Introduction:
I’ve always been fascinated with so-called “zombie cars,” so I’m constantly on the look for defunct models whenever a sales chart is on my radar. While all stories we’ve done so far have focused on new-but-old vehicles sold in the United States, here’s one about Europe. It’s easily the most puzzling list we’ve ever seen since it includes quite a few relics. Automotive News Europe cites analyst company Dataforce and its comprehensive sales chart of “new” vehicles that were first registered between January and July 2024. The one car that popped on my radar was the Fiat Multipla. Widely regarded as one of the ugliest vehicles ever made, someone bought a “new” Multipla last month. It’s unclear whether it was the original version (top) or the much nicer facelifted model (bottom). Either way, it’s at least 14 years old since production ended in 2010.
Subtitles:
1. The Puzzling World of “Zombie Cars”
2. Unearthing Defunct Models in European Sales Charts
3. Notable Zombie Vehicles on the List
4. Dataforce’s Insights on the Sales Charts
5. Honorable Mentions and Final Thoughts
1. The Puzzling World of “Zombie Cars”
But the oddly styled six-seater is just one of many cars that were retired many moons ago yet still made the sales charts. Another zombie vehicle, even older, is the Nissan 350Z, which died in 2008. Someone who wanted a more practical vehicle bought a Volvo V50, a wagon that bowed out in 2012. We’re barely scratching the surface since there are numerous dead-but-alive cars: Mercedes CLK, Aston Martin DB7, Ford Ka, Alfa Romeo 159, Jaguar S-Type, and even a Rolls-Royce Corniche. The latter was retired nearly 30 years ago, making it the oldest to appear in the sales chart. Oh, there’s also the XJS, a car that Jaguar stopped making in 1996. Not one, but two were first registered through July 2024.
2. Unearthing Defunct Models in European Sales Charts
Model Units Sold Year It Was Discontinued
Aston Martin DB7 1 2004
BMW i3 16 2022
BMW i8 1 2020
BMW Z3 1 2002
BMW Z8 1 2003
Rolls-Royce Corniche 1 1995
Ferrari 550/575 1 2006
Ferrari F430 1 2009
Jaguar S-Type 2 2007
Jaguar XJS 2 1996
Volvo V50 1 2012
Volvo S80 1 2016
Volvo V40 1 2019
Honda Prelude 1 2001
Mercedes SLK/SLC 8 2020
Mercedes CL 2 2014
Mercedes CLK 1 2009
Nissan 350Z 1 2008
Alfa Romeo 147 1 2010
Alfa Romeo 159 1 2011
Alfa Romeo GT 1 2010
Fiat Barchetta 3 2005
Volkswagen Beetle 2 2019
3. Notable Zombie Vehicles on the List
It’s worth noting Dataforce looked at the figures from all 27 EU countries, the UK, plus the European Free Trade Association (EFTA) consisting of Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, and Switzerland. The document at the source link below shows the full list with more cars than the ones we highlighted. There are also no fewer than four Countaches, but let’s keep in mind Lamborghini brought the name back a few years ago with the Aventador-based Countach LPI 800-4. Honorable mentions go to the VW Golf Plus, Mini Coupe, Ford Fusion and Mondeo (listed separately), Ford Taurus, Polestar 1, and a Skoda Roomster. In an email to Motor1, Dataforce’s Senior Automotive Analyst, Benjamin Kibies, confirmed that these cars had never been registered before and are now with their first owners: “The report does only show first registrations of a car. I agree it is confusing to see such old cars in the list. It looks like there are some residuals stocks of these cars, that have never been registered for road use before. At Dataforce, we do not want to change any of the information we get from the registrations authorities, unless we can be 100% sure it is an error.”
4. Dataforce’s Insights on the Sales Charts
data
5. Honorable Mentions and Final Thoughts
conclusion