The 1990s was the era in which the widespread adoption of fuel injection, ABS, power steering
and air conditioning improved dependability, safety, usability, and comfort.
Registration plates for the first 9 years of the decade run from H in 1990 to S in 1998 (no I, O or Q).
Notable events:
1990: Skoda becomes the latest firm to be assimilated into the Volkswagen Group of brands, after SEAT and Audi.
1993: Aston Martin launches the DB7, a new sports GT created with resources from Jaguar and funds from Ford. It’s seen as a watershed moment for the British luxury brand.
1994: Six years after taking control of Rover Group, British Aerospace elects to sell its 80 per cent stake in the firm to BMW. Honda soon offloads the remaining 20 per cent.
1994: McLaren launches its first road car – the F1. Designed by Gordon Murray, and powered by a BMW V12 engine, it’s the fastest car in the world.
1995: The Pass Plus scheme was introduced in November 1995 to help newly qualified young drivers gain valuable driving experience and reduce the risk of them being involved in an accident.
1996: A separate written theory test was introduced on 1 July 1996. It replaced questions asked about The Highway Code during the driving test. Candidates now have to produce their driving licence for their test. The theory test pass mark was raised from 26/35 to 30/35 on 1 October 1996.
1998: Bluetooth integration appears in cars for the first time. It let drivers use their mobile phones without holding them to their ear.
1999: March 1st – number plate prefix letter (T) changed twice a year to try and flatten the peak of sales in August.
1999: The newly revised Highway Code was published in February 1999, with current advice and up-to-date legislation for all road users. From 6 April 1999, cars being used for a driving test must have a front passenger seat belt, head restraint and rear-view mirror. Changes to the driving test on 4 May 1999 included extending the length of the test, randomising the emergency stop manoeuvre and failing candidates for committing 16 or more driving faults.
1999: Photocard licences were introduced from 1 July 1999 for both first time issues and licence renewals.
Here are some of the bestselling and most sought-after cars:
1. Ford Fiesta
Although the Mk1 was first sold back in 1976, the 1990s saw the Fiesta knock its big brother – the Escort – off the number 1 bestseller spot to become the top-selling car of the decade. It’s retained its status as Britain’s most popular car ever since, thanks to a comprehensive range of engines and trim levels, enjoyable dynamics and everyday practicality. Plenty of '90s Fiestas are still on the road and hot versions like the XR2i are the most desirable, but still have relatively low values.
2. Ford Escort
Throughout the 1990s, the Escort wasn’t too far behind the Fiesta in terms of sales – not that Ford will have minded having so many popular models. Despite being replaced by the Focus in 1998, the Escort soldiered on alongside its more modern counterpart until 2000. The scrappage scheme removed plenty of tatty examples from UK roads, so relatively few are left – and most of those are showing their age.
3. Vauxhall Astra
The Vauxhall Astra was a stalwart in the top ten sales charts throughout the 90s, and despite being a fairly drab car it was a perfectly acceptable family runabout. 163,678 are still taxed and on the road – a higher number than its arch-rival, the Ford Escort, which sold substantially more through the 90s. The Astra has always chased the Escort and latterly the Focus for sales, but it has never quite managed to catch up. The 1991-'98 Astra Mk3 line-up did feature some desirable models, including the GSi and convertible, but it's remembered for being worthy but dull. The fast ones were powered by the legendary 2.0-litre XE 16v engine, but they weren’t quite as lairy or exciting as the '80s GTE 16V predecessor. 1998 saw a new generation of Astra which was produced until 2004.
4. Ford Mondeo
The first Ford Mondeo was introduced in 1992 to replace the ageing Sierra. Ford elected not to continue the Sierra name for its 1990s saloon, severing its ties with the past, giving its clean-sheet front-wheel drive replacement a new name - Mondeo. It featured the latest generation of Zetec engines, well appointed interiors, good ride quality and enjoyable handling – a recipe for success. Consequently it outsold its nearest rival – the Cavalier – and later the Vauxhall Vectra.
