Do you live in one of the 10 areas of Britain where people drive the oldest cars?

By ROB HULL, MOTORING EDITOR

Updated:

Britons are holding onto their cars for longer than ever with ownership figures showing the average age of vehicles on our roads has increased to nine years.

It means drivers are most commonly knocking around in motors first registered in 2016.

The current national average car age is well ahead of convention; wind the clocks back to the year 2000 and it was just seven years.

And according to analysis by the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders, the average age of our motors has increased by a whole year since 2019.

But which towns and cities have the most bangers on their streets? 

A new study claims these are Britain's locations with the oldest motors...

Britain's banger capitals revealed: These are the 10 major towns and cities with the higher average car age on the road

Britain's banger capitals revealed: These are the 10 major towns and cities with the higher average car age on the road

A review of Office of National Statistics data by Cars.co.uk has uncovered motorists in East and South England have a greater tendency to hang onto their motors for longer than northern neighbours.

Norwich has the highest average car age at 11.96 years, some three years older than the national average.

The Norfolk city - synonymous with fictional TV character Alan Partridge, whose cars included a Rover 800 and a Kia Optima - was closely followed by Bournemouth, Dorset, where the average age is 11.7 years.

Third place is claimed by Southampton, where the average vehicle is 11.66 years old.

Boston in Lincolnshire and Oxford round out the top five major towns and cities with the oldest motors with their local average car ages sitting at 11.51 and 11.43 years respectively.

Norwich has the highest average car age at 11.96 years, some three years older than the national average

Norwich has the highest average car age at 11.96 years, some three years older than the national average

Britain's towns and cities with the higher average car age 

1. Norwich - 11.96 years

2. Bournemouth - 11.7 years

3. Southampton - 11.66 years

4. Boston -11.51 years

5. Oxford - 11.43 years

6. Southend-on-Sea - 11.4 years

7. Bristol - 11.28 years

8. Brighton - 11.22 years

9. Reading - 11.21 years

10. Gloucester - 11.18 years

Source: Cars.co.uk analysis of ONS data 

Factory closures and a shortage of new vehicles triggered by the Covid-19 lockdowns from March 2020 created a supply issue that lasted for around 24 months.

This saw drivers keep their existing cars for longer out of necessity rather than choice. 

However, latest new car sales data shows demand shrinking as Britons put off big-ticket purchases during a cost-of-living squeeze.

Last year, 1.9million passenger models were registered. 

While this was a 2.6 per cent increase on 2023, it is one million sales short of the peak in 2019. 

In contrast, the used market is enjoying a booming period with over 7.6million second-hand motors changing hands last year.

'With the industry now largely recovered from previous supply chain challenges that constricted deliveries in the aftermath of the pandemic, manufacturers could better meet robust pent-up demand,' the trade body said in April last year. 

'Implied scrappage rates of older vehicles has also fallen to the lowest on record with British motorists keeping their cars for longer.' 

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