Every manufacturer has its hits and their misses, with some models selling thousands upon thousands of units each year, and others barely breaking the hundred mark. However, while limited-run vehicles can be some of the most highly sought after, other releases may not have sold well or simply didn’t stand the test of time. From older vehicles that have disappeared over the years, to more modern cars that didn’t sell well, here are some of the rarest cars you’ll (maybe) see on the UK roads today.

Daihatsu Materia

Daihatsu isn’t a hugely known brand here in the UK and so as you may expect, a number of their vehicles are uncommon on our roads. However, it’s the 2007 Daihatsu Materia that really takes the lead as the rarest on the roads. With a 1.5 litre engine and an undeniably ‘quirky’ design that didn’t seem to attract as many buyers as planned, crossed with a limited model range, the vehicle didn’t sell as well as hoped. However, there are still 693 left on the UK roads today, proving that, while rare, the Materia is a durable and well looked after vehicle.

Alfa Romeo Six

The Alfa Romeo Six, released back in 1979, is quite possibly the rarest car on our list, with data suggesting that only one example is still on UK roads and another 5 are registered as SORN. The vehicle has a seven-year production run, but only 12,070 vehicles were produced worldwide. Despite the 2.5 litre engine and luxury design, this vehicle simply didn’t catch attention and given the incredibly low numbers, doesn’t appear to have stood the test of time either.

Renault Sport Spider

While weird and wacky cars are seen on UK roads, they typically aren’t a style that sells well in UK markets and that was precisely where the Renault 1997 Sport Spider seemed to go wrong. The fun and unusual design and style were certainly eye-catching, but this often led to a compromised build and performance. For that reason, only 96 of them ever made it onto UK soil. Today, there are around 38 left on the roads but will still demand a significant price if you do manage to find one on the used car market!

SEAT Cordoba

The SEAT Corboda was, for all intents and purposes, a perfectly fine vehicle. SEAT released not just one, but two runs of the Corboda, first in 1994 and then again in 2003, however the small saloon just didn’t seem to catch attention as well as they had hoped. Generally speaking, it was a perfectly usable and even pleasant enough car, but it never seemed to appeal to UK buyers. Only 294 are currently on UK roads, with over 400 now on SORN.

Alpine A610

When Renault released the Alpine A610, it came after the relative success of the GTA in the UK. In fact, the A610 was a revised version of the GTA, but it simply didn’t pack the right punch. It had plenty of features and luxury kit, but with a £37,000 cost back in 1992, this was far too much for most UK car buyers to reach. Even after the price was dropped to £30,000, it just wasn’t quite enough. Only 68 were sold in the UK in total, and only 13 are still on roads today.

Ford Cougar

The Ford Cougar, unlike many of the cars on this list, actually did pretty well in initial sales. In fact, it did pretty well during it’s run back in 1998. However, over the following years, we’ve seen more and more Cougar’s disappearing from UK roads at a somewhat alarming rate. Over 90% of all cars bought and registered have been taken off the road or lost along the way, leaving just 644 on the roads today. It might seem like a lot, but against the 6,505 available in 2012, it’s had quite the drop.

Nissan Cube

The Nissan Cube was released in the UK in 2010 and while it performed pretty across the world – particularly in Japan, it didn’t do nearly as well on British streets. This Japanese car was unique in appearance and had a pretty high price tag as well and it became clear that UK buyers weren’t willing to pay out for such a left-field design. It was considered a failure for Nissan in the UK, and only 1,000 or so are still available across the whole of the UK today.

From poor designs that didn’t click with buyers, to simply not being very popular, the cars listed above each had their reasons for being rare on the roads today. If you own any of these cars or have another model that seems few and far between, we are on hand to help. Our mechanics are well-versed in a number of makes, models and vehicle components and can help you with your vehicle repairs or servicing, today. Get in touch to find out more.