The 12 Best British Car Brands

Great Britain has an incredible motoring heritage, with the UK being one of the largest car producers in the world in the 1950s. There are many famous British car brands that are still going strong today – here are some of the best.

Best British Car Brands

From racing cars to electric hypercars and luxurious saloons, British car brands have an extremely diverse product range. Although these British car manufacturers are now owned by foreign or multinational entities, they still produce some or all of their vehicles in the United Kingdom.

1. Aston Martin Lagonda

These iconic hand-crafted British cars include not only the Aston Martin marques, but also Lagonda cars. The Lagonda brand was founded in 1904 and has been revived as the first luxury car brand to be driven solely by zero emission powertrain technologies.

The Aston Martin logo features a pair of wings and is based on an Egyptian scarab beetle.

Famous Aston Martin models:

• 2020 Aston Martin Goldfinger DB5 – with a revolving license plate and several other James Bond gadgets, this continuation model will set you back a cool $3.5 million.
• 1976 Aston Martin Lagonda – the first production car in the world with a digital instrument panel, this saloon car had a very distinctive design by William Towns.
• 2001 Aston Martin Vanquish – the James Bond car in the movie Die Another Day.

Established in: 1913, originally as Bamford & Martin Ltd after the company founders, Lionel Martin and Robert Bamford. The name changed to Aston Martin after the cars successfully completed the Aston Clinton hill climb in Buckinghamshire.

Based in: Gaydon, Warwickshire.

2. Bentley

Known for their comfortable grand tourers, Bentley have also produced some exceptional sporting models. In fact, Bentley cars won the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1924, 1927, 1928, 1929 and 1930.

In recent times, they’ve created an ultra-luxurious saloon car, the Bentley Mulsanne as well as the Bentley Blower Continuation Series, a revival of their iconic Birkin Blower limited to just 12 cars.

Famous Bentley models:

• 1929 Birkin Blower – named the blower after the supercharger that forced air into the engine, this car competed at Le Mans. It featured as James Bond’s first car in 3 Ian Fleming novels.
• 2003 Continental GT – a two-door coupe with four seats, this car was an immediate success and is still a top seller today.
• 2015 Bentayga – the first Bentley SUV, this expensive car is one of the most popular Bentley models worldwide.

Established in: 1919 by W.O. Bentley.

Based in: Crewe, Bentley Motors is the first carbon neutral luxury automotive factory in the UK. 

3. Jaguar

This British luxury car company founded by William Lyons quickly established a reputation for their racing cars. They have continued this tradition with the Jaguar Formula E team.

The largest car manufacturer in the UK, Jaguar Land Rover have assembly sites and plants in Castle Bromwich, Halewood and Solihull.

Famous Jaguar models:

• Jaguar D-Type – produced between 1954 and 1957, this car brought aviation technology to car design. The D-Type won Le Mans in 1955, 1956 and 1957.
• Jaguar E-Type – with a top speed of 150 mph in 1961, this distinctive looking car became an instant classic.
• Jaguar XK120 – in 1948 this was the fastest production car in the world at launch, at 124.6 mph. It was manufactured for six years from 1948 to 1954.

Established in: 1922 as the Swallow Sidecar Company. The marque changed its name to Jaguar Cars in 1945 after the success of the SS Jaguar car in 1935. The company was merged with Land Rover in 2013.

Based in: Whitley, Coventry.

4. Land Rover

The most well known off-roaders in the world, Land Rover cars now come with all mod cons. These luxury cars have featured in many movies, including Judge Dredd, where Land Rover is the only remaining car producer. 

Famous Land Rover models:

• Land Rover Defender – developed in the 1980s, this SUV quickly gained a reputation for versatility. The new Land Rover Defender 2020 carries on the tradition, while incorporating modern safety features.
• Land Rover Series IIA SAS Pink Panther – the dusty pink color was effective desert camouflage for the SAS soldiers in the Oman desert. It featured machine guns and smoke grenades.
• Range Rover Evoque – the lightest ever Range Rover and the most fuel efficient. The panoramic sunroof is an added bonus.

