Here Today, Gone Tomorrow

The purpose of this discussion is slightly risky, for two reasons. Firstly, I don't know if it's completely a creation of my own imagination, and secondly, if not, has anyone else actually ever noticed it? Time to dive right in.

The phenomenon I'm alluding to, which has long puzzled me, is quite where last-generation models of cars disappear to when the newer version replaces it.

Allow me to explain further. The flame-surfaced E60 BMW 5 Series is one of the most recognisable cars on the roads, thanks to its combination of unabashed styling with typical BeeEm cues, and the fact that like every 5 Series before it, it was the default executive saloon choice, especially among keen drivers. Petrols, turbodiesels, saloons, Tourings, there's oodles of the things around, especially in desirable M Sport trim.

Or at least, there were. Since the new, F10 Five replaced the Bangle model last year, I've become increasingly aware that the number of the old model that I see is dropping off considerably. Despite company fleets and private buyers doubtless likely to graduate to the new 5, I've meanwhile seen very few of them on the road. And yet, the E60 car continues to disappear left, right  and centre.

Now this car is not a dinosaur. It's still competitively efficient, practical, and carries many of the toys that transferred to the new car, and for these reasons, it sold handsomely.
So where are they all now? Has massively zealous scrapping kicked in on the quiet? Unlikely. Have all old Fives retired to a far off end of the country I'm nowhere near? I cannot work out where they're all going. And I was just using the 5 Series as an example.

I notice that with many new car launches that the older shape sinks without trace, even if the replacement remains relatively scarce. The current Land Rover Discovery 4 sells reasonably, thus its predecessors have retreated to almost complete obscurity. The sharp looking current Ford Fiesta has consistently been Britain's best selling car since its debut three years ago, but the Mk6 held that crown in its day, yet now I honestly don't see that many around.

Before I go any further, is this really just me? Or do you sometimes notice relatively young cars getting very rare very fast just because they've been superseded, although not significantly bettered?

I remember in 2007, just prior to the release of the E92 V8 M3, that the amount of E46 M3s I seemed to pass day to day was verging on ludicrous. All different colours, numberplates, just loads of the things, seeming to outnumber 320ds. And on the unveiling of the new kid, I thought, with raised eyebrows: "Hmm, £50k for a 3 Series derivative, these'll be very rare, almost like Ferrari spotting. Pity." I thought BMW's sales forecast, in the face of the eco brigade and slightly cold reviews on the handling, were way too optimistic. "There's no way that'll outsell the straight six car..." I concluded, as my eyebrows returned to normal "...especially after how many of those I've seen about..."

Predictably with the benefit of hindsight, I was catastrophically wrong. The V8 car has outsold every other M3 generation by a massive margin, and as likely the last naturally aspirated M car, will surely be sorely missed when it is pensioned off next year in anticipation of a twin or even tri-turbo six pot.

So the E92 M3 was very popular. I see two E92s, both in fabulously punchy white, on my usual dog walk route, outside their doubtless proud owners' houses. I don't always see two Honda Civics, or two Renault Meganes, but I do see two 4 litre M cars, without fail. Odd, that. (N.B. No, my dog walk is not past a BMW dealership nor a stupidly affluent posh end, just normal leafy town streets.)

You can see where this is going. How many E46s do I still see? Put it this way: if I hadn't seen a gorgeous blue-silver CSL yesterday, I couldn't have remembered when one last crossed my path if my life had depended on it. Sure, they're expensive to run and long in the tooth, but they are regarded as one of the M Division's finest achievements, and were a sales goldmine, so I can't understand where they're hiding all of a sudden. Wear, tear and accidents cannot have removed that many from the food chain.

Right. I've gone on for far too long about something I'm aware perhaps only I worry about. But keep a sharp eye yourself. Look out for 'old new cars', like the Mk2 Ford Focus or just-killed Citroen C3. And if they vanish from everyday roads while their successors stay fairly rare, I claim my virtual five pounds for spotting this motoring mystery.

...and breathe.

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