Revealed: The UK’s Best-Selling Cars of 1992
New car registrations in 2020 slumped to their lowest level since 1992. This is according to figures released by the SMMT (Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders).
A total of 1.63 million new cars were registered in a year hit by the coronavirus pandemic. Sales were down 29 per cent – the biggest decline since 1943, when the car industry switched to building munitions for the country’s war effort.
Predictably, the Ford Fiesta topped the sales chart, with the Vauxhall Corsa, Volkswagen Golf, Ford Focus and Mercedes-Benz A-Class completing the top five. A place in the top 10 for the Ford Puma gives the 2020 table a distinct 90s vibe. Indeed, eight of the best-selling nameplates were on sale at some point in the 1990s.
Deeply Dippy
The top 10 looked very different in 1992, when the UK was still recovering from the effects of the recession. Although 1.6 million cars were registered in that year, this was down from 2 million in 1990. Rising interest rates, tumbling house prices and high unemployment put a severe strain on the beleaguered car industry.
Things did improve. The country’s GDP recovered in the second half of 1992, having recorded its sharpest drop in a decade. On a day known as Black Wednesday, the pound was forced out of the ERM (European Exchange Rate Mechanism) in September. Although the currency fell, it soon rose again, as the country started its recovery.
UK car sales increased to 1.78 million in 1993, followed by 1.91 million in 1994.
What were the best-selling cars of 1992? It was a good year for the Ford Escort, which returned to the top spot at the expense of the Ford Fiesta. A total of 121,140 Ford Escorts were registered in 1992, almost 12,500 more than the car in second place: the Vauxhall Cavalier.
The top 20 best-selling cars of 1992
- Ford Escort: 121,140
- Vauxhall Cavalier: 108,818
- Ford Fiesta: 106,595
- Vauxhall Astra: 86,858
- Ford Sierra: 77,253
- Rover 200: 77,214
- Rover 100: 56,713
- Peugeot 405: 48,482
- Vauxhall Nova: 42,779
- Renault Clio: 34,701
- Peugeot 205: 34,045
- Ford Orion: 33,249
- Volkswagen Golf: 32,554
- Nissan Micra: 31,002
- BMW 3 Series: 28,196
- Citroën ZX: 28,028
- Volvo 400: 25,198
- Rover 400: 23,400
- Renault 19: 21,486
- Peugeot 106: 20,935
Source: SMMT.
9 Comments
Of the 25,198 Volvo 400s, I wonder how many were 480s? I am surprised to see them so high
Ben H
As a former 440 owner, it surprised me too. I cannot answer your question precisely but according to Volvo Owners’ Club statistics out of just under 700,000 400 Series cars built ~385,00 were 440s, ~238,000 were 460s and ~76,000 were 480s. So roughly speaking ~10% of 400 Series sales were 480s, In 1992 10% of 25,000 gives 2,000-3,000 480s as a ball park figure. Not many at all compared to the 440!
Hi Paul that is very interesting, I will cross reference that with my friends at Volvo 480 Club Europe, I know overall there are just over 1000 survivors of all types of 480, I currently have a 1988 ES as my daily. Never seen another one in the UK (but did see one in Bosnia)
There are a couple of 480s still around in the Leeds area. One is a 480 Celebration on an N plate in Poppy Red and the other is in Vase Green on an M plate, not sure of the model. A 400 Series sighting, in particular a 480, makes my day!
Wow! Those are likely to be club cars, is there a 440/60 owners club? I feel like there ought to be more cooperation between it and the 480 club if there is one, as I am a regular at Volvo 480 Club Europe, but haven’t come across a 440 one, shall look into that…
P.S. Sorry to be a pedant, but I believe the celebration was in Flame Red Metallic (never been a fan). Sorry, I am a bit of a geek…
Prepare for a shock! I did some hunting around on the VOC and apparently the 480 Celebration was never available in either Poppy Red Metallic or Flame Red Metallic. Flame Red to me indicates a brighter colour, which got me thinking. In fact the S40 I had after the 440 was Flame Red and it was as red as a pillar box!
According to the VOC there were 3 colour choices on the Celebration:
White Satin
Burgundy Red Metallic
Storm Grey Metallic
So looks like we were both wrong and Burgundy Red Metallic is the colour we are talking about.
Then I checked with the 1995 440/460 brochure I got with the 440 and all 3 colours are standard ones, although the burgundy colour is actually listed as Burgundy Pearl Metallic. I am not keen on it either but very much of its time. I can remember Rover offering a similar colour on the 200/400, I used to call it ‘lipstick’! At least we now know that the Vase Green 480 is not a Celebration.
Touché Touché, it seems I was wrong after all!!
Yes Rover did a nightfire red which was a metallic red, not a great colour if you ask me, I agree they are a very difficult colour to get right.
My 480 is an early car, hence it has a very different range of colours, however, on further research, I was right, but not quite:
http://www.volvo-480-europe.org/volvo480/colors/322.html
Flame red metallic is correct, but it was known as that in the Netherlands, in the UK it was burgundy red. My car is Arctic Blue metallic, but in NL it is just light blue metallic
http://www.volvo-480-europe.org/volvo480/colors/218.html
I see where the confusion has come from now!
Interesting. I wasn’t trying to catch you out, it was that the name Flame Red doesn’t really match the colour IMHO and seems more suitable for a bold, bright colour . . . at least here in the UK! On the subject of metallic reds which really hit the spot, I think Toyota’s Tokyo Red and Tokyo Red Bi-tone (~2015-2019) must be the nicest ones ever to grace our roads.
Haha don’t worry about it!
Yes that is a nice one that, seems more subtle and kinder on the eye