For some models, it's time to go. Andrew Hamilton bids farewell to a few of the vehicles we were once happy to be seen driving.
It's that time when Car of the Year awards are in abundance, and approaching a new year, it's in with the new and out with the old.
Most of the attention is predictably centred on the new lot but what about their predecessors, the cars that went before. Some surely deserve a farewell comment, be it good, bad or indifferent.
It's surprising how cars age, just like we do. More properly, if we see cars as expensively marketed commodities, then it's even more surprising how many manufacturers let their progeny pass the sell-by date. A prime example has to be the current and soon-to-be-replaced Nissan Micra.
The second-generation car with a few small facelifts, seems to have been around a lifetime. Actually it came into the world in 1992 and immediately distinguished itself by being the first-ever Japanese car to win the European Car of the Year award.
Ten years ago, the Micra looked so radical, so chic, and it had a cuddly, cute sort of appearance that was unlike anything else around.
These days, as it faces the final curtain, the profile looks unexceptional and even uninteresting. The actual customer profile in the last few years didn't help either.
The Micra was and still is, the most favoured car of driving schools which is actually a tribute of sorts. Driving schools always choose cars that are easily manoeuvrable, compact and with easy driving controls. In crowded cities and towns, isn't that what we are all looking for?
The new third generation Micra, detailed last week in Motors and going on Irish sale right at the start of January 2003, is eye-catching and stylishly different just as its predecessor was in 1992. But looks can be perishable. The big question is just how will it look in 2009 or 2009. Or will Nissan have replaced it by that time?
Citroën is still marketing its Saxo supermini here but don't be surprised if it fades away soon.
The C3 successor, although thoroughly conventional in its engineering, does capture the flavour and image of Citroën which is having an appearance that is quirky, modern and stand-alone.
The sin of the Saxo was that it looked too bland, too conventional and like a sedate Peugeot that was quickly rebadged. The Saxo was, or is, the most unloved of recent Citroëns and the new boss of Peugeot-Citroën, Jean-Martin Folz, has given a pledge that Citroën's unique individuality will never be compromised again with Peugeot look-alikes.
Earlier this year, we said goodbye to the old Opel Vectra. It had a six-year lifespan but it aged prematurely and in the highly competitive family and fleet car sector, it was outpaced by younger and smarter rivals like the Ford Mondeo, Renault Laguna and Volkswagen Passat.
Getting a stylish shape that endures, is maybe the Achilles heel of Opel. The Corsa, launched less than three years ago, is getting a major facelift soon. There's a recognition in Opel that it has to breathe more styling excitement and emotion into the line-up that everyday people buy.
An old Fiesta departed and a new one arrived this year. The old car looked its age but Ford's acknowledged marketing skills kept it alive and it was remarkably still a best-seller in the twilight years. The old Fiesta's biggest practical problem was poor rear seat space.
New Fiesta has looks that are strongly reminiscent of its bigger Focus sibling, best-selling car on the Irish market and a best-seller everywhere for Henry.
Focus is well into mid-life now, four going on five, and yet it still looks so thoroughly modern. When it first came out, there were many cynics who shook their heads and said it was too avant-garde. But it was on the right side of avant-garde proving that the customers wants shapes that are out-of-the-ordinary, fresh and invigorating,
In the final analysis, styling is the biggest motivator in buying. Cars bowing out like the Micra, Vectra, Saxo and Fiesta all looked tired and their time to be put down was overdue. Let's hope that their successors age gracefully well into the 21st century.