UK 2000-2001: Focus and Astra dominate, Peugeot 206 shines
Ford Focus
* See the Top 25/30 best-selling models by clicking on the title! Many thanks to Florian *
Never before had Britons bought so many new cars: in 2001 no less than 2,458,769 registrations were recorded, a new record for the UK market. The Ford Focus affirms its domination over British sales, improving all through the period with 114,512 sales and 5.2% share in 2000 and 137,074 units and 5.6% in 2001.
Peugeot 206
The Vauxhall Astra is at a best-ever 2nd position over the period, peaking at 98,999 sales and 4% share in 2001, just above the Ford Fiesta at 98,221 units. The Peugeot 206 is now the best-selling foreign model in the country, reaching a position no other foreign model had managed in at least 35 years: it is #5 in 2000 with 80,992 sales and #4 in 2001 with an outstanding 97,887 units.
Rover 25
The Vauxhall Corsa ranks #4 in 2000 and #5 in 2001, the Renault Clio is the 2nd best-selling foreign model, #8 in 2000 and #7 in 2001. The Fiat Punto breaks into the annual British Top 10 for the very first time in the nameplate’s history, ranking #10 in 2000 with 54,840 sales and 2.5% share. Same story for the Citroen Xsara/Picasso, up 122% to #9 and 65,681 units in 2001.
Land Rover Freelander
Further down the ranking, notice the BMW 3 Series getting closer and closer to the year-end Top 10, up to #11 in 2000, the Rover 25 ranking #14 in both years and the Land Rover Freelander breaking into the UK Top 30 in 2000 at #30 and 20,067 units and progressing to #24 and 24,812 sales in 2001.
Full 2000 Top 30 and 2001 Top 25 Ranking Tables below.
UK Full Year 2000:
| Pos | Model | 2000 | % | /99 | 1999 | % | Pos |
| 1 | Ford Focus | 114,512 | 5.2% | 11% | 103,228 | 4.7% | 1 |
| 2 | Vauxhall Astra | 93,276 | 4.2% | 1% | 92,050 | 4.2% | 3 |
| 3 | Ford Fiesta | 91,783 | 4.1% | -8% | 99,830 | 4.5% | 2 |
| 4 | Vauxhall Corsa | 84,490 | 3.8% | -3% | 86,779 | 3.9% | 4 |
| 5 | Peugeot 206 | 80,992 | 3.6% | 38% | 58,788 | 2.7% | 9 |
| 6 | Vauxhall Vectra | 70,741 | 3.2% | -9% | 77,479 | 3.5% | 5 |
| 7 | Ford Mondeo | 69,377 | 3.1% | -10% | 77,183 | 3.5% | 6 |
| 8 | Renault Clio | 61,209 | 2.8% | -4% | 63,991 | 2.9% | 7 |
| 9 | VW Golf | 57,359 | 2.6% | -10% | 63,715 | 2.9% | 8 |
| 10 | Fiat Punto | 54,840 | 2.5% | 36% | 40,439 | 1.8% | 18 |
| 11 | BMW 3 Series | 48,730 | 2.2% | 3% | 47,265 | 2.1% | 12 |
| 12 | Ford Ka | 47,346 | 2.1% | 11% | 42,607 | 1.9% | 16 |
| 13 | Nissan Micra | 46,329 | 2.1% | -3% | 47,775 | 2.2% | 11 |
| 14 | Rover 25 | 45,542 | 2.0% | 3792% | 1,170 | 0.1% | n/a |
| 15 | VW Polo | 43,856 | 2.0% | 1% | 43,422 | 2.0% | 15 |
| 16 | Peugeot 306 | 43,374 | 2.0% | -19% | 53,447 | 2.4% | 10 |
| 17 | Citroen Saxo | 42,930 | 1.9% | -1% | 43,557 | 2.0% | 14 |
| 18 | Peugeot 406 | 36,954 | 1.7% | -13% | 42,242 | 1.9% | 17 |
| 19 | Renault Scénic | 34,443 | 1.6% | 8% | 32,000 | 1.5% | 22 |
| 20 | Renault Mégane | 30,223 | 1.4% | -9% | 33,100 | 1.5% | 20 |
| 21 | Citroen Xsara/Xsara Picasso | 29,560 | 1.3% | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a |
| 22 | Honda Civic | 28,611 | 1.3% | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a |
| 23 | Renault Laguna | 27,378 | 1.2% | -10% | 30,475 | 1.4% | 23 |
| 24 | Ford Escort | 27,052 | 1.2% | -16% | 32,113 | 1.5% | 21 |
| 25 | Peugeot 106 | 25,957 | 1.2% | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a |
