A new study has revealed the most valuable classic cars & most profitable manufacturers, with Porsche and Jaguar coming out on top.
The classic car insurance industry has risen dramatically over the last two decades, peaking in 2019 and now valued at £747 million.
The experts at Uswitch Car Insurance have analysed industry statistics to reveal the most profitable car manufacturers and most valuable classic cars for 2024.
The 10 most valuable classic cars:
| Classic car model | Number of classic cars | Average value | Overall value (£) | |
| 1 | Porsche 911 | 23,029 | £39,551 | 910.8m |
| 2 | Jaguar E Type | 4,120 | £90,000 | 370.8m |
| 3 | Austin/Rover Mini | 56,650 | £5,459 | 309.2m |
| 4 | BMW 3 Series | 52,025 | £5,636 | 293.2m |
| 5 | MG MGB | 26,265 | £9,000 | 236.4m |
| 6 | Aston Martin DB5 | 210 | £700,000 | 147m |
| 7 | Ford Escort | 42,906 | £3,000 | 128.7m |
| 8 | Land Rover Discovery | 42,756 | £3,000 | 128.3m |
| 9 | Jaguar XJ Series | 22,561 | £5,000 | 112.8m |
| 10 | Bentley Continental | 1,905 | £57,170 | 108.9m |
Porsche classic cars generate the most revenue in the UK, with the total stock of its 911 model worth £911 million. This figure represents a 146% lead on the second most profitable car, the Jaguar E Type, and holds more value than the combined value of the final six cars on the list.
The Jaguar E Type has a combined stock worth £370.8 million, which is almost two and a half times less than the Porsche 911. Despite the E Type having an average valuation of more than double that of the 911 (£90,000 vs £39,551), there are only 4,120 E Types in existence so its combined value is far less.
Similarly, although the Austin/Rover Mini has the highest number of classic cars in circulation within the top 10 (56,650), its average value of just £5,495 meant that its combined worth (£309.2 million) was 66% less than that of the Porsche 911.
The 10 most profitable car manufacturers:
| Classic car manufacturer | Number of classic cars | Average value of classic cars (£) | Overall value of classic cars (£) | |
| 1 | Porsche | 43,591 | £27,010 | 1.17bn |
| 2 | Jaguar | 47,791 | £15,136 | 723.3m |
| 3 | Aston Martin | 6,622 | £92,510 | 612.6m |
| 4 | BMW | 99,100 | £5,869 | 581.6m |
| 5 | Ferrari | 6,090 | £77,048 | 469.2bn |
| 6 | Mercedes | 96,968 | £4,710 | 456.7bn |
| 7 | MG | 52,463 | £7,073 | 371bn |
| 8 | Ford | 172,553 | £1,928 | 332.6bn |
| 9 | Bentley | 10,301 | £29,109 | 299.8bn |
| 10 | Land Rover | 77,059 | £3,729 | 287.4bn |
Porsche is the manufacturer generating the most revenue in the UK, with the combined value of its classic cars worth nearly £1.2 billion. This figure was 61% higher than any other brand, accounting for 14% of the overall industry revenue. With just under 44,000 classic Porsches in the UK, the German manufacturer was found to have an average classic car valuation of £27,010.
Jaguar is the manufacturer coming in second with an overall value of £723.3m. The average value of a classic Jaguar comes in at £15,136 and although placing second overall, the manufacturer has more cars in circulation than first placed Porsche.
Despite having the highest average value of any classic car manufacturer in the top 10 (£92,510), third-placed Aston Martin had a significantly lower total of classic cars (6,622), meaning its overall revenue was 14% lower than Jaguar and 47% lower than Porsche.
Further insights:
- Ferraris are the most expensive classic cars to insure. With an average annual total of £829, insurance for Ferrari is around 36% higher than any other car manufacturer.
- The West Midlands is the UK’s classic car hotspot, with an estimated share of 9.6% of classic cars, estimated to generate around £1.8 billion in turnover.
