Zombie cars – discontinued makes and models that are still bought and driven on UK roads – are being resurrected, with UK motorists continuing to search for favourites and classics despite no longer being in production.

Interest in dead cars is very much alive, with discontinued models continuing to make up a portion of the UK’s used car market.

Auto Trader, the UK’s largest digital marketplace for new and used cars, has dug through its data graveyard and unearthed the top ten zombie cars Brits still love to drive.

Table: Auto Trader data September 2020

Super cars and luxury vehicles have made the list as people use their extra time during lockdown to browse the site for fantasy zombie cars, with the likes of the Maserati GranTurismo seeing a 14.3% increase in ad views compared to the same period last year.

Brits are even willing to spend a bit more to snap up some of the more affordable zombies, with the average price of a Suzuki Jimny increasing by 64.5% year on year, and the average price of a VW Beetle increasing by 14.3%.

For the higher value discontinued cars however, this wasn’t necessarily the case. The average price of a BMW i8 decreased by 14.2% year on year, whilst an Audi RS3’s average price decreased by 10.8%. Factors such as rarer and more expensive car parts, higher mileage and higher chances of breaking down, lead to value deterioration.

Auto Trader has even found cars that seem to never be killed off – ones you thought were out of production but are actually still being made. These include:

1. Lotus Evora
2. Mitsubishi Shogun Sport
3. VW Sharan
4. Nissan GT-R
5. McLaren 570GT

Auto Trader’s Editorial Director, Erin Baker, says: “Drivers need to do their homework if buying an obsolete car otherwise they may find a few horrors. Finding spare parts for your zombie could prove tricky or expensive, and it could be hard to tell if the car price is fair as there aren’t as many similar vehicles to compare it with. 

“However, you can still pick up a treat and find a used car that fits all your requirements if you’re able to put time in for research. As well as finding a discontinued car at a highly discounted price, you may also find dealerships offer financing deals at lower interest rates. Additionally, if the zombie car is super rare with a bit of a fanbase, you could even make a profit on it when you come to sell later on.”