Interesting web site in the UK Howmanyleft.com

[David88]

I found this web site on a recent Ebay UK auction for a Mazda 121. It provides a way to see how many of a given make and model of car are left currently registered in the UK. It shows data from the past 10 or 11 years. Some models are down to just a few left. It’s amazing how fast they disappear. Every week on ebay very clean and low mile Prides (compared to our 200k+ mile festys) selling for £50 - £150. Likely selling for scrap. Slipping quietly into oblivion. Sad. Such a terrible waste. The cost to the environment and the wallet to create a new car to replace one that likely needs only a few relatively minor repairs seems to make little sense. It’s the nature of the beast I guess. So it goes.

Link~ http://www.howmanyleft.co.uk/

Further ramblings:

It makes me wonder what the numbers are like in the US. It would be nice to have a database like this here. What will the numbers be in another 10 years, or 20? It seems our little cars have created a bit of a following with a few of us fans. Recognized for their durability, low maintenance and longevity. Legendary 42 MPG ratings in 1988. It took a full 20 years and government mandates for those MPG to be achieved again in a new car. We're doing what we can to save them, but were fighting more than just wear and tear. We’re fighting a throw away society that seems to be encouraged by the government. So many festys right now are reaching the end of their usefulness to many owners. Will they ever catch on with car collectors? I believe the value here in the US has already bottomed out and my be even on the rise, but that may be driven by demand for daily use vehicles, not a collectable value.

There are still a lot of VW bugs (the old style) around after all these years. This is due to in large part no doubt to sheer numbers and a long span of years in production, but also a strong cult following. Hey, Festivas have all that too. Well, sort of. While we may not have quite the numbers in the US, on a global scale though (including Prides and 121s) we have a good number and long production run.

I want to be optimistic about our cars future value from a collector standpoint. I want to believe they are important and significant in the automotive world. Right now though I have doubts as this recent rare Mazda sale shows (http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Mazda-121-...item3a7d7b6935) and the recent go-round of the Japanese Festiva GT-A (http://www.fordfestiva.com/gallery/image10.htm) on ebay. If I recall it did not make reserve. Its a changing culture. With they become extinct? I've personally saved the pictures from the Mazda auction. Is there a way we could at least add some of them to the gallery page? (http://www.fordfestiva.com/gallery.htm)

Does anyone know the status of the GT-A by the way? I believe it was in Canada at the time of the ebay auction.

What are you thoughts.

[Bathtub Tom]

I'm in the UK, don't believe that site. I don't know where they get their information from, but it's generally perceived as not being all that accurate over here.

In the UK we have to tax, insure and MOT (an annual check for road-worthiness) our cars if we want to keep them on the road. Otherwise we have to SORN (Statutory Off Road Notification) them. I suspect they get their figures from one of the organisations that don't include all combinations of options.

KIA Prides are generally conceived as being worth more as scrap than anything else, as I found when looking for another gearbox for mine recently, after I managed to poke a hole in the clutch housing with a diff roll pin!

[Prafeston]

There was a list of registered Festivas going around here not long ago...for the US. Don't remember what thread it was it. It showed how many were left from each year and in each trim package.

Edit: Found the thread! http://www.fordfestiva.com/forums/sh...stered+Festiva

Again these were just the Registered Festivas in 2010 I believe. So this doesn't count those with fleets that aren't all registered or parts cars etc.