Top 5 oldest car name plates
While some vehicles may have had a short run on the roads around the world, such as the Peel P50’s three year span, other cars have kept on rolling longer than anyone expected. Here are the oldest vehicles, according to Autocar UK.
5. Citroën 2CV (1948-1990) – 42 YEARS
The secret of this French classic longevity was its sheer simplicity. Every part of the 2CV embodied function-over-form design, down to the flip-up front windows and the speedometer-driven wipers in early cars. It was one of the rare unpretentious cars with nothing to prove. Citroën built 5.1 million examples of the 2CV, including 1.2 million vans.
A quick check on TradeMe shows no 2CV currently for sale here.
4. Hindustan Ambassador (1958-2007) – 49 YEARS
Known as the taxi of India, Hindustan Motors introduced the Ambassador after purchasing the rights to the Morris Oxford Series III from British Motor Corporation (BMC). The Ambassador changed little during its life cycle, with the exception of the Avigo introduced in 2004 with a more contemporary look.
Peugeot paid US$12 million for the Ambassador brand in 2017 in a bid to help its return to the Indian market after a 23-year hiatus.
3. Morgan 4/4 (1955-present) – 65 YEARS & COUNTING
The British marque boldly bucked every trend in the industry when it decided to continue building the roadster. While it often made minor changes over time to improve drivability and usability, the throwback design looks like it was frozen in the 1950s.
The 4/4 has used Ford engines since its inception, but Morgan briefly offered it with a Fiat-sourced four-cylinder during the 1980s. It equips the present-day model with Ford’s Sigma engine, a 1.6-litre unit that also powers the Mondeo, Focus and Fiesta.
Head to TradeMe to check out two for sale in New Zealand.
2. Volkswagen Type 2 (1949-2013) – 63 YEARS
Affectionately called Bus or Kombi, this vehicle was born when the brand’s Dutch importer asked permission to distribute the rudimentary Plattenwagen used to transport parts around the Wolfsburg factory. Europeans used the Bus for work, while Americans loved the camper versions. The Caravelle/Transporter replaced both variants, but production continued in Latin American markets.
The van sold well in Brazil even in the early 2010s, but Volkswagen preferred ending its career than spending money on fitting it with airbags and ABS brakes to comply with new regulations. In total 10 million were produced.
There are about 20 VW Kombi/Bus for sale on TradeMe as we Kiwis are fans of this van.
1 Volkswagen Beetle (1938-2003) – 65 YEARS
Its legacy was unexpected; Volkswagen simply needed to put Germany on wheels. Crafted to put Nazi Germany on wheels in the late 1930s, WWII talled its birth. It almost became British or American after the war but none of the UK's carmakers wanted it, and nor did Ford.
“The vehicle does not meet the fundamental technical requirements of a motor car,” wrote a British official. “It is quite unattractive to the average buyer. To build the car commercially would be a completely uneconomic enterprise.”
But it prospered nonetheless as Europe got back onto its feet and in desperate need for cars and became the icon of the 1960s. Stiffer emissions rules finally did for the Beetle but more 1 million examples of it were built in 15 countries. There are 109 Beetle’s for sale on TradeMe.
