If the 2010s proved anything, it’s that a lot can happen in 10 years. From 2010 to 2019, huge changes swept the nation, affecting everything from how we drive to what we watch on TV. But despite all this progress, there’s one thing you can rely on: Prestone’s 10-year guarantee.
Our high-performance coolant/antifreeze keeps working no matter what life throws your way, so you can rest assured that your car is always protected.
To celebrate Prestone’s incredible durability, we’re taking a look back at the past decade to see what’s changed since you last topped up – from motoring milestones to celebrity mishaps.
2010
Motoring Milestones
- Volkswagen unveiled the ‘Tiny Taxi’, one of the UK’s first fully electric cars. The BBC heralded the launch as the start of an ‘electric car revolution’ – they weren’t wrong.
- The new-look Ford Fiesta was the best-selling car of the year, with 103,013 people picking up the keys to this beloved super mini.
- From January to December, petrol prices rose by 3p a litre, which was one of the biggest hikes in recent decades.
Everything Else
- In January, Britain froze in the longest cold spell in 30 years, with temperatures dropping as low as -22°C in some parts of the country. We hope you’d protected your car with Prestone to beat the freeze!
- UK travellers were left stranded after the eruption of an Icelandic volcano, with clouds of ash causing disruption across much of Europe.
- Pope Benedict XVI took a four-day visit to the UK, travelling from Glasgow to London in his now world-famous ‘popemobile’ – a customised Volkswagen Golf.
2011
Motoring Milestones
- The Guardian published a story titled ‘The end of motoring’ in reference to the falling number of people with a driving licence. Just 35% of 17-20-year-olds had a driving licence in 2011, compared to 48% in 1990.
- Jaguar Land Rover launched its first ‘subcompact luxury crossover’, the Range Rover Evoque. It scooped several industry awards and sold around 80,000 in the first nine months.
- 2011 was the first year a so-called ‘showroom tax’ was introduced, with drivers having to pay more car tax on vehicles less than a year old.
Everything Else
- Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows hit our cinema screens, becoming the 12th highest-grossing film of all time and drawing a line under the film series.
- Prince William got married to Catherine Middleton in April 2011. Over two billion people in 180 countries tuned in to watch the royals get hitched.
- Inventor and business magnate, Steve Jobs, died in October 2011. He remains one of the world’s foremost business minds, with Apple Inc. being his legacy.
2012
Motoring Milestones
- In 2012, the UK manufactured some 2,504,054 vehicle components, with plants in Essex, Wales and the Midlands making parts for BMW and Ford.
- The famous Toyota Prius, one of the UK’s first major-selling hybrids, claimed the title of Britain’s most reliable compact car.
- 2012 was the year of the city car, with the Volkswagen Up!, Skoda Citigo and Ford Ka making waves in the small car market.
Everything Else
- London hosted the 2012 Summer Olympics, raising the standard of the Games in terms of sustainability, smooth organisation and packed stadiums.
- In December 2012, a giant schnauzer and his four-legged friends hit the headlines in New Zealand for learning how to drive. The pooches were trained to change gear, control the brakes and use a steering wheel.
- Queen Elizabeth II celebrated her diamond jubilee, with street parties and events taking place across the UK and the Commonwealth.
2013
Motoring Milestones
- Jaguar launched its stunning F-Type at the Geneva Motor Show. Several British celebs were enlisted to help promote the new sports car, including David Beckham, Damien Lewis and Jamie Campbell Bower.
- New cars averaged over 50 mpg for the first time, pushing average CO2 emissions below the EU’s manufacturer target.
- With SUV fever sweeping the nation, Porsche released its hotly anticipated 4×4, the Macan, which has since become one of the brand’s biggest sellers.
Everything Else
- Horsemeat happened. The less said about that, the better.
- The grave of King Richard III was discovered beneath a car park in Leicester; it was one of the greatest discoveries in modern archaeological history.
- Sir Alex Ferguson retired as Manchester United manager after 27 years at the club.
2014
Motoring Milestones
- Google unveiled its first fully autonomous vehicle in June, heralding the start of the driverless car craze.
- With electric cars moving into the mainstream Tesla broke the internet with news of its Model III, the most affordable car the brand had ever launched.
- The good old tax disc was scrapped in October 2014, after spending 93 years pride of place in our windscreens.
