2011 Full Year Top-Ten Best-Selling Car Models in the UK

The Ford Fiesta remained the most popular car model in Great Britain in 2011. The Ford Focus was the second most-sold car in the UK.

Orange Ford Fiesta UK Model
© 2011 Ford Motor Company

In 2011, or the third year running, the Ford Fiesta was Britain’s favorite car. The Ford Focus regained second place on the list of the top-selling cars in the UK while the Vauxhall Corsa took third place. The VW Golf was the fourth most popular new car in the United Kingdom in 2011 and the most popular diesel car in Britain.

List of the Ten Top-Selling Car Models in Britain in 2011

According to car sales statistics released by the SMMT, the list of the ten best-selling cars in the United Kingdom during 2011 is:

Make & Model – Cars Sold in Britain in 2011

  1. Ford Fiesta – 96,112
  2. Ford Focus – 81,832
  3. Vauxhall Corsa – 77,751
  4. Volkswagen Golf – 63,368
  5. Vauxhall Astra – 62,575
  6. Vauxhall Insignia – 46,324
  7. Volkswagen Polo – 45,992
  8. BMW 3 Series – 42,471
  9. Nissan Qashqai – 39,406
  10. MINI – 35,845

Source: SMMT

Changes in the Top-Ten List of Best-Selling Car Models in the UK in 2011

The composition of the top-ten list of best-selling cars in Britain in 2011 remained largely the same as in 2011. The only new entrant on the list was the Vauxhall Insignia while the aging Peugeot 207 dropped out of the top-ten list for the first time in years.

The order of the best-selling cars in Britain saw several changes during 2011. The Ford Fiesta remained the best-selling car in Britain despite selling almost 7,000 fewer cars in the UK in 2011. The Ford Focus regained second place from third by selling around 4,000 more cars in Britain in 2011.

Vauxhall had mixed fortunes- The Vauxhall Corsa took third place, up from fourth last year, with sales roughly unchanged while the Vauxhall Astra slipped from second by selling almost 18,000 fewer cars. The Vauxhall Insignia was a new entry on the top-ten list in 2011.

German Cars the Most Popular Imported Cars in the UK in 2011

The Volkswagen Golf improved from fifth to the fourth best-selling car in Great Britain in 2011. This was the VW Golf’s best position ever on the British market. The Golf gained from an increased popularity in diesel vehicles and was the most popular diesel car in Britain in 2011.

The VW Polo slipped one rank position from last year despite selling a few hundred more cars in Britain in 2011. The BMW 3 Series maintained its position as the eighth most popular car in Britain despite its image of exclusivity.

The Nissan Qashqai gained a rank position with slightly more sales in 2011 while the Mini slipped one position by selling nearly 6,000 fewer cars in Britain compared to 2010.

The British car market in 2011 was 4.4% down from a year earlier. Ford and Vauxhall were the best-selling manufacturers in Britain in 2011.

About the author:

Henk Bekker

Henk Bekker is a freelance writer with over 20 years of experience in online writing. His best-selling cars website has been reporting car sales statistics since 2008 with classic car auction prices focusing on the most expensive automobiles sold at public auctions in the past decade. He also owns the travel websites European-Traveler.com and Lake Geneva Switzerland. Henk holds an MBA from Edinburgh Business School and an MSc in Finance from the University of London.

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