The Classic Car Owner's Guide
Classic British cars: the marques and their models
By Jon Cosson · Last checked
Most of the cars that cross the block at Mathewsons, a few miles from Thornton-le-Dale, and most of those on Bangers & Cash, were built in Britain. This guide covers the British marques, from Austin and Morris to Aston Martin and Rolls-Royce, with where each was built, its best-known classic models, our buying guides and the cars of each make that have appeared on the programme.
A short history of the British car industry
After the Second World War most British cars came from a handful of groups. In 1952 Austin and the Nuffield Organisation, which owned Morris, MG, Riley and Wolseley, merged to form the British Motor Corporation (BMC). BMC launched the Mini in 1959. In 1968 British Motor Holdings, which by then included Jaguar and Daimler, merged with the Leyland Motor Corporation, which owned Triumph and Rover, to form the British Leyland Motor Corporation.
The Rootes Group, home to Hillman, Humber, Sunbeam and Singer, came under the full control of Chrysler in 1967, and Peugeot took over Chrysler's European business in 1978. Ford and Vauxhall, owned by American companies, built family cars at Dagenham, Halewood, Luton and Ellesmere Port, while smaller firms such as Morgan, Lotus, TVR, Reliant and Bristol built sports and specialist cars in small numbers.
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Showing 28 of 28 marques
BMC and British Leyland
Austin
Herbert Austin's Longbridge firm built family cars in large numbers and merged with Morris in 1952 to form BMC, later becoming part of British Leyland.
Built at: Longbridge, Birmingham
The Austin name was dropped from new cars in the late 1980s.
Best-known classics:
- A35 saloon (1956 to 1959)
- A40 Farina (1958 to 1967)
- Allegro (1973 to 1982)
Our buying guides:
Morris
William Morris's Cowley company built affordable family cars and joined Austin in BMC in 1952; the Minor is its best remembered post-war model.
Built at: Cowley, Oxford
The last Morris-badged vehicle, an Ital van, was built in December 1984.
Best-known classics:
- Minor (1948 to 1971)
- Marina (1971 to 1980)
- Ital (1980 to 1984)
Our buying guides:
MG
Born from the Morris Garages dealership in Oxford, MG built sports cars at Abingdon from 1929 until the factory closed in 1980; the name survives under Chinese ownership.
Built at: Abingdon, Oxfordshire
Still in production, owned by SAIC Motor.
Best-known classics:
- MGA (1955 to 1962)
- Midget (1961 to 1979)
- MGB (1962 to 1980)
- MGB GT V8 (1973 to 1976)
Our buying guides:
Mini
Alec Issigonis's front-wheel drive small car, launched by BMC in 1959, was built for 41 years before BMW revived the name as a separate marque.
Built at: Longbridge, Birmingham
The last classic Mini left Longbridge on 4 October 2000; MINI is now part of BMW Group.
Best-known classics:
- Mini, sold first as the Austin Seven and Morris Mini-Minor (1959 to 2000)
- Mini Cooper (1961 to 1971)
- Mini Cooper S (1963 to 1971)
- Mini Clubman (from 1969)
Our buying guides:
Austin-Healey
A partnership between Donald Healey and Austin produced open sports cars from 1953, first at Longbridge and later alongside MG at Abingdon.
Built at: Longbridge, then Abingdon from late 1957
The last Austin-Healey-badged cars were built around 1970.
Best-known classics:
- 100 (1953 to 1956)
- 100-6 (1956 to 1959)
- Sprite (1958 to 1970)
- 3000 (from 1959)
Our buying guides:
Riley
A Coventry maker of sporting saloons, Riley joined Nuffield in 1938 and later supplied upmarket versions of BMC models until the name was dropped in 1969.
Built at: Coventry until 1948, then Abingdon
The last Rileys were built in October 1969.
Best-known classics:
- RM series (1945 to 1955)
- Pathfinder (1953 to 1957)
- One-Point-Five (1957 to 1965)
- Elf (1961 to 1969)
- Kestrel and 1300 (1965 to 1969)
Wolseley
Wolseley became part of Morris in 1927 and, in the BMC years, offered more luxurious versions of shared Cowley and Longbridge designs until the name ended in 1975.
Built at: Cowley, Oxford
The name ended in 1975.
Best-known classics:
- Hornet (1961 to 1969)
- 18-22 saloon (1975)
Our buying guides:
Triumph
Triumph built cars in Coventry from 1923 until the name disappeared in 1984, from the Herald and Spitfire to the TR sports cars and the Stag.
Built at: Canley, Coventry
The last Triumph, the Acclaim, was built in 1984.
Best-known classics:
- Herald (1959 to 1971)
- Spitfire (1962 to 1980)
- TR6 (1969 to 1976)
- Stag (1970 to 1977)
- Dolomite (1972 to 1980)
Our buying guides:
Rover
A Coventry cycle maker turned car builder, Rover moved to Solihull after the war, created the Land Rover and joined Leyland in 1967.
Built at: Solihull
The Rover name ended with the collapse of MG Rover in 2005.
