Off the back of the Oscars, researchers have revealed where classic movie motors are today, finding that some are still driving on UK roads in 2024!
With cars and film going hand in hand thanks to so many memorable car chases and driving scenes, the team at Scrap Car Comparison have cross referenced the numberplates found in movies from Harry Potter to the Italian Job, with the gov.uk website – revealing where many of these motors are now, along with how many miles each have clocked up since their time on the big screen.
Please note: All images from Scrap Car Comparison. The photographs of the cars in the slideshow above are ‘stock’ images showing some of the models mentioned in the text that follows; they do not depict the actual vehicles used in the movies.
Scrap Car Comparison tells us:
Cars of The Screen: Where Are Some Of Our Favourite Movie Motors Now?
- New research reveals the whereabouts of cars featured in blockbuster hits – and how much they could be worth now
- Cameron Diaz’s red mini from The Holiday is still on British roads, having driven almost 90,000 miles
- While not currently roadworthy, the famous flying Ford Anglia from Harry Potter: The Chamber of Secrets covered almost twenty thousand miles, with similar models costing just £5,000
Big film releases and famous cars go hand in hand, with the big screen often helping to immortalise certain makes and models through iconic scenes and high-octane car chases. The likes of the flying Ford Anglia in Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets and the DMC DeLorean in Back to the Future have gone on to become stars in their own rights, but what actually happens to these motors once filming finishes?
Well versed in dealing with motors that no longer have a use, Scrap Car Comparison have found out – taking some of the most famous cars from British TV and cinema, researching their reg plates and in turn, revealing how many miles they’ve racked up since their time on the screen – and importantly, whether they’re still on the road?
Ranked by the number of miles each car has driven, the findings highlight how certain film cars are used just like any other, while cars like James Bond’s famous Aston Martin DB5 are obvious collectors’ pieces, clocking up just 3,289 miles.
Which Movie Cars Are Still On The Road?
Hot Fuzz, 2007
Make/model: 2003 Subaru Impreza
Last recorded mileage: 127,257 miles
Registration plate: BK53 KKE
Estimated value: £4,995
The second film in the ‘Three Flavours Cornetto Trilogy’, this quotable comedy follows police officer Nicholas Angel as he uncovers the goings on in the small village of Sandford. As you can expect from any police show or movie, there are numerous police cars within the film – most of which are trusty Vauxhall Astras – with the exception of a 2003 Subaru Impreza used in the final scenes. With more than 127,000 miles on the clock, this is the highest mileage of the British movie cars that are still on the road today, with it flying through its last MOT in October 2023.
The Holiday, 2006
Make/model: Mini Cooper S
Last recorded mileage: 87,515 miles
Registration plate: YC55 VOB
Estimated value: £3,500
Anyone who’s seen this Christmas rom-com starring Cameron Diaz, is sure to remember the scene where her character Amanda battles with driving down narrow English country lanes in her red Mini Cooper S. With Mini re-launching the Cooper series following their takeover by BMW, the model was incredibly popular during the 2000s, and continues to be a favourite to this day. The exact car used in the film can still be seen on the roads, having clocked up 87,515 miles to date.
This Time With Alan Partridge, 2019-2021
Make/model: 2017 Vauxhall Insignia
Last recorded mileage: 62,871 miles
Registration plate: VN17 XXO
Estimated value: £9,500
Played by actor Steve Coogan, the character of Alan Partridge has been associated with several cars over the years including a Rover 800 and Kia Optima, but in the 2019 series of ‘This Time With Alan Partridge’, it was a 2017 Vauxhall Insignia that he’d use to take to the roads. The car was purchased in 2022, with the new owner initially unaware of its previous history before it was later sold at auction in 2023.
Swordfish, 2001
Make/model: TVR Tuscan
Last recorded mileage: 35,315 miles
Registration plate: W998 AFR
Estimated value: £35,000
The fantastically mystichrome TVR Tuscan had its moment in the spotlight after being featured in the 2001 film ‘Swordfish’ and has since been seen as the ultimate noughties icon when it comes to car styling. With a mileage of 35,315 miles at its most recent MOT, someone, somewhere is still cruising in this truly unique car.
