A new report shows that once great sellers from the 70's and 80's are very close to being completely wiped out in the UK.

Recent research by leading classic car insurer, ClassicLine has revealed that a number of once popular British classic cars are facing an extinction crisis.

The list of top ten most endangered cars in Britain has been published by the insurance specialists as part of it’s new ‘Save our Classics’ campaign.

Taking the top spot on the endangered list is the British Leyland built, Morris Ital. The new figures revealing that with only 35 registered examples left they are now rarer than a Javan Rhino.

Built at Cowley and then later Longbridge between 1980 – 1984, the Ital was the last production car to wear the Morris badge. In the past decade, a shocking 150 Itals have disappeared from Britain’s roads, and today, the youngest car in the Morris family is on the very brink of extinction.

“Once common 1970’s and 80’s cars are disappearing at an alarming rate and this new list is evidence that a serious extinction crisis is mounting”, said Ian Fray, managing director at ClassicLine. “Tens of thousands of Itals were built during the 1980s, they are a proud part of our British manufacturing heritage so it is very sad to hear that so few now remain”.

The new data also highlights the decimation of the iconic Ford Sierra. Often seen roaming across the British landscape in vast numbers through the Eighties and Nineties they are now in a worrying state of decline. With over 64,000 being lost in the last decade, less than one per cent of the total built now remain.

Other cars high on the Save our Classics endangered list include the 1980’s best seller, the Austin Metro, the once popular Ford Cortina, the Austin Allegro, the Vauxhall Victor and the Hillman Avenger.

Fray added, “It is a tragedy that such huge numbers of these cars have been lost in the last decade. Through our new campaign we aim to raise awareness and support for the plight of these once common and much loved British classics that are being recklessly driven to extinction”.

The new Save our Classics campaign, launched earlier this month by ClassicLine encourages the preservation of British classic cars and has called for a number of incentives such as reducing the current UK road tax exemption from 40 years to 30 years to help enthusiasts maintain the dwindling stock. Drivers and enthusiasts can pledge their support to the campaign through the ClassicLine webpage and join the growing community of ‘spotters’ who are being encouraged to share sightings of the endangered cars when they see them out on the road.

For more information about the campaign and to pledge your support visit 

www.classiclineinsurance.co.uk/save-our-classics 

or 

www.facebook.com/saveourclassics

Top 10 endangered cars in the UK

	2015	2005	Amount built	% lost
Morris Ital (1980 – 1984)	35	185	175,276	99.98004
Austin Maxi (1969 – 1981)	140	318	472,098	99.97035
Austin Allegro (1973-1982)	170	543	642,340	99.97354
Vauxhall Chevette (1975 – 1984)	202	765	416,058	99.95145
Hillman Avenger (1970-1981)	215	291	638,631	99.96634
Morris Marina (1971 – 1980)	273	550	809,612	99.96629
Austin Metro (1980 – 1991)	464	8395	1,518,932	99.96946
Vauxhall Victor (1961 – 1978)	828	1050	827,159	99.8999
Ford Sierra (1982 – 1993)	3350	67817	3,470,524	99.90348
Ford Cortina	3580	4967	4,154,902	99.91384