Don’t ignore Saab and Rover! Dead brands now make for serious used car bargains
Auto Express’s senior news reporter explains why you shouldn’t dismiss a car from one of the many brands now defunct in the UK market
In these uncertain times even multi-billion-pound car brands can struggle to make ends meet. In extreme cases we’ve had to bid farewell to some well known firms, but if they no longer exist or have left the UK market, does that mean you should avoid them? Maybe not, and here’s why.
For the purposes of giving you sound advice we’re looking at brands that have been around in modern times, when plenty of marques have bitten the dust. In recent years we’ve said goodbye to Saab and Rover, and seen Mitsubishi exit the UK, although the Japanese brand has now returned.
Purchasing a car from a dead brand or one that’s left the UK might sound like a fraught venture, but it opens up potentially shrewd alternatives to the norm.
Maintenance might be your first concern. After all, who’s going to service such a car and fix it if it goes wrong? Fortunately, many big names that no longer exist in the UK, such as Saab, have built up a network of specialist garages with lots of parts suppliers available to keep running costs down. In relation to Saab in particular, it makes ownership easier when key hardware components are shared with other manufacturers that are still around.
Surface-level elements such as bodywork or interior trim are prone to daily wear and tear, and these usually bespoke parts can be harder and more expensive to obtain. But often it’s worth doing some digging. Infiniti arrived as the luxury arm of Nissan, and used cabin controls straight from either its parent firm, or in one case, Mercedes.
The same is true for some Rover models, which not only shared switchgear with cars from Honda, but consumables such as brakes too. Getting clued up on the most important part numbers could save you time and money.
What about recalls? If a car maker is dead, there won’t be any brand-led campaign to ensure owners are aware of any faults. But if the parent firm is active, then you should expect a recall notice from them instead.
When Infiniti left the UK in 2019, that year marked the last official recall notice from the brand here. Since then, there have been recalls on other Infiniti cars sold in global markets, but you can always search via the UK government’s website (https://www.check-vehicle-recalls.service.gov.uk) to check for any campaigns.
Buying a car from a dead brand might require more research, patience and a little bit of bravery, but there are lots of fine choices out there provided you know what to look for and how to keep them going.
Whether you want to buy from a dead brand or a thriving one, our dealer network has some fantastic cars on offer right now with new, used and leasing deals to choose from...