Originally dubbed the ‘Mundano’ by the press, the Mondeo went on to become a huge success with hundreds of thousands of Mk1 Mondeos sold in the UK. The popularity of the car led to the term ‘Mondeo man’ being coined by Tony Blair in 1996, a label used to encapsulate the sort of everyman voter Blair’s concept of New Labour wanted to target. Blair’s victory in 1997 is cited by many as the moment which kicked off the ‘Cool Britannia’ movement good and proper, securing the original Mondeo’s status as arguably the most 90s car of all. It was heavily facelifted in 1996 and replaced by the Mk2 in 2000.
5. Rover 200
While the 1970s and '80s best seller charts were smattered with UK-built cars, this list shows just how much British car manufacturing had declined. Two generations of Rover 200 were sold in the 1990s – those sold until 1995 shared a lot of Honda components while the smaller car sold from 1995 was much more of an in-house effort, that was designed to compete with smaller cars like the Ford Fiesta, but at a hefty price premium.
6. Vauxhall Cavalier
This was the last iteration of Cavalier, sold until it was replaced in 1995 by the Vectra. The fact the Cavalier was only sold for half of the 1990s and yet still appears on this list is testament to its popularity – they were incredibly ubiquitous company car choices. Perhaps because of that fact they were viewed as disposable and not worthy of preservation, and consequently there are very few left on the road.
7. Vauxhall Corsa
The Vauxhall Corsa is a popular used car for first time drivers – it’s cheap, abundant and simple to fix. That simplicity – and a ready supply of spares - might well have contributed to the amount that survive on the road. It might also explain why the car was sold in various strange forms across the developing world until the late 2000s. The Corsa replaced the Nova in 1993, and sold well throughout the 1990s. While a lot of '90s cars have been scrapped or otherwise destroyed, there are plenty of early Corsas still in everyday use, thanks to their simplicity, durability and cheap repair costs. Despite being a distant memory in the UK, Far Eastern and South American markets still sold relatives of the Corsa until very recently.
8. Volkswagen Golf
The Mk3 Volkswagen Golf maintained Volkswagen’s reputation for solidity. It wasn’t even half as popular as the Ford Escort in the 1990s and yet there are almost 40,000 more 90s Volkswagen Golfs than Escorts still on the roads in the UK today. That’s testament to the cars longstanding reputation for durability – and to its’ owners desire to keep them going. The Mk2 Golf was sold in the UK until the Mk3 arrived in 1991. The latter was larger and heavier than its predecessor, and featured modern engines including the troublesome VR6 and Umwelt TDI diesel. Solidly built, the Golf maintained Volkswagen’s reputation for quality - although it was probably unfounded in this generation. The most sought after models are GTIs and VR6s, but neither of them is particularly sprightly or exciting compared to contemporary rivals.
9. Nissan Micra
The Nissan Micra was at its most popular through the 1990s – the bubble shaped second generation car sold well and was used by driving schools and families alike. Many of the Nissan Micras first registered in the 90s are still going today, thanks to simple mechanicals and cheap repair costs. They’re also extremely cheap to buy, making them ideal first cars. Perhaps the most long-lasting car in this top ten, the simple, cutely styled British-built K11 Micra is still a common sight on UK roads. Engines were reliable, frugal and offered sprightly performance for such small cars while insurance was affordable – it’s easy to see why the Micra sold so well. Later generations weren’t quite as cute, nor have they been as popular with buyers.
10. Renault Clio
The Clio nailed the supermini brief of being just about big enough for a small family, relatively cheap to buy and run, and comfortable enough for everyday use. Unveiled at the start of the decade as the follow-up to the Renault 5, the first-gen Clio is widely credited as being the car which saved Renault from the deep funk it had gotten itself into during the late 1980s. Built around the ethos of creating big car refinement in a compact package, the Clio scooped the 1991 European Car of the Year Award despite not having even been released at the time.
French cars never ranked highly on UK sales charts, but being well-packaged, well-priced and stylish it had all of the ingredients required to be a buyers’ favourite. Its credibility and desirability was compounded by the 143bhp Clio Williams model, widely regarded as one of the finest hot hatches ever produced. Through brilliant use of TV advertising campaigns like ‘Papa & Nicole’ and Thierry Henry’s famous ‘Va-Va-Voom’ campaign, it became one of the most popular cars of the decade and helped spur on the supermini boom.
11. Volkswagen Polo
For the first half of the 1990s Volkswagen sold its Mk2 Polo in facelifted form before replacing it with the Mk3 Volkswagen Polo in 1994. That car soldiered on until 2002. It offered the typical Volkswagen solidity buyers seem to love and, despite missing out on a spot in the top ten 1990s bestseller list, more remain than many more popular cars.
