Erin Baker: This year's top 9 British motoring marques

Here are my favourite British brands of the past year (yes, some of them have foreign investment or are foreign owned, but they still ooze Britishness from their very core).

Aston Martin

The DB11 says it all. A pivotal model for Dr Andy Palmer and his team at Gaydon with a new car that breathes fresh life into the brand. Then we have the launch of the AMR sub-brand, which brings together road and racing prowess.

Bentley

The Bentayga was ‘the Bentley of SUVs” at launch. A diesel and a seven-seat derivative have followed suit, proving that this venerable marque from Crewe isn't afraid to seek out new directions.

Rolls-Royce

Speaking of new directions, next year we’ll finally see the SUV built on the Goodwood estate. Meanwhile, however, the Black Badge range of darkened, more aggressive takes on the Ghost and Wraith has taken the average age of a Rolls owner perilously close to 40, which is a staggering marketing and product tour de force by the company.

Land Rover

First it was the new Discovery, a bold re-imagining of this peerless off-roader, and now we’ve seen the Velar (and will drive it this summer). The latter has an interior that is a true step change for the brand – gone are the big rugged buttons and knobs, and instead, we have a flat, clean, simple interface full of touch points lit up under a glass surface. It’s the future alright.

McLaren

Showing that the Woking company isn’t afraid to push the design boundaries either, the 720S has introduced us this year to the folding driver display and the idea of hollowed out headlight sockets that act as aero channels. Then there’s the magnificent film now showing in selected cinemas, McLaren, based on the racing driver’s short life and many achievements.

Vauxhall

Yes, things have changed in the past 12 months, with the take-over of the brand by PSA and question marks over the viability of production facilities, but Vauxhall keeps churning out good-looking, family friendly models that maintain their position at the top of the charts. The new Crossland X is a great looking crossover.

Caterham

What a way to celebrate your 60th anniversary, with the Sprint, a car that sold all 60 examples within a few weeks of its launch at last year’s Revival Meeting. A fantastic take on a retro Seven, with flared wings and great colours.

David Brown Automotive

Somewhat derided for the Speedback GT, not least because it was based on a Jaguar XK yet cost nearly half a million pounds, DBA is back this year with the launch of the Mini Remastered. At a much more attractive cost of about £70,000 and some great design tweaks, this is surely what the brand was always about.

TVR

It’s back, it’s back, and we can’t wait to see the new car later this year… We’re even told build quality is now fully up to scratch. Gulp.