A Handpicked Horror Show on Wheels

Forget haunted houses... some of the UK’s most spine-tingling legends have four wheels. Whether it's thanks to a spooky name, terrifying styling, or the sheer horror of trying to keep them on the road, here’s our own lovingly selected list of Britain’s scariest ‘classic’ cars.

Some are ghostly by design, others just plain ghoulish by reputation, especially when it comes to reliability. You’ve been warned...

1. Rolls-Royce and the Ghostly Fleet

Before we get into the genuine horrors... We’ll start with an iconic marque that actually wants to sound haunted.

The Rolls-Royce Ghost, Wraith, and Phantom all nod to the supernatural. And that’s no accident. The tradition began in 1906 with the Silver Ghost, named for its smooth, whisper-quiet drive. It was said to be so silent, it was “like a ghost.” And the tradition stuck.

But on to the horror... the horror...

2. The Reliant Robin: Our Pick for Pure Panic

You can’t talk scary without tipping your hat (or tipping over) to the Reliant Robin. This plucky three-wheeler is famously precarious and proudly British. Made from fibreglass and with one wheel too few, it wobbled into the public’s heart and hospitals in the 1970s.

We’re including it here because few cars are as visually amusing and genuinely terrifying to drive. Unreliable? Let’s just say if you're taking a corner at speed, make sure you've updated your will.

But iconic? Absolutely.

3. The Austin Allegro: A Classic Case of 'What Were They Thinking?'

The Austin Allegro has a special place in our scary car hall of fame. Not because of its looks (although… those, too), but because of what it could have been. Launched by British Leyland in 1973 (enough said), it promised innovation and style. Instead, we got square steering wheels, rattling trim, and a reliability record from hell.

It’s our choice for peak unreliability and we kind of love it for that. The Allegro may have been a nightmare for drivers, but it’s a dream for this list. And of course, for the ultimate horror, there was of course the unbelievable Allegro Vanden Plas, complete with its massive, gothic Rolls-Royce-esque radiator! So ugly it’s beautiful?

4. Jaguar XJ220: Terror in the Fast Lane

When Jaguar revealed the XJ220, it was meant to be a 220mph V12 masterpiece. What rolled out was a V6 that cost the earth and angered buyers. Cue lawsuits, a crashing market, and a reputation that still divides petrolheads.

We’ve chosen it for this list because while it looks fantastic to this day, the drama behind the scenes was the stuff of high-speed horror stories.  And finally...

5. The Ford Scorpio: The Marty Feldman of luxury saloons

Now, to terror of a different kind. The Ford Scorpio, particularly the facelifted version from the mid-90s, is a car that haunts design students to this day.

Those bulging frog-like headlights, the gaping grille, the melted jelly shape it looked less like a luxury saloon and more like something you’d find lurking under your bed.

To be fair, it was comfortable and well-equipped. But even now, the styling remains… well, let’s say... divisive.

What do you think?

While this is by no means a definitive list of doom, it’s all ours, and we hope it will get you thinking about your own entries in Motoring History’s Hall of Screams.

But, while you do, as Nick Ross used to say at the end of ‘Crime Watch’...  ‘Please don’t have nightmares!’.