| 26 | VW Passat | 24,630 | 1.1% | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a |
| 27 | Toyota Yaris | 24,369 | 1.1% | 42% | 17,119 | 0.8% | n/a |
| 28 | Vauxhall Zafira | 22,977 | 1.0% | 160% | 8,854 | 0.4% | n/a |
| 29 | Toyota Avensis | 21,302 | 1.0% | -3% | 21,998 | 1.0% | 25 |
| 30 | Land Rover Freelander | 20,067 | 0.9% | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a |
UK Full Year 2001:
| Pos | Model | 2001 | % | /00 | 2000 | % | Pos |
| 1 | Ford Focus | 137,074 | 5.6% | 20% | 114,512 | 5.2% | 1 |
| 2 | Vauxhall Astra | 98,999 | 4.0% | 6% | 93,276 | 4.2% | 2 |
| 3 | Ford Fiesta | 98,221 | 4.0% | 7% | 91,783 | 4.1% | 3 |
| 4 | Peugeot 206 | 97,887 | 4.0% | 21% | 80,992 | 3.6% | 5 |
| 5 | Vauxhall Corsa | 93,792 | 3.8% | 11% | 84,490 | 3.8% | 4 |
| 6 | Ford Mondeo | 86,559 | 3.5% | 25% | 69,377 | 3.1% | 7 |
| 7 | Renault Clio | 79,843 | 3.2% | 30% | 61,209 | 2.8% | 8 |
| 8 | VW Golf | 67,099 | 2.7% | 17% | 57,359 | 2.6% | 9 |
| 9 | Citroen Xsara/Xsara Picasso | 65,681 | 2.7% | 122% | 29,560 | 1.3% | 21 |
| 10 | Vauxhall Vectra | 64,877 | 2.6% | -8% | 70,741 | 3.2% | 6 |
| 11 | Fiat Punto | 59,573 | 2.4% | 9% | 54,840 | 2.5% | 10 |
| 12 | BMW 3 Series | 57,444 | 2.3% | 18% | 48,730 | 2.2% | 11 |
| 13 | Ford Ka | 54,285 | 2.2% | 15% | 47,346 | 2.1% | 12 |
| 14 | Rover 25 | 43,215 | 1.8% | -5% | 45,542 | 2.0% | 14 |
| 15 | Nissan Micra | 43,151 | 1.8% | -7% | 46,329 | 2.1% | 13 |
| 16 | VW Polo | 42,822 | 1.7% | -2% | 43,856 | 2.0% | 15 |
| 17 | Citroen Saxo | 42,755 | 1.7% | 0% | 42,930 | 1.9% | 17 |
| 18 | Renault Scénic | 40,412 | 1.6% | 17% | 34,443 | 1.6% | 19 |
| 19 | Honda Civic | 34,419 | 1.4% | 20% | 28,611 | 1.3% | 22 |
| 20 | VW Passat | 33,852 | 1.4% | 37% | 24,630 | 1.1% | 26 |
| 21 | Vauxhall Zafira | 33,655 | 1.4% | 46% | 22,977 | 1.0% | 28 |
| 22 | Renault Mégane | 33,165 | 1.3% | 10% | 30,223 | 1.4% | 20 |
| 23 | Toyota Yaris | 29,726 | 1.2% | 22% | 24,369 | 1.1% | 27 |
| 24 | Land Rover Freelander | 24,812 | 1.0% | 24% | 20,067 | 0.9% | 30 |
| 25 | Peugeot 307 | 24,599 | 1.0% | new | 0 | 0.0% | - |
Source: SMMT, Wikipedia, Manufacturers.
Many thanks to Florian for sharing the data!
It’s more about how the brand is perceived! Most people wouldn’t consider a UK built Honda Civic or Peugeot 206 anything else as being Japanese or French. Whereas a German built Ford Focus or Spanish built Vauxhall Corsa is perceived (by Brits) as British. Other nations tend to see them as German. People tend to look at the brand of the car and not where the car has actually been built… The same goes for every other country, a French built Toyota Yaris is Japanese, a French built Smart is German and so is the French built Bugatti Veyron. Nobody would ever consider the Dutch built Mitsubishi Outlander as being a Dutch car. It’s the brand of car that gives it its nationality, a bit silly maybe, but so very true!
In these modern times, it’s hard to quantify national content of cars. The 206 was assembled in the UK but with high import content. The Focus is imported but with UK sourced engines and a fair bit of design imput.
Interesting to see the overall figures but I would have to question your “foreign” comments about the Peugeot 206. At that time the 206 was being built in the old Rootes / Chrysler factory near Coventry so your definition of “foreign” needs to be questioned. Actually the #1 Ford Focus is more foreign than the 206 as all of them were built outside the UK.