Top 10 Best-Selling Cars In The United Kingdom - 2011 Year End

After winning every one of 2011's monthly races except January and February, which, as it happens, were won by the year end's second and fourth-place cars, the Ford Fiesta ended 2011 as the best-selling car in the United Kingdom. That's not surprising.

What is slightly surprising is the Fiesta's margin of victory. In 2010, the Fiesta beat the Vauxhall Astra by 22,367 sales. The Fiesta's victory over this year's second-place loser was "just" 14,280 units. That second-place car was the Fiesta's big brother, Ford's Focus. Sales of the Focus increased at a 5.2% clip in 2011, Fiesta sales slid 6.7%.

Further down the list you'll find one premium-badged car. In a year when the 3-Series had reached its maximum permitted age, UK sales were up 1.1%. The overall UK market, remember, shrunk 4.4% in 2011. Among cars in the top ten, Vauxhall nabbed the crown for worst year-over-year decline (the Astra, down 22%) and best year-over-year increase (the Insignia, up 24%).

These were the ten best-selling cars in the United Kingdom in 2011. Don't expect wholesale changes when the 2012 list breaks cover a year from now.

Rank	Best-Selling Car	2011	2010	% Change
#1	Ford Fiesta	96,112	103,013	- 6.7%
#2	Ford Focus	81,832	77,804	+ 5.2%
#3	Vauxhall Corsa	77,751	77,398	+ 0.5%
#4	Volkswagen Golf	63,368	58,116	+ 9.1%
#5	Vauxhall Astra	62,575	80,646	- 22.4%
#6	Vauxhall Insignia	46,324	37,281	+ 24.3%
#7	Volkswagen Polo	45,992	45,517	+ 1.0%
#8	BMW 3-Series	42,471	42,020	+ 1.1%
#9	Nissan Qashqai	39,406	39,048	+ 0.9%
#10	Mini	35,845	41,883	- 14.4%

Source: Manufacturers, MTI & SMMT
Red font indicates year-over-year declining sales 
Mini, as always on the UK list, refers to the non-Countryman Minis

Related From GoodCarBadCar.net
Top 10 Best-Selling Cars In The UK - 2012 Year End
Top 10 Best-Selling Cars In The UK - December 2011
Top 10 Best-Selling Cars In The UK - January 2012
Top 10 Best-Selling Cars In The UK - 2010 Year End
UK Auto Sales By Brand - 2011 Year End