Everything Else
- Scotland voted to remain a part of the UK after an historic independence referendum.
- Ebola became the world’s deadliest virus, with mass outbreaks in many parts of West Africa.
- Torrential rain and flooding struck the UK in July 2014, with parts of Greater London, Sussex and Essex struggling to cope with the unseasonal deluge.
2015
Motoring Milestones
- Jeremy Clarkson was sacked from hit BBC motoring show Top Gear, for an ‘unprovoked physical and verbal attack’ on one of the show’s producers.
- Aston Martin wowed the motoring world with news of its latest model, the DB11. The car took centre stage in the Bond film Spectre, released the same year.
- Celebrations were held on 21 October 2015 to the mark the date when Marty McFly and Doc Brown travelled to the future in their time-travelling DeLorean in 1989’s Back to the Future II.
Everything Else
- In an unprecedented discovery, Nasa found evidence of flowing water on Mars.
- Mark Ronson’s endlessly catchy Uptown Funk is the biggest-selling song of 2015, racking up 1.76 million streams.
- The world bid a sad farewell to veteran actor Leonard Nimoy, who rose to fame for playing Spock in the Star Trek franchise from 1964 to 2013.
2016
Motoring Milestones
- Tougher penalties were introduced for using a phone at the wheel, with fines and points doubled to deter drivers.
- The RAC’s Report on Motoring 2016 revealed the growing price of car insurance, with the average premium going up by £81 between 2015 and 2016.
- The Nissan Qashqai replaced the Ford Focus as Britain’s second-best-selling car, highlighting the continuing demand for crossover SUVs.
Everything Else
- Following the referendum on 23 June, the UK voted to leave the EU.
- Leicester City won the Premier League title at 5000/1 odds.
- Producers of the BBC’s Planet Earth II revealed that the unfortunate baby turtles filmed as part of the documentary were saved, making this one of the most uplifting stories of the decade.
2017
Motoring Milestones
- The UK hit an historic milestone in 2017 – 40 million motorists on the road.
- Sales of new diesels fell by a staggering 17.1% compared to the previous year, following the announcement of diesel car tax increases in the 2016 autumn budget.
- 2017 was a good year for the iconic Volkswagen Golf with 74,605 registrations, making it one of the UK’s best-selling cars.
Everything Else
- Transport for London took the unprecedented step of banning Uber from the capital. The ride-hailing firm appealed the decision, but there’s since been lots of toing and froing between the two organisations.
- Prince Philip retired from public life in August, completing his final solo engagement after 70 years of service. It was his 22,219th public event.
- Following the introduction of charges for single-use plastic bags, the number bought on the British high street fell by 289 million between 2016 and 2017.
2018
Motoring Milestones
- The cathedral city of Hereford in the West Midlands was named the UK’s worst city for drink driving offences, with Crewe coming a close second.
- Appearing on several ‘best of the year’ lists, the Jaguar I-Pace was one of the best-selling electric cars of 2018, overtaking the Tesla Model S.
- Several changes were made to car tax legislation as part of the autumn budget, with major price hikes for new diesel and petrol cars.
Everything Else
- The ‘Beast from the East’ brought Britain to a standstill at the start of the year, with unprecedented snowfall and plunging temperatures causing widespread travel disruption.
- Legendary British physicist, Stephen Hawking, sadly passed away in March 2018. He’s remembered for his ground-breaking research into black holes and relativity.
- Harry and Meghan got married in the second royal wedding of the decade.
2019
Motoring Milestones
- Lewis Hamilton claimed his sixth Formula One World Championship, making him the second most successful F1 racing driver after Michael Schumacher.
- Avon and Somerset was named the region with the most speeding tickets, with motorists receiving more than double the number of penalties than any other place in England and Wales.
- Sales of electric cars grew by 8% in 2019, bucking the trend of overall car sales, which fell by 1.3%.
Everything Else
- 2019 was the year of streaming movies and TV, with a record 13 million households subscribed to at least one service – an increase of 8.4% on 2018.
- A giant tortoise, believed to be extinct for over 100 years, was rediscovered on the Galápagos.
- Avengers: Endgame became the highest-grossing film of all time, scooping over £2 billion in the global box office.
So there you have it, a nostalgic look back at what you and your car have been through together over the past decade. For more motoring tips and our complete product range, visit the Prestone homepage.