You might assume that those who ignore car insurance are generally those with lower incomes who might be looking to save cash wherever possible. However, a new study by
Churchill Car Insurance suggests that is certainly not
always the case.
The company’s new analysis has revealed that luxury car models including Ferraris, Maseratis, Bentleys and Porsches are being seized by police among the more than 22,594 vehicles seized in total this year, because the driver was not insured or did not have a valid licence. In total 52 Porsches, 11 Ferraris, six Bentleys and four Maseratis are among those grabbed by the police.
Overall, however, the analysis reveals that BMWs are the most confiscated luxury car brand by police forces in England and Wales, with 2,117 seized in 2016. Every year since 2013 BMWs have remained the most seized luxury car brand closely followed by Audi. What is perhaps more shocking is that the police are seizing vehicles such as Rolls Royces, with the 2016 Dawn 2d Auto model commanding a list price of £265,175.
Table one: Number of luxury cars seized by Police Forces in England and Wales in 2016
| Luxury car brand |
Number of cars seized by Police Forces in England and Wales in 2016 |
| BMW |
2,117 |
| Audi |
1,546 |
| Porsche |
52 |
| Ferrari |
11 |
| Bentley |
6 |
| Lamborghini |
6 |
| Maserati |
4 |
| Rolls Royce |
2 |
| TVR |
1 |
| Aston Martin |
1 |
Source: Churchill Car Insurance’s analysis of data from Police Forces in England and Wales, 2016
The largest amount raised by the resale of a single seized car at auction in 2016 to date was £22,100, secured by the Met Police. For the money the purchaser spent at auction they could have bought a brand new Ford Focus 1.5 TDCi (120bhp) Style 5d Powershift (£20,295), or a 1.5 Mini Cooper 6d Auto (£21,600). Police forces in England and Wales have auctioned at least 2,866 cars to date in 2016 – raising more than £1.4 million. Meanwhile, at least 6,583 seized cars have been crushed in 2016, with the scrap value of these vehicles generating revenues of £279,253. Vehicles seized by the Met Police generated the highest revenues with £108,779 raised from their scrap value in 2016.
Meanwhile, the number of uninsured drivers by region has also been revealed – with the Met Police confiscating more uninsured cars than any other constabulary in England and Wales at 6,827. It was followed by Greater Manchester at 3,488. This compares to Devon & Cornwall Police with just 277 cars seized. Below is the table showing uninsured vehicles by region.
Table two: Uninsured driving by region
| Regions |
Estimated Uninsured Vehicles |
Total number of vehicles |
Percentage of cars that are uninsured |
Chance of vehicle involved in an accident being uninsured |
| Greater London |
215,970 |
3,932,057 |
5.5% |
1 in 18 |
| North West |
175,625 |
4,083,301 |
4.3% |
1 in 23 |
| West Midlands |
110,337 |
3,349,283 |
3.3% |
1 in 30 |
| Yorkshire & Humberside |
69,572 |
2,496,204 |
2.8% |
1 in 36 |
| North East |
58,138 |
1,645,789 |
3.5% |
1 in 28 |
| South East |
56,334 |
3,381,834 |
1.7% |
1 in 60 |
| East of England |
52,329 |
2,720,730 |
1.9% |
1 in 52 |
| South West |
52,098 |
3,798,438 |
1.4% |
1 in 73 |
| East Midlands |
50,303 |
2,120,780 |
2.4% |
1 in 42 |
| East England |
46,169 |
3,055,754 |
1.5% |
1 in 66 |
| Wales |
43,665 |
1,858,267 |
2.3% |
1 in 43 |
| Scotland |
38,956 |
2,764,042 |
1.4% |
1 in 71 |
| Northern Ireland |
30,504 |
1,038,109 |
2.9% |
1 in 34 |
Source: Churchill Car Insurance analysis of MIB data
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