The Best British Cars

The UK has a long history of producing cars, starting with steam-powered vehicles in 1860. Over the decades, many famous car brands have come to the UK, including Bentley and Rolls-Royce.

British companies have always been known for manufacturing top-quality cars and some of the world’s best are still made here. Some of the most famous of these are Aston Martin, Mini and Jaguar, but there are a number of other brands that are based in the UK and produce some excellent vehicles too.

Aston Martin, based in Gaydon, Warwickshire, manufactures sports and grand tourers that epitomise the classic British car. Their designs are renowned for being very elegant and sleek.

Another bespoke manufacturer with a love of craft is Morgan, which was founded in Malvern Hills in Worcestershire in 1912. The company’s wooden chassis and unique styling have led to a cult following that can see waiting lists of up to 10 years for particular models.

Honda, headquartered in Swindon, also make their cars in the UK and have a plant near Sunderland that produced over half a million vehicles in 2012. Their Juke and Qashqui models are all made here and they have a great website dedicated to this aspect of their business.

Nissan, based in Washington, North East England, made its first vehicle in 1986 and are now the largest automaker in the UK with a production capacity of around half a million a year. In 2012, the Nissan Qashqui was the best-selling British-built car in the country and a quarter of the total Nissan fleet was built in the UK.

BMW, based in Oxford, also make their cars in the UK. The Clubman and Cabrio are both popular and they are very good fun to drive as well as being very stylish.

Vauxhall, based in Luton, have made the Insignia and Corsa a firm favourite and they’ve also been involved in some motor racing too. In the 1970s they took part in a variety of touring car championships, including the British GT.

Noble Cars, based in Leicester, make some of the world’s best sports cars and they are all about grunt and raw power rather than relying on technology to help them.

The UK is home to a number of other famous and successful car manufacturers, but some of them have been especially notable for their logos over the years. For instance, Aston Martin has a distinctly British logo that is recognizable all over the world, while BMW and Ford are well-known in the automotive industry as one of the most famous car makers in the world.

McLaren, based in Woking, Surrey, is an iconic brand that makes some of the world’s best sports cars. The latest model is the Artura, which is a plug-in hybrid that is set to be sold at relative volume.

The British have a logical way of driving that many people miss, mainly because we are right-handed. Most drivers use the left hand to perform the function of steering, while using the right hand for gear changing.