James Bond: The World Is Not Enough, 1999
Make/model: 2000 BMW Z8
Last recorded mileage: 7,687 miles
Registration plate: V354 FMP
Estimated value: £229,995
The James Bond films are full of iconic cars, and the BMW Z8 featured in ‘The World Is Not Enough’ is no exception. The third BMW to be featured as Bond’s vehicle of choice, it was driven in the film until it met its end being sliced in half by a helicopter with tree-cutting saws. Thankfully for us, the actual car left the film set unscathed, and is still on the roads today, having done just 7,687 miles.
Famous Movie Cars That Are No Longer On The Road
Paddington and Paddington 2, 2014, 2017
Make/model: 2013 Volvo V70
Last recorded mileage: 189,350 miles
Registration plate: AJ13 BPV
Estimated value: £6,000
The Paddington films have captured the hearts of many people, with the marmalade-munching bear’s scrapes and humour providing the perfect escape from the day-to-day. Mr Brown, the risk analyst who becomes Paddington’s adopted father, drives a very sensible Volvo V70 which stars in several scenes throughout the two films. Unfortunately, the car is no longer on the roads after failing its last MOT in 2021.
Love Actually, 2003
Make/model: 1992 Saab 900 XS
Last recorded mileage: 142,066 miles
Registration plate: K43 YAX
Estimated value: £1,500
In Love Actually, much of the story of Jamie, played by Colin Firth, and his blossoming relationship with Aurélia plays out inside his Saab 900 as he drives her home from work each day. The car, in many ways, is a perfect reflection of Jamie’s character – comfortable and dependable. Though it clocked up 142,066 miles since it hit the roads in 1992, the Saab used in the film has been off the roads since 2012.
Notting Hill, 1999
Make/model: 1998 Peugeot 406 Estate GLX
Last recorded mileage: 96,155 miles
Registration plate: R780 RRW
Estimated value: £1,000
Another Richard Curtis classic, the iconic Notting Hill makes use of a 1998 Peugeot 406 Estate in an iconic race to help Hugh Grant’s character dash across London to save his relationship with Anna (Julia Roberts). Last MOT’d in 2009 after clocking up 96,155 miles, unfortunately fans of the film won’t be likely to see this on the road in real life any time soon.
Bridget Jones’s Diary, 2001
Make/model: 1969 Mercedes-Benz 280SE Convertible
Last recorded mileage: 87,965 miles
Registration plate: TBW 575G
Estimated value: £875,000
Hugh Grant’s smooth-talking Daniel Cleaver definitely has all the moves in the 2001 film Bridget Jones’s Diary – and he certainly has the car to match. His 1969 Mercedes-Benz 280SE Convertible makes the perfect ride for Daniel and Bridget’s trip to the country and is a stunning car by any standards. With 87,965 miles racked up on minibreak getaways (and other journeys), the car currently has an expired MOT, after passing its last test in 2022.
The Italian Job, 1969
Make/model: 1967 Austin Mini Cooper S 1275 (Red) and 1967 Austin Mini Cooper S 1275 (Blue)
Last recorded mileage: 67,691 miles and 67,171 miles
Registration plate: HMP 729G and LGW 809G
Estimated value: £25,400
Arguably some of the most iconic movie cars in history, most people will be able to link The Italian Job with the Mini Cooper. However, none of the sixteen Minis involved in the filming of the movie survived (or their whereabouts now is unknown) – though this didn’t stop one savvy individual from purchasing the matching number plates from the DVLA to create replica models. The red mini from these models clocked up 67,691 miles during its time on the roads – though it’s more than 10 years since it last took to the highways, with the last MOT on the vehicle completed in 2013. The blue replica Mini has also met a similar fate.
