Research into the most popular car brands in the UK reveals that British luxury marque Jaguar tops the list for 2023.
A survey by YouGov UK asked members of the public whether they had a positive opinion of a number of car brands.
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A total of 67 different models featured on the list. They include everything from top-of-the-range luxury vehicles to standard family cars.
The results were based on the percentage of respondents who expressed a favourable opinion of the car.
Read on to find out more about the top 20 vehicles in the UK at the end of 2023.
1. Jaguar: Most popular car in UK (71%)
Jaguar has been manufacturing luxury cars since 1922, when it was founded in the UK town of Blackpool, in Lancashire.
Initially called the Swallow Sidecar Company, it achieved a 71% positive rating from respondents in the YouGov poll.
2. Aston Martin (69%)
Second on the most popular list is the Aston Martin, another British luxury sports car, founded in London in 1913.
Famously known worldwide as the James Bond car, the Aston Martin DB5 was used by the fictional spy 007 in the Ian Fleming novels.
3. Rolls-Royce (66%)
The Rolls-Royce company was established as a luxury manufacturer by Charles Rolls and Henry Royce, when motor cars were in their infancy in 1904.
In 1987, a marketing study revealed only Coca-Cola was a better-known global brand than Rolls-Royce.
4. Ferrari (65%)
The Italian manufacturer, famous for sports cars and its Formula 1 Grand Prix team, was founded in 1939 by Enzo Ferrari.
In May 2023, the company was named as one of the world’s largest car manufacturers, having a market value of around £40.9 billion.
5. Porsche (64%)
Founded in 1931 in Stuttgart, Germany, Porsche specialises in high performance sports cars.
The iconic manufacturer’s current line-up includes the Taycan, Cayenne, Panamera, Macan, 718 and 911.
6. Audi (62%)
The German auto brand Audi was founded in July 1909.
Today, it manufactures vehicles worldwide in nine production facilities.
7. Nissan (60%)
Japanese automobile manufacturer Nissan was founded in 1933. Since 1999, it has been part of the Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi Alliance.
It was named as the ninth largest car manufacturer in the world in 2022, with revenue of £61.4 billion.
8. Lamborghini (60%)
The Lamborghini is one of the world’s leading manufacturers of luxury sports cars.
The Italian brand was founded in 1963 by automobile designer and inventor Ferruccio Lamborghini.
9. Bentley (60%)
A historic sports racing brand, British motor manufacturer Bentley was founded in 1909.
Today, the majority of models are made at the company’s factory in Crewe, UK, while a small number are made in Germany.
10. Ford (60%)
The Ford Motor Company was launched in the United States by Henry Ford in 1903.
Still a frontrunner in automobile production today, with ventures all over the world, the pioneering company has been in existence since the early days of motor cars.
11. BMW (59%)
German luxury car manufacturer BMW was launched in 1916, originally to manufacture aircraft engines during World War I.
It was named as the world’s 14th largest motor vehicle producer in 2017, when it manufactured 2.2 million new cars.
12. Mini (59%)
A cult British car, the Mini was first manufactured in 1959 by the British Motor Corporation.
It gained fame in the 1969 crime caper, The Italian Job, starring Michael Caine, when it earned the iconic status that it retains today.
13. Mercedes-Benz (58%)
The German luxury and commercial vehicle manufacturer Mercedes-Benz was founded in 1926.
It can trace its origins to the years of Karl Benz's first internal combustion engine in a motor car, as designed for the Benz Patent Motorwagen.
14. Land Rover (56%)
British brand Land Rover manufactures mainly four-wheel drive vehicles.
Established in 1948, three years later it was awarded a Royal Warrant by King George VI in 1951. In 2001, Queen Elizabeth II granted Land Rover the Queen’s Award for Enterprise.
15. Volkswagen (56%)
German brand Volkswagen was founded in 1937 by the German Labour Front programme in Berlin.
Its name means “people’s car”. Today, its biggest market is in China, which accounts for 40% of VW’s sales and profits.
16. Volvo (56%)
Founded in Stockholm, Sweden, in 1927, Volvo is synonymous with reliability.
It became the world’s second-largest maker of trucks, manufactured by its subsidiary, Volvo Trucks, in 2016.
17. Honda (56%)
The Japanese car manufacturer Honda was founded in 1946 by Soichiro Honda.
A pioneer in the industry, in 1986 Honda became the first Japanese manufacturer to release its own dedicated luxury brand, the Acura.
18. Toyota (51%)
Founded in Japan in 1937, the Toyota Motor Company sold cars to the growing middle classes in the 1960s.
Its management philosophy (the Toyota Way) and lean manufacturing processes transformed it into a leading motor car producer. It has been the subject of multiple academic studies as a result.
19. Skoda (49%)
The Skoda Works was originally an arms manufacturer, founded by Czech engineer Emil Škoda in 1859.
It began manufacturing bicycles as Skoda Auto in the early 1890s. Its first car factories were founded in 1896.
20. Vauxhall (48%)
The British car company Vauxhall was launched in 1857, originally as a marine engine and pump manufacturer.
One of the world’s oldest motor car companies, Vauxhall Motors produced its first cars in 1903.
A number of the brands in the 2023 top 20 list are famous for producing classic cars and collectors’ vehicles.
Some owners choose to refurbish their vehicle with a retrofit of modern technology, such as reversing cameras and satellite navigation system, to enjoy the luxury of a classic car with the benefits of modern motoring aids.
