Naff-chic Cars

Just a week ago we were hitting out at the worst crimes against motoring since the industry began, tearing to shreds some of the worst ever cars including the Ford Pinto and AMC Pacer.

Yet just one week later, we’re horrified to hear that it is supposedly cool to drive cars that were considered rubbish in the past, despite all their failings. The official term for these cars, we’re told, is “naff-chic”.

It's not just that there are quite a few of these cars still on the road, but sales of them have increased by 23% over the past 12 months, according to Britannia Rescue.

Among the surprise cars still on the road are some real shockers including the Ford Anglia (pictured), probably one of the least attractive cars of all time.

One theory that's been thrown out regarding the growth in popularity is that older cars can be easier to maintain than some modern cars because they tend to be simpler under the bonnet. “25 years ago there was much less use of complex electronics which are par for the course in today's motors," said Britannia Rescue spokesman Andrew Beard.

But with the new Fiat 500 retailing at around £8,000, we really don't see any reason why people have to suddenly give up on the thought of owning a cool car, even during the credit crunch. Anyway, that's just our opinion. Join us as we run down the most popular naff cars on Britain's roads.

First up: Ford Anglia >>

Naff-chic Cars

10. Ford Anglia (915)

Ranking in at No.10 in the list, with 915 currently on the road, is the Ford Anglia.
Seeing that 1,6 million of these beasts were produced between 1939 and 1967, surely it can only be the die-hard fans who are responsible for these cars still being seen out and about?

We'd prefer them to stay in the past, or perhaps relegated to the status of a Corgi collector’s car. Certainly, we seriously hope this naff-chic appreciation for the Anglia doesn't catch on.

Anything that looks like it might wink at you should never have made it off the production line in the first place, that’s for sure.