Opel’s range of cars were little more than badge-engineered versions of Vauxhalls, or vice versa if you were on the other side of the Channel. The Ascona was near-identical to the Vauxhall Cavalier and was offered in two- and four-door saloon models. Paltry 1.2 and 1.3-litre engines were the entry point, but 1.6-, 1.9- and 2.0-litre engines were the ones to have.

Most Asconas with an automatic gearbox used the 1.6-litre engine that came with 60bhp, or 75bhp in S trim. This makes two only surviving roadworthy Opel Ascona Autos (the number has doubled recently) an intriguing alternative to the more common Cavalier and its Ford Cortina rival.

Peugeot built 1,178,425 of its 304 model in all forms and it survives in large numbers in its native France. Here in the UK, however, it’s much thinner on the ground and there is just one SL version on the road, with another three registered as SORN.

The 304 was Peugeot riposte to the Ford Escort and came mostly in four-door saloon form, although there were also two-door saloon, estate, coupe and convertible models. There was a 1.1-litre petrol engine and 1.4-litre diesel, but most like this sole SL survivor used the petrol 1.3-litre motor. STOP PRESS: sadly there are no longer any 304 SLs on the road, though four are off it.

Peugeot’s 505 was a trusty workhorse when new and long into its life as a used car. However, this also explains why so few are left in the UK as most have been driven until they were fit only for scrap. There are survivors, though, such as the one 505 SRD Turbo, which uses the earlier 2.3-litre turbodiesel with 79bhp.

Later 505s benefitted from more powerful diesels that were smoother and easier to start in cold weather, but this SRD model should still be going strong for many miles thanks to the engine’s inherent toughness. STOP PRESS: the sole survivor has now died; seven SRD Turbos are on SORN.

The Polish-made 125P was a near identical car to the Fiat 125 other than this one was made behind the Iron Curtain that had been drawn across Europe at the time. While very conventionally styled, the 125P drove well and was tough, if sparsely equipped, and followed in a long line of Eastern European cars sold in the UK at temptingly low prices.

The only Polski-Fiat 125P registered on the road in the UK seems to have come back to life in late 2019. Before then, there had been none on the road since 2001.

The Acadian may come from the US-based Pontiac division of General Motors, but the car itself was built in Canada. It was built between 1962 and 1971, and the name was then revived in 1976 for a version of the Chevrolet Chevette that was sold in Canada.

There have been two Pontiac Acadians registered in the UK in the past, but one has since disappeared as it’s not on SORN. The other car appears to have arrived in the UK in 2018, making it unique on these shores.

Numbers for this particular trim of Renault 5 have been dwindling over the years, with more than 1220 registered in 1995. However, that dropped to nine in 2010 and now there is only one on the road, plus eight on SORN.

The Event trim used the 55bhp 1237cc petrol engine from the 5 range and was introduced in 1988 as one of the many special editions Renault offered to bolster sales as the 5 shifted into its dotage. Customers could choose between three- and five-door versions of the Event.

The GTX version of the Renault 25 was very much a car aimed at cost-conscious family buyers and company users. It might not have had the performance urge of the smooth V6-powered models, but the 121bhp 2.2-litre four-cylinder engine did a decent job of keeping the French executive alongside rivals such as the Ford Granada and Vauxhall Carlton in the long-gone period when mainstream brands were able to compete in this class.

In GTX trim, the Renault came with a five-speed manual gearbox as standard or the option of an automatic gearbox. More of a draw for buyers in the 1980s would have been the 25 GTX’s onboard computer complete with digital voice to let you know how the car was coping.

Saab swapped its three-cylinder two-stroke engine for a Ford-sourced V4 in 1967 to keep its Sonett sports coupe competitive in the US market. The same engine was used in all other regions where the Sonett was sold, though it was always a niche model and managed a total run of 10,000 approximately in V4 configuration by the time production ended in 1974.