12. Peugeot 306
The Peugeot 306 was quite a success for Peugeot, selling in fairly large numbers. It was engaging to drive and was available with frugal diesel engines. There are still a good few on the roads in the UK but numbers are falling by around 15% each year, so it’s worth saving the desirable models like the Peugeot 306 GTi-6 while they’re still reasonably affordable.
13. BMW 3 Series
Nowadays the BMW 3 Series often outsells the Ford Mondeo, but that wasn’t the case in the 1990s. However, despite the fact the Mondeo was a bigger seller in its day there are slightly fewer of them left these days. Perhaps people think more prestigious cars are worth maintaining, while more common cars are treated as disposable.
And some of the bubbling unders:
1991: Volvo 850
Were your parents really your parents if they didn’t own a boxy Volvo estate? Launched in 1991, the 850 was Volvo’s most advanced model to date and came with a range of safety technologies like ABS, dual front airbags and side torso airbags. It also went on to become one of Volvo’s best-selling cars around the entire world, while its build quality and hardiness means that, even today, it’s still not all that uncommon to see them knocking about the roadways.
1992: Subaru Impreza Turbo
Prior to the release of the Impreza Turbo, for many all you needed to know about Subaru was that the badge read “U R A BUS” in your rear view mirror. But the Japanese brand’s dowdy image was instantly shattered the moment a certain Mr McRae won the 1995 World Rally Championship in his Impreza. Britain went rally mad, to the point that waiting lists for special-edition Imprezas like the P1 stretched back 18 months or more, and the country was flooded with an influx of blue-and-gold turbocharged road weapons. The Impreza Turbo offered limitless grip and sports car-beating performance for a tiny fraction of the cost and has given birth to a whole range of cars that have thrilled enthusiasts and scared pensioners for nearly 30 years.
1992: Peugeot 405 Mk2
The original 405, similar in appearance to the Alfa Romeo 164, was launched in the same year (87) and also styled by Pininfarina. It was voted European Car of the Year for 1988 by the largest number of votes in the history of the contest. The 405 was one of Europe's best selling larger family cars, particularly in France and Britain. After improvements to the dashboard, boot and rear lights, the Mk2 was the eighth best selling car in Britain in 1992 and 1993.
1995: BMW 5-series E39
Best handling, most comfortable and strongest performing model in its segment, wrapped up in a spacious, handsome body.
1996: Lotus Elise
The Elise was supercar fast in its day, and its astonishing handling – as adept on B-roads as on a track – made it a firm favourite with driving enthusiasts.
1996: Porsche Boxter
Despite initial Gremlins, topped the comparison tests for over two decades.
1996: Audi A3
This neatly finished three and five-door hatchback used humble mechanicals – its platform was shared by the likes of the Mk4 Volkswagen Golf and SEAT Leon – but a more upmarket cabin and better refinement meant that many customers bought into the idea of a premium badge on a smaller car.
1996: Alfa Romeo 156
European Car of the Year and Auto Express’ best compact executive car.
1996: Ford Ka
A desirable supermini which borrowed the gearbox and suspension from the Puma – heaps of fun and endlessly charming.
1997: Toyota Prius
This first mass-market hybrid vehicle melded the two systems in an elegant design way ahead of its time.
1998: Mercedes S=class (W220)
This luxury saloon brought in air suspension, keyless entry and ignition, ventilated seats, radar-assisted cruise control and even cylinder deactivation.
1998: Audi TT
With sensational driving dynamics, it brought cutting -edge technology to the masses, and elegance from Bauhaus, a German design school.
1998: Ford Focus Mk1
Replacing the Escort, it saw a huge upgrade in quality, agility and engineering sophistication.
Many thanks to the following sites for doing all the legwork on this one.
https://classics.honestjohn.co.uk/top-10s/top-10-selling-cars-of-the-1990s
https://www.desperateseller.co.uk/guides/most-popular-90s-cars
https://www.carkeys.co.uk/news/the-greatest-and-most-definitive-cars-of-1990s-britain
https://www.autoexpress.co.uk/car-news/104728/the-best-cars-of-the-1990s