James Bond: No Time To Die, 2021
Make/model: Aston Martin V8 Vantage
Last recorded mileage: 65,757 miles
Registration plate: B549 WUU
Estimated value: £630,000
Used in the most recent instalment in the James Bond series, No Time To Die, the Aston Martin V8 Vantage is one of only three cars to be modified for use in the film and driven by Daniel Craig himself. After retrieving the car from his lockup, Bond then takes the car to the likes of Norway, Italy, London, Scotland and Windsor. The car went on to be sold at auction at Christies in 2022 and sold for a price of £630,000.
This is England, 2006
Make/model: MS90 Toyota Crown
Last recorded mileage: 51,879 miles
Registration plate: UJH 222S
Estimated value: £13,000
Set in 1983, This Is England follows a group of young skinheads and their subculture. The gang use a MS90 Toyota Crown throughout the film, though it unfortunately doesn’t feature in any of the subsequent TV series. The car was likely last driven on the public highway in 2016/17, when it was deemed to be in a roadworthy condition in its MOT test, but it hasn’t been tested since.
The Italian Job, 1969
Make/model: Morris Mini 1968 (White)
Last recorded mileage: 51,262 miles
Registration plate: GPF 146G
Estimated value: £25,400
The last of the replica Minis from The Italian Job, the white Morris Mini, like it’s replica co-stars, was last seen on the roads in 2013.
James Bond: Skyfall, 2012
Make/model: 2011 Jaguar XJ L
Last recorded mileage: 49,622 miles
Registration plate: OV61 FVF
Estimated value: £9,495
Driven by M in Skyfall, the 2011 Jaguar XJ L was one of several Jaguars used for the filming of the movie, with Jaguar Land Rover providing a total of 77 vehicles to the production. The original Jaguar with the number plate OV61 FVF, which can be seen in the film, was purchased by a Bond fan at auction in 2013 – however, its MOT expired in 2022 with 49,622 miles driven.
Non-Roadworthy Movie Cars Ranking in 11-15th place:
11. Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrells – 1973 Rover 3500 – 49,511 miles
12. The Worlds End – 1982 Ford Granada – 19,903 miles
13. Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets – Ford Anglia – 19,537 miles
14. James Bond – Goldfinger (1964), Thunderball (1965), Golden Eye (1995), Tomorrow Never Dies (1997), Casino Royale (2006), Skyfall (2012), Spectre (2015) – 1964 Aston Martin DB5 – 3,289 miles
15. Chitty Chitty Bang Bang – Chitty Chitty Bang Bang – 253 miles
David Kottaun, Operations Manager at Scrap Car Comparison explains:
“Some of the most iconic scenes in movie history involve cars – whether they provide a backdrop for an emotional scene or are involved in a thrilling car chase. However, the fates of the vehicles used in movies can vary greatly – in some cases, they may head back out onto the roads to live out a normal life, while in others they become highly desirable and collectable items, that are curated as exhibits.
“These cars are all pieces of history in their own way, so it’s a shame to see that so many are no longer on the road – despite being reported as in a roadworthy condition at their last MOT tests. However, it’s nice to see that some are still out and about on the roads – so keep your eyes peeled for them in the wild!”
If your car is damaged beyond repair, or has come to the end of its life on the roads, head to the Scrap Car Comparison website to see how much you could get for scrapping your vehicle: https://www.
Methodology
Researchers at Scrap Car Comparison used a range of sources to collate a list of some of the most iconic British cars used in films throughout the decades. Using the Internet Movie Cars Database and clips from the movies, the numberplates for the cars used in filming were sourced and then cross-referenced with Gov.uk to reveal their MOT status and mileage. The cars were then ranked from high to low mileage and road-worthy or non-roadworthy to create the final rankings. The estimated value of each car was based on pricing from AutoTrader (or other similar sales sites), using cars of a similar age or mileage. Where possible, auction prices for the exact vehicles used in the movies was used. Data correct as of February 2024.