The MOT Files

Orphaned makes

Car brands that left the UK, and how their cars are holding up

Data updated

Quick answer

Sixteen makes with cars still on British roads no longer sell new ones here, from Mitsubishi — 269,585 MOT tests a year — to Morris and Triumph. Their owners have lost the dealer, the manufacturer's website and much of the forum life, but not the MOT record: 433,804 tests across 66 models say exactly how these cars are wearing. The MOT itself is unchanged; parts are what to think about.

When a manufacturer leaves a market its cars do not. A Daihatsu Terios from 2009 is still being tested every year, still failing on the same suspension bushes, and its owner is still searching for what that means — and finding, increasingly, nothing written since 2011. For these cars the MOT record has become the only current, independent account of how they are doing. That is what these pages hold.

Most tested first

The sixteen

Mitsubishileft 2021

269,585 tests · 15 models · 73.7% adjusted

Withdrew from new-car sales in the UK and Europe in 2021 after Nissan-Renault alliance restructuring.

Parts: Parts and servicing continue through the former dealer network under Mitsubishi Motors UK's aftersales arrangement; supply is good and will stay so for years.

Chevroletleft 2015

46,678 tests · 10 models · 53.7% raw

General Motors withdrew the brand from Europe at the end of 2015 to concentrate on Vauxhall and Opel.

Parts: Vauxhall dealers took on parts support. Most UK Chevrolets were Korean-built Daewoo designs, and independent Korean-car specialists know them well.

Saableft 2011

41,090 tests · 3 models · 63.9% raw

Saab Automobile went bankrupt in December 2011 after GM's sale to Spyker failed to save it.

Parts: Orio AB (formerly Saab Parts) still supplies genuine parts, and a strong independent specialist network survives. The 9-3 and 9-5 share much with contemporary Vauxhalls.

Roverleft 2005

22,917 tests · 7 models · 66.5% raw

MG Rover collapsed in April 2005, ending Rover production at Longbridge.

Parts: Rimmer Bros and XPart hold large stocks; the K-series engine and its head gasket are thoroughly documented by the owners' clubs.

Chryslerleft 2015

14,193 tests · 8 models · 61.0% raw

Fiat Chrysler retired the Chrysler badge in the UK in 2015; the models continued as Lancias in Europe.

Parts: Jeep and Fiat dealers support parts. The 300C and Grand Voyager share running gear with Mercedes and Lancia respectively.

Daihatsuleft 2011

13,710 tests · 7 models · 61.3% raw

Toyota's small-car subsidiary stopped UK imports in 2011 as the pound weakened against the yen.

Parts: Toyota dealers can source many parts because most Daihatsus use Toyota engines and components; the Sirion is a Toyota Passo, the Terios shares Toyota running gear.

Infinitileft 2020

7,267 tests · 2 models · 77.9% raw

Nissan's luxury brand left Western Europe in 2020 after a decade of low sales.

Parts: Nissan dealers handle warranty and parts; mechanically most Infinitis share Nissan or Mercedes components.

Talbotleft 1994

4,826 tests · 1 model · 54.4% raw

Peugeot retired the Talbot name in the mid-1980s for cars and 1994 for vans.

Parts: Club-supported. The Express van is a Peugeot J5 and the Horizon shares with the Chrysler Alpine.

Dodgeleft 2010

2,665 tests · 3 models · 65.4% raw

Chrysler's Dodge brand was withdrawn from the UK around 2010 during Chrysler's bankruptcy.

Parts: The Caliber, Nitro and Journey share platforms with Jeep and Chrysler; Jeep dealers can supply parts.

Ldvleft 2009

2,252 tests · 2 models · 52.8% raw

The Birmingham van maker collapsed in 2009; the name was later revived by SAIC as Maxus.

Parts: Maxus does not support old LDVs. The Convoy and Pilot use Ford and Peugeot engines; independent van specialists remain the source.

Triumphleft 1984

2,186 tests · 2 models · 83.1% raw

Triumph car production ended in 1984 with the Acclaim; the motorcycle company is unrelated.

Parts: Rimmer Bros and the TR Register support the sports cars comprehensively.

Morrisleft 1984

1,818 tests · 1 model · 79.1% raw

The Morris name ended in 1984 with the Ital.

Parts: The Minor has one of the best parts supplies of any classic; almost every component is remanufactured.

Austinleft 1987

1,527 tests · 2 models · 70.9% raw

British Leyland dropped the Austin badge in 1987; the Metro, Maestro and Montego carried on unbadged then as Rovers.

Parts: Strong owners' club and specialist support; many share parts with the later Rover 100 and Maestro.

Perodualeft 2008

1,480 tests · 1 model · 68.3% raw

The Malaysian budget brand left the UK in 2008 after fifteen years of small sales.

Parts: Peroduas are Daihatsus underneath, so Toyota components fit many; supply is thin.

Great Wallleft 2016

964 tests · 1 model · 58.1% raw

The Chinese pickup brand sold the Steed in the UK from 2012 and withdrew around 2016.

Parts: The importer IM Group continued parts support; the diesel engine is a licence-built Isuzu design.

Daewooleft 2005

646 tests · 1 model · 49.5% raw

Rebadged as Chevrolet in 2005 after GM took over the Korean company.

Parts: Chevrolet and then Vauxhall dealers inherited support; the cars are identical to early Chevrolets.

Adjusted figures are age-and-mileage standardised where the make has models with enough spread; otherwise the raw pass rate is shown and marked. National average 72.3%. Brands that paused and returned, or rebadged and carried on — Smart, SsangYong as KGM, MG under SAIC — are not listed because their owners still have a manufacturer.

Read further

Owning a car whose maker has gone

Common questions

Can I still get an MOT for a car whose maker has left the UK?
Yes, with no difference at all. The MOT tests the car against a national standard; it does not care whether the manufacturer still trades here. Any MOT station tests any make. What changes when a brand leaves is not the test but what happens afterwards, if the car fails and needs a part.
Where do parts come from once a brand has gone?
Mostly from the parent group that still trades. Daihatsus are Toyotas underneath, Chevrolets and Daewoos became Vauxhall's responsibility, Chryslers and Dodges share with Jeep, and Mitsubishi kept its UK aftersales network running after it stopped selling cars. Saab and Rover, which had no parent left, are supported by specialist parts companies and unusually strong owners' clubs. Each make below says where to look.
Are orphaned cars worse at the MOT?
Not because they are orphaned. Most of these fleets are old — the youngest brand here left in 2021 — and old cars fail more whatever the badge. Judged against cars of the same age and mileage, the picture is mixed: some hold up well, some do not, and the make pages carry the adjusted figure where the data supports one. Mitsubishi does best of the group on that measure at 73.7%.
Is it a bad idea to buy a car from a departed brand?
Usually not, and it is often a bargain: prices fall when a badge disappears, faster than the cars deteriorate. The two things to check are parts supply for that specific model — which the notes below cover — and whether a specialist near you knows the car. A model with Toyota or Vauxhall running gear is an easy ownership proposition. A Saab 9-5 or a Rover 75 needs a specialist, and rewards finding one.

Analysis built from DVSA data of