Established in: 1978, the marque is now owned by multinational car manufacturer Jaguar Land Rover and is a subsidiary of Tata Motors.

Based in: Whitley, Coventry.

5. Lotus

Renowned for their superior handling and light weight, Lotus Cars are one of the most famous British sports car brands. They are built by hand and put through their paces on the brand’s test track at Hethel.

Famous Lotus models:

• Lotus 7 – a lightweight 2 seater car produced between 1957 and 1972, this stripped back model epitomizes Colin Chapmans’s “simplify, then add lightness” philosophy.
• Lotus Esprit – originally created as a styling exercise by Giugiaro Design, the showcar proved so popular that Lotus produced it. You may recognize the Lotus Esprit Series 1 from the James Bond movie The Spy Who Loved Me.
• Lotus Evija – the first British all-electric hypercar. This is also the world’s most powerful series production road car, with a target power output of 2,000 PS.

Established in: 1948 by Colin Chapman.

Based in: Norwich.

6. McLaren

Creating luxury supercars and high performance sports cars, McLaren Automotive are known for their technical innovations. They introduced a carbon fibre chassis into Formula 1 in 1981 with the McLaren MP4/1.

Famous McLaren models:

• McLaren F1 – with a top speed of 240 mph, this supercar set a record for the fastest car in the world in 1998.
• McLaren P1 – this hybrid hypercar boasts a twin-turbo 3.8-litre V8 together with a lightweight electric motor, giving total power output of 903hp.
• McLaren Senna – this homage to Ayrton Senna is road-legal yet reaches 124mph in 6.8 seconds.

Established in: 1985 by Ron Dennis.

Based in: Woking, Surrey.

7. MG

One of the oldest British car brands still in production, MG is now a subsidiary of Chinese owned SAIC Motor. Known for their affordable two-seater open sports cars, MG had great success in races such as the Mille Miglia in the 1930s.

Famous MG models:

• MG B – the best-selling MG of all time, this roadster was produced from 1962 to 1980.
• MG EX 120 – nicknamed the Magic Midget, it set a land speed record in 1931 of 103.13mph.
• EX181 – in 1957, Sir Stirling Moss achieved a speed of 245.64mph with this 1489cc engine.

Established in: 1920s and founded by Cecil Kimber.

Based in: Marylebone, London.

8. Mini

One of the most famous British car brands ever, Mini started out as a line of small cars by the British Motor Corporation. A symbol of the 60’s, the original Mini was produced until 2000.

Mr Bean’s 1976 Mini 1000 featured a detachable steering wheel and key and padlock entry system. Now owned by BMW, the brand is active in the World Rally Championships.

Famous Mini models:

• Mini Mark 1 – also marketed as the Austin Seven and Morris Mini-Minor was produced from 1959 to 1967. The classic Mini had 3 race wins at the Monte Carlo rally from 1964 to 1967.
• Mini Cooper S – featured in the movie The Italian Job with an epic car chase through Turin. Actor Steve McQueen bought his car from the co-founder, John Cooper.
• New Mini – 28 female gymnasts crammed into the New Mini hatchback in 2014, setting a new Guinness World Record.

Established in: 1969

Based in: Cowley, near Oxford for the production of the Mini Hatch/Hardtop, Clubman, Coupe and Roadster. The Mini Convertible and Countryman are assembled in the Netherlands.

9. Morgan

These British sports cars were originally 2 seaters. The frames are still hand-built from lightweight ashwood, underneath an aluminium body.