Always a rare sight in the UK in any form, there is now just the one Saab Sonett V4 registered for road use in the UK. It’s not clear if it’s a 1.5- or 1.7-litre version, with the bigger engine added when the Sonett III arrived in 1970.

While some would snigger at the Skoda MB models, which came in 1000 and 1100 forms, it should be remembered they were simple, reliable transport that sold at a price well below what most Western European makes could manage. They were also decent to drive and did well in rallying and hillclimbing in period.

The sole Skoda MB that’s on the road in the UK now is more a reflection on how few were sold here when new. Those that were sold here were also treated as cheap, disposable transport as they slipped into the lower rungs of the used car ladder, so it’s possibly a miracle one remains at all.

Subaru only sold its 1600 Leone with four-wheel drive as an estate car in the UK, which is what this one and only survivor is. In the 1970s, Subaru was a quirky maker with a small but keen following among farmers, vets and rural drivers who loved the all-wheel drive versatility of these cars.

The 1595cc flat-dour engines of the 1600 Leone came with either 65- or 77bhp depending on when it was built. There was also the pick-up version of the Leone that has gone on to become a cult classic, yet the Leone estate has been overlooked to the point that only one now exists as a road legal car in the UK.

The Solara was essentially a four-door saloon version of the Talbot Alpine hatch, and both were as forgettable as each other. While the Alpine managed a 10-year production span, the Solara lasted only from 1982 to 1984, with a choice of 1.3- and 1.6-litre petrol engines in the UK.

As well as the one Solara left on the road in the UK, there are four more SORN’d and presumably sitting in garages or gardens awaiting their chance to shine again. With little to recommend this Talbot beyond its rarity, it seems likely few will warranty the cost of restoration.

The Toyota 2000GT was the LFA of its time, an all-singing technical showpiece from the Japanese firm to prove it could build a sports car every bit as well as the Europeans. Its sleek looks and coupe profile certainly hit the mark, as did the 150bhp 2.0-litre six-cylinder engine. Unfortunately, Toyota only sold 337 in total, which has secured the 2000GT a spot as one of the most sought after classics in the world.

Such low production numbers mean the 135mph 2000GT is always going to be rare in any country. In the UK, there is just one registered for the road, though there were as many as nine on the road in late 1999; two are currently on SORN. One 2000GT sold at auction in Paris in 2023 for €623,750 (around £540,000).

Never heard of the Toyota Vellfire? Don’t worry, not many have as it’s a variation on the Alphard people carrier. The Vellfire has been pitched as a sportier version of the Alphard and it’s also the basis for the new Lexus LM luxury MPV that is now on sale in the UK with an £89,995 price tag.

One Vellfire was registered in the UK at the beginning of 2023, but it's since been joined by no less than 72 more. Inside, the Vellfire can be specified with anything from four to eight seats. Its name is derived from ‘velvet’ and ‘fire’, which Toyota says sums up its smooth yet passionate design.

The Vanden Plas 1.5 was the last hurrah for the upmarket Austin Allegro version. Complete with its chrome grille and wood veneer interior trim, the Vanden Plas 1.5 arrived in October 1977 with a 77bhp 1.5-litre engine and four-speed manual gearbox. The 1.7 had only 72bhp and had an automatic transmission.

This third and final version of the Allegro-based Vanden Plas is the rarest of the lot, with only 752 1.5s made. Out of that total, we have just this one surviving car registered for the road and no others noted as being on SORN. STOP PRESS: the sole survivor has since gone from the road, though it looks like it's now on SORN.

Volkswagen looked to solve the shortcomings of the Beetle with the TL that was launched in 1961, but arrived as the 1600 TL in 1966. Its fastback styling gave it a sleeker look than the two-door saloon model, while the estate was known as the Variant.

There’s a healthy number of Variants being used on the road in the UK, but when it comes to the TL Fastback there’s only one. That quantity has been dropping since the late 1990s, when there were eight of this model registered for road use in the UK. Now, there is this one remaining car plus another on SORN.