British Drivers Loyal to Home Grown Motors

LONDON, May 28, 2012 /PRNewswire/ --

In advance of the imminent Jubilee celebrations, it appears that Brits are just as patriotic about their cars as Queen Elizabeth II herself.

New research from Auto Trader, the UK's number one motoring website, reveals that despite the country being in the heart of a double-dip recession, over two thirds (68%) of drivers intend to buy a car in the next six months - and of these, 58% plan to buy British.

Britain's strong heritage in motoring and car manufacturing is recognised by over two thirds (69%) of drivers, and whilst the majority of British car manufacturers are now owned by overseas companies, we are still loyal to historically British car brands and vehicles made on our own turf.

Almost a third (29%) of drivers own a British-made car[i], and national pride is a major deciding factor for those who plan to make their next purchase a British motor. Half (50%) would do so to bolster the economy, with more than a third (35%) citing supporting our country's heritage as their motivation for buying British. And our nation's car brands are also appealing in their own right - over a third (34%) consider British motors to be stylish.

The findings also revealed that the Jaguar E-type, no stranger to the top spot of car lists, was voted the most iconic British model, followed by the Mini Cooper (21%), Aston Martin DB5 (12%) and Rolls Royce Phantom (9%).

Top 10 most iconic British cars:

1. Jaguar E-type

2. Mini Cooper

3. Aston Martin DB5

4. Rolls Royce Phantom

5. Aston Martin Vantage V8

6. Land Rover Defender

=7/8. Morris Minor

=7/8. McLaren F1

9. Bentley 4 ½ Litre

10. Austin Allegro

And when it comes to the most iconic brands this country has produced, luxury marques are the most popular, with Rolls Royce (27%) - one of the Royal Family's favoured manufacturers - topping the list followed by Aston Martin (23%) and Jaguar (16%).

The purchasing loyalty that Brits have towards our own motors also extends to other goods of British origin. Over four in ten (44%) intend to buy British groceries in the next six months and almost a third (30%) will spend on clothing made on British soil.   

Jon Quirk, Auto Trader's Editor-in-Chief, said:  

"There's definitely a sense of national pride in the air at the moment as people all around the country are gearing up for the Jubilee celebrations, and it's great to see this patriotism reflected when it comes to our car-buying decisions. We should be proud of our country's motoring heritage and it's not surprising that Brits are still loyal to home-grown brands - we've produced some of the most iconic and head-turning motors for decades."

For further information, visit http://www.autotrader.co.uk

About Auto Trader:

Auto Trader is the UK's number one motoring website and drives more leads to dealers than any other company in the UK. With over 10.8 million monthly unique users, carrying out over 135 million searches on new and used vehicles, Auto Trader dominates the online classifieds market.

Over 2.2 million people access Auto Trader via their mobile devices every month, through the mobile-optimised site and apps developed for iPhone, iPad, Android and Nokia. Auto Trader is part of Trader Media Group. For more information, visit http://www.autotrader.co.uk

Trader Media Group is Europe's largest specialist multi-media group and supplier of leading automotive marketing products and services. B2B brands included in the Trader Media Group stable include: Auto Trader, RAZSOR, 2^nd Byte and Autotrade-mail. The Group also offers a range of other specialist classified listings and publications including Bike Trader, Truck & Plant Trader, Ad Trader, Motorhome and Caravan Trader, Farmers Trader and Top Marques - with the largest reach in their sectors, through web traffic and magazine readership. Trader Media Group operates in the UK, Ireland and South Africa and is jointly owned by Guardian Media Group and Apax Partners. For more information, visit http://www.tradermediagroup.com

[i] Defined as a brand originating from Britain, or a British brand still manufactured in some part in this country.

SOURCE Auto Trader