Famous Morgan models:

• V6 Roadster – the most powerful car in the Morgan Classic Range, with a 3.7 litre V6 engine.
• Three Wheeler – despite its retro looks, this continuation model goes from 0-62 mph in 6 seconds. Exposure to the elements gives you the feel of being on a motorcycle.
• Aero 8 – with a powerful BMW V8 engine reaching 62 mph in 4.5 seconds, and distinctive retro styling, the Aero 8 was an immediate success.

Established in: 1909 by by Henry Frederick Stanley Morgan.

Based in: Malvern, Worcestershire.

10. Rolls-Royce

This iconic British car brand was founded by Charles Rolls and Henry Royce. More than 60% of Rolls-Royce cars are still on the road today.

The Rolls-Royce Ghost is currently the top selling new model. This beautiful car is a popular choice for fans of technology, with a Micro-Environment Purification System and a planar suspension system.

Famous Rolls-Royce models:

• Silver Ghost – named by Autocar as the best car in the world in 1907, the Ghost got its name from its quietness while driving.
• Phantom – there have been various Phantom models since the Phantom I rolled off production lines in 1925. Famous owners include Fred Astaire and John Lennon.
• Silver Shadow – also known as the Silver Wraith II, this model had a V8 engine and over 170 horse power.

Established in: 1904 as Rolls-Royce Limited. The marque is now Rolls-Royce Motor Cars, a subsidiary of BMW.

Based in: Westhampnett, Sussex.

11. TVR

This British manufacturer of luxury sports cars was at one point the third largest specialized sports car producer in the world. They are known for their lightweight yet powerful models.

Famous TVR models:

• Griffith 400 – the brainchild of Jack Griffith, this rare TVR had a Ford engine producing 271 hp and weighed a lot less than its rival, the AC Cobra.
• Grantura – the first TVR production model, it was popular in the United States and the UK.
• Vixen – this hand-built car was manufactured from 1967 to 1973 and had a Ford engine.

Established in: 1947 by Jack Pickard and Trevor Wilkinson.

Based in: Whiteley, Hampshire.

12. Vauxhall

Vauxhall is the British name for the marque, while it is known as Opel in most other countries. Originally a luxury car producer, the brand focused on mid-market offerings when it was bought by General Motors.

Today, Vauxhall is a subsidiary of the French car manufacturer Groupe PSA. The new all electric Vauxhall Mokka-e has a range of up to 201 miles, swanky infotainment system and 136hp electric motor.

Vauxhall cars are assembled at the company’s Ellesmere Port site near Chester.

Famous Vauxhall models:

• Opel GT 1968-1973 – an elegant 2-door coupe designed by Corvette stylist Clare Makichan.
• VXR8 – this performance car had a 6.2 litre V8 engine producing 586 horsepower.
• VX220 Turbo – inspired by the Lotus Elise, this roadster was produced at the Lotus manufacturing plant from 2003 to 2005. It was also sold as the left-hand drive Opel Speedster Turbo.

Established in: 1857 as a marine engine and pump manufacturer, Vauxhall began building cars in 1903.

Based in: Luton, Bedfordshire.

Former British car brands:

• Austin – founded in 1905, the marque Austin was used until 1987 and known for the Austin Princess and Seven models.
  Austin Healey – a joint venture between Austin and the Donald Healey Motor Company, founded in 1952.
• Jensen Motors – known for the Jensen Interceptor model, styled in Turin, Italy with a Chrysler V8 engine.
• Triumph Motor Company – the rights to the marque are owned by BMW so who knows, it may be revived one day.

Final Thoughts on the Best British Car Brands

The British automotive industry has produced some exceptional car marques. Many people are fiercely loyal to their preferred British car brands and will drive them through thick and thin.

Whether you’re a Bentley enthusiast or an MG fan, there is something to love about the best British car brands. Cars like these not only provide a dose of nostalgia but also come with the added assurance of quality that is still associated with British vehicles.

If you want to learn more about vehicle brands before taking the plunge with British motors, then check out our other motoring articles, which cover everything from American luxury car manufacturers to the most expensive car brands worldwide.

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