Cars from the past, made today

We’ve been conditioned by finance agreements to change our cars every three years. And why not? That way you get to drive the latest models on the road and don’t have to be seen in something terribly old-fashioned.

We’re saying that tongue in cheek, of course. The quality of cars these days is such that you could easily run a new car for ten years, or even longer. If you’re not driven by the dictates of fashion, that would be a cheap type of motoring. The only downside, as mentioned, is that your car might look a bit, well, stale.

Fear not, however: some manufacturers are catering for your non-throwaway philosophy by keeping certain cars in production for rather longer than you might have thought they would have.

Maybe they don’t have the funds to develop a new car to replace an old one, or maybe they’ve decided there’s still money to be made with that old one.

Whatever the reason, if you’re the sort who doesn’t like change – and there’s nothing wrong with that – you might like to check out our list of 12 motoring survivors.

ALFA ROMEO MITO - LAUNCHED 2008: Ticked the box of ‘another disappointing Alfa’ from day one, thanks in part to the over-abundance of dull Punto parts, but there was never anything wrong with this supermini’s styling, which still looks fresh today. Alfa obviously thinks it’s lasting well too, as there are no plans to bin it just yet.

MASERATI GRANTURISMO - LAUNCHED 2007: A full ten years old now but still looking elegant, Maserati’s Granturismo offers a beautiful cabin, decent space for four people, and a fin de siecle appeal that makes it a nice option to the usual suspects from Porsche, Mercedes-Benz and Jaguar.

MERCEDES-BENZ SL - LAUNCHED 2012: Our most recent survivor, but included here because it looked quite old even when it was brand new five years ago. Light facelifts have been applied, much as they have been to many SL owners, but with so many more interesting choices around in the luxury sports tourer market, it would be fascinating to find out what sort of person actually buys them.

NISSAN 370Z - LAUNCHED 2009: A big achievement for Nissan, particularly at the time of its release, but the Z has been left swinging on a lonely hook now that everybody wants high-up SUVs rather than laid-down coupés. Again, there are no signs of it being axed, but neither are there any signs of it being replaced.

SUZUKI JIMNY - LAUNCHED 1998: Proudly wearing the badge of ‘oldest production car on sale’ the Jimny has a very appealing old-school feel to the way it drives, with fine off-road agility and a brilliantly mechanical gearchange, but it’s not exactly quiet inside and connectivity is something other cars have. The brochure’s idea of ‘Technology’ includes ‘front wiper with intermittent’.

BMW 6 SERIES - LAUNCHED 2011: Holder of the dubious honour of ‘Britain’s most discounted new car’, the 6 Series could never be described as archaic but, like many coupés, it’s been hit hard by fashion trends. Still, the upside is big incentives to buy.

VOLVO S60 - LAUNCHED 2010: Still smoothly handsome, thanks partly to an expensive 2013 facelift which very unusually included new bonnet and wing pressings, but its dynamics will never raise much of a frisson of excitement despite the mechanical upgrades that Volvo has thrown at it.

MITSUBISHI SHOGUN - LAUNCHED 2006: Real off-road SUVs are getting increasingly thin on the muddy ground these days, so the staunch Shogun neatly fills a continuing desire for progress that is functional rather than flashy. This niche has now been conveniently vacated by Land Rover’s Defender, creating more elbow room for this slow-witted but enduring 5- or 7-seater.

VOLKSWAGEN TOUAREG - LAUNCHED 2010: Apart from the original Beetle, VW doesn't normally hang about when it comes to model replacement. The Touareg has escaped the accountants’ scrutiny thus far, but the current version has been left lagging by the latest Audi Q7 and Bentley Bentayga, whose platform it shares. Expect a high-tech replacement this year though.

CITROEN C-ZERO/PEUGEOT ION - LAUNCHED 2011: One of the very first EVs was the Mitsubishi i-MiEV. You can't get that any more, but the two French ones that were modelled on it are still on offer.

FIAT PUNTO - LAUNCHED 2005: It’s still quite handsome, but also very old, at 12 years. Fiat decided it wasn’t worth replacing this once huge seller because of the 2008 downturn, so although its styling has stayed reasonably fresh, desperate dealers are keen to offload them with £2000 discounts. Even so, it’s still too dear at £11,635, and Fiat has the cheek to charge £175 for front airbags.

PEUGEOT 508 - LAUNCHED 2011: Once upon a time Peugeot dominated the family saloon and estate market. Remember the 403, 404, 504, 505 and 405? Sadly for Peugeot, rivals pinched their pitch by offering a mix of premium alternatives and SUVs against Peugeot’s less inspiring 406 and 407. The 508 is an improvement but a proper replacement will be along in 2018.