Best-known classics:
- P4 (1949 to 1964)
- P6 (from 1963)
- SD1 (1976 to 1986)
Our buying guides:
Land Rover
Rover's utility four-wheel drive, launched at the Amsterdam Motor Show on 30 April 1948 and built at Solihull, grew into a separate marque that added the Range Rover in 1970.
Built at: Solihull
Still in production, as part of Jaguar Land Rover, owned by Tata.
Best-known classics:
- Series I (1948 to 1958)
- Series II and IIA (1958 to 1971)
- Series III (from 1971)
- Range Rover (on sale from 1970)
Our buying guides:
Jaguar
William Lyons's company moved from Blackpool to Coventry, built sports cars and saloons at Browns Lane and bought Daimler in 1960.
Built at: Browns Lane, Coventry, from the early 1950s
Part of Jaguar Land Rover, owned by Tata.
Best-known classics:
- XK120 (1948 to 1954)
- Mk2 (1959 to 1967)
- E-type (from 1961)
- XJ6 (launched 1968)
- XJ-S (1975 to 1996)
Our buying guides:
Daimler
One of Britain's first car makers, Daimler of Coventry built large saloons and limousines and, after Jaguar bought it in 1960, badged Jaguar's luxury versions.
Built at: Coventry
The name is no longer used on new cars.
Best-known classics:
- SP250 'Dart' (1959 to 1964)
- DS420 limousine (1968 to 1992)
The Rootes Group
Hillman
A Coventry maker of family cars, Hillman became the core of the Rootes Group and built the rear-engined Imp at Linwood in Scotland.
Built at: Ryton-on-Dunsmore, near Coventry; the Imp at Linwood
The Hillman name disappeared in the mid-1970s, when the cars were rebadged as Chryslers.
Best-known classics:
- Imp (1963 to 1976)
- Hunter (from 1966)
- Avenger (as a Hillman, 1970 to 1976)
Our buying guides:
Humber
Humber was the Rootes Group's upmarket badge, building large saloons at Ryton until 1967 and ending with a Hunter-based Sceptre in 1976.
Built at: Ryton-on-Dunsmore, near Coventry
The last Humber, the Sceptre, was built in 1976.
Best-known classics:
- Super Snipe (1958 to 1967)
- Sceptre Mk3 (1967 to 1976)
Our buying guides:
Sunbeam
Once a Wolverhampton maker of fine cars, Sunbeam became the Rootes Group's sporting name, used on the Rapier, Alpine and Tiger built at Ryton.
Built at: Ryton-on-Dunsmore, near Coventry
The name later appeared on the Talbot Sunbeam.
Best-known classics:
- Rapier (1955 to 1976)
- Alpine (1959 to 1968)
- Tiger (from 1964)
Our buying guides:
Singer
Singer of Coventry made cycles and then cars before joining the Rootes Group, after which its name appeared on better-equipped Rootes saloons until 1970.
Built at: Birmingham, later Ryton under Rootes
The name ended in 1970.
Best-known classics:
- Gazelle
- Vogue
- Chamois (1964 to 1970)
Ford and Vauxhall
Ford of Britain
Ford's British arm assembled the Model T at Trafford Park, Manchester, from 1911, moved to Dagenham in 1931 and produced many of Britain's best-selling family cars.
Built at: Dagenham, Essex, and Halewood, Merseyside, from the 1960s
Ford still sells cars in Britain.
Best-known classics:
- Anglia 105E (1959 to 1967)
- Cortina (1962 to 1982)
- Capri, built at Halewood for the UK (1969 to 1986)
Our buying guides:
Vauxhall
A London engineering firm that moved to Luton, Vauxhall was bought by General Motors in 1925 and built mainstream family cars at Luton and Ellesmere Port.
Built at: Luton, Bedfordshire, and Ellesmere Port, Cheshire, from the early 1960s
Still in production.
Best-known classics:
- Victor (1957 to 1976)
- Viva (1963 to 1979)
- Chevette (1975 to 1984)
Our buying guides:
Sports and specialist makers
Morgan
A family firm in Malvern Link, Worcestershire, Morgan began with three-wheelers and has built traditionally styled sports cars on the same site for more than a century.
Built at: Pickersleigh Road, Malvern Link
Still in production.
Best-known classics:
- 4/4 (from 1936, the first four-wheeler)
- Plus 4 (from 1950)
- Plus 8 (to 2004)
Our buying guides:
Lotus
Colin Chapman's company grew from a north London workshop into a maker of light sports cars at Hethel in Norfolk, alongside its racing team.
Built at: Cheshunt, Hertfordshire, then Hethel, Norfolk, from 1966
Still in production, majority owned by Geely.
Best-known classics:
- Seven (1957 to 1973)
- Elan (1962 to 1973)
- Esprit (from the mid-1970s)
Our buying guides:
TVR
A Blackpool maker of small-volume sports cars, TVR passed through several owners from the 1960s onwards and stopped series production in 2006.
Built at: Blackpool
Series production stopped in 2006.
Best-known classics:
- Grantura (from 1958)
- Vixen (1967 to 1973)
- M series (from 1972)
- Tasmin (from 1980)
Reliant
Reliant of Tamworth built three-wheelers such as the Robin alongside four-wheeled cars, including the Scimitar GTE sporting estate launched in 1968.
Built at: Tamworth, Staffordshire
Reliant's own production ended in February 2001.
Best-known classics:
- Scimitar GTE (from 1968)
- Robin (1973 to 1981)
Our buying guides:
Jensen
A West Bromwich coachbuilder that became a car maker, Jensen built Chrysler V8 grand tourers such as the Interceptor until the company closed in 1976.
Built at: West Bromwich
Jensen Motors closed in 1976.
Best-known classics:
- C-V8
- Interceptor (1966 to 1976)
- FF
Our buying guides:
AC
A small Thames Ditton firm, AC built the Ace roadster in the 1950s and supplied the body and chassis for the Shelby Cobra in the 1960s.
Built at: Thames Ditton, Surrey
Best-known classics:
- Ace (from 1953)
- Aceca
- Cobra (from 1962)
Our buying guides:
Bristol
Formed by the Bristol Aeroplane Company after the Second World War, Bristol built small numbers of hand-finished saloons and coupés at Filton.
Built at: Filton, Bristol
The company no longer builds cars.
Best-known classics:
- 400 (1947 to 1950)
- 401 (1949 to 1953)
- 403 (1953 to 1955)
- 407 (from 1961, the first Bristol V8)
Luxury and grand touring
Aston Martin
Founded in London in 1913, Aston Martin was bought by David Brown in 1947 and built its DB grand tourers at Newport Pagnell from the 1950s.
Built at: Newport Pagnell, Buckinghamshire
Still in production.
Best-known classics:
- DB2 (1950 to 1953)
- DB4 (1958 to 1963)
- DB5 (from 1963)
- DB6 (to 1970)
- AM V8 (from 1972)
Our buying guides:
Bentley
W.O. Bentley's company was taken over by Rolls-Royce in 1931, and from 1946 its cars were built at Crewe alongside closely related Rolls-Royce models.
Built at: Crewe, Cheshire
Still in production at Crewe, owned by Volkswagen Group.
Best-known classics:
- Mark VI (from 1946)
- R-Type and R-Type Continental (1952 to 1955)
- S1 (1955 to 1959)
- T-series
Rolls-Royce
Rolls-Royce built its post-war cars at Crewe alongside Bentley, separating from the aero engine business in 1971 before BMW took the name in 2003.
Built at: Crewe, Cheshire
Still in production at Goodwood, West Sussex, owned by BMW.
Best-known classics:
- Silver Cloud (from 1955)
- Silver Shadow (from 1965)
- Corniche (from 1971)
British classics on Bangers & Cash
Of the 608 vehicles named in the programme listings, 304 are from the makes on this page.
- Ford (70)
- MG (26)
- Austin (25)
- Triumph (22)
- Morris (20)
- Vauxhall (20)
- Jaguar (16)
- Mini (13)
- Bentley (10)
- Aston Martin (8)
Browse every car in our Bangers & Cash car finder.
Buying a British classic
Before you bid, read the model's buying guide in our classic car buying guides, our thinking of bidding checklist and our guide to inspecting a classic car. For British classic car auctions in the region, see our guide to classic car auctions in Yorkshire and the North, and to see the cars in person, our classic car shows in Yorkshire calendar. Our decade guides cover the 1920s, 1930s, 1940s and 1950s, and our 1980s cars page lists the later ones seen on the programme.
FAQs
- What was British Leyland?
- The British Leyland Motor Corporation was formed in 1968 when British Motor Holdings merged with the Leyland Motor Corporation. It brought together Austin, Morris, MG, Mini, Riley, Wolseley, Triumph, Rover, Land Rover, Jaguar and Daimler.
- Which classic British car makers still build cars?
- Of the makes on this page, Morgan, MG, Mini, Land Rover, Vauxhall, Lotus, Aston Martin, Bentley and Rolls-Royce still build cars, though most are now owned by groups based outside Britain.
- When was the last classic Mini built?
- The last classic Mini left the Longbridge factory in Birmingham on 4 October 2000, 41 years after BMC launched it in 1959.
- Which British cars have buying guides on this site?
- Each marque above lists our buying guides for that make, and the full list is on our classic car buying guides page.
- Where can I see classic British cars in Yorkshire?
- Mathewsons near Thornton-le-Dale holds viewings before each auction, and our classic car shows calendar lists shows across Yorkshire and the North.
Help shape this guide
This is an independent guide written in the village, and what goes in next is partly up to you. Vote, send an idea, or both.
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Checked 27 October 2026 against Grace's Guide, AROnline, Hagerty UK, Classics World, Lancaster Insurance, Motor Sport, Octane, Jaguar Heritage, the British Motor Museum and the marque clubs.
An independent guide from Thornton-le-Dale. Not connected with Mathewsons or the programme.