UK vehicle statistics / Abarth
How many Abarth 500 cars are left?
At the end of 2026 Q1, DfT recorded 5,384 licensed and 672 SORN vehicles in the UK within the Abarth 500 generic-model group.
Looking at a 500?
Population figures cannot tell you whether one particular car is taxed, MOT-valid or safe to buy.
Check its registration free for the official tax, MOT and mileage record. If the car is still worth pursuing, the optional £9.99 full history check adds outstanding-finance, stolen and insurance write-off checks.
Wondering whether one particular 500 is off the road? A free SORN check shows whether it is currently SORN, taxed or untaxed.
Is the 500 disappearing?
Licensed numbers peaked at 5,985 in 2016 Q2 and stand at 5,384 in 2026 Q1, down 10%. The number on the road is unchanged since 2021 Q1. A further 672 are declared SORN — 1 in 9 of the 6,056 still on the DVLA record is off the road, laid up, part-restored or waiting to be sold.
A falling population is worth knowing before you buy: it usually means fewer donor cars, fewer specialists and slower parts supply, and it is why a good example of a scarce model can hold its price while a neglected one is hard to sell at any price.
500 MOT pass rate
In 2024, 66.8% of 4,254 Abarth 500 MOTs passed first time — below the 71.2% UK average. Pass rate moves with age: 71.6% of cars aged 6–9 years passed first time, against 64.4% aged 15–30 years.
- Suspension Arms — 6.1% of tests. Worn arms or bushes. A common age-related repair that affects handling and tyre wear.
- Headlamp Aim — 6% of tests. Headlights pointing too high or low. Cheap to adjust, and common on every make.
- Exhaust Emissions — 4.7% of tests. The car exceeded its emissions limits. Can be a sensor or a service, but on a diesel it can also mean an expensive filter or catalyst.
- Condition — 4.7% of tests. Corrosion, damage or wear on a tested component. Worth seeing in person, as the cost ranges from trivial to structural.
Full age bands and failure notes are on the Abarth 500 MOT pass rate page.
Before you buy
- Suspension Arms — 6.1% of tests in 2024. Worn arms or bushes. A common age-related repair that affects handling and tyre wear.
- Headlamp Aim — 6% of tests in 2024. Headlights pointing too high or low. Cheap to adjust, and common on every make.
- Exhaust Emissions — 4.7% of tests in 2024. The car exceeded its emissions limits. Can be a sensor or a service, but on a diesel it can also mean an expensive filter or catalyst.
- Condition — 4.7% of tests in 2024. Corrosion, damage or wear on a tested component. Worth seeing in person, as the cost ranges from trivial to structural.
- Check the actual 500 — These figures describe the model group. Enter the registration for that vehicle's free MOT, tax and mileage record before you pay a deposit.
Quarterly licensed and SORN counts
Every quarter DfT has published for this model group, newest first.
| Quarter | Licensed | SORN |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 Q1 | 5,384 | 672 |
| 2025 Q4 | 5,416 | 656 |
| 2025 Q3 | 5,487 | 582 |
| 2025 Q2 | 5,523 | 546 |
| 2025 Q1 | 5,480 | 566 |
| 2024 Q4 | 5,423 | 523 |
| 2024 Q3 | 5,456 | 451 |
| 2024 Q2 | 5,332 | 430 |
| 2024 Q1 | 5,258 | 443 |
| 2023 Q4 | 5,248 | 427 |
| 2023 Q3 | 5,336 | 352 |
| 2023 Q2 | 5,237 | 341 |
| 2023 Q1 | 5,212 | 348 |
| 2022 Q4 | 5,253 | 353 |
| 2022 Q3 | 5,318 | 319 |
| 2022 Q2 | 5,394 | 289 |
| 2022 Q1 | 5,336 | 300 |
| 2021 Q4 | 5,364 | 305 |
| 2021 Q3 | 5,410 | 276 |
| 2021 Q2 | 5,441 | 268 |
| 2021 Q1 | 5,393 | 291 |
| 2020 Q4 | 5,422 | 291 |
| 2020 Q3 | 5,489 | 247 |
| 2020 Q2 | 5,450 | 270 |
| 2020 Q1 | 5,469 | 264 |
| 2019 Q4 | 5,561 | 204 |
| 2019 Q3 | 5,627 | 181 |
| 2019 Q2 | 5,648 | 179 |
| 2019 Q1 | 5,601 | 186 |
| 2018 Q4 | 5,658 | 176 |
| 2018 Q3 | 5,691 | 157 |
| 2018 Q2 | 5,721 | 141 |
| 2018 Q1 | 5,749 | 142 |
| 2017 Q4 | 5,811 | 146 |
| 2017 Q3 | 5,861 | 126 |
| 2017 Q2 | 5,869 | 112 |
| 2017 Q1 | 5,855 | 104 |
| 2016 Q4 | 5,912 | 107 |
| 2016 Q3 | 5,948 | 90 |
| 2016 Q2 | 5,985 | 72 |
| 2016 Q1 | 5,945 | 75 |
| 2015 Q4 | 5,942 | 81 |
| 2015 Q3 | 5,871 | 68 |
| 2015 Q2 | 5,789 | 121 |
| 2015 Q1 | 5,504 | 98 |
| 2014 Q4 | 5,232 | 68 |
| 2014 Q3 | 5,164 | 60 |
Other Abarth models
- 595 — 20,205 licensed. MOT pass rate
- Spider — 1,660 licensed
- 695 — 1,432 licensed
- Punto — 492 licensed
- F595 — 374 licensed
- 600e — 149 licensed
See how many of every Abarth model are left
Common questions
How many Abarth 500 cars are left in the UK?
5,384 were licensed and 672 were SORN at the end of 2026 Q1, according to DfT and DVLA statistics for this generic-model group.
How many Abarth 500 cars are SORN?
672 are declared SORN — 1 in 9 of the 6,056 still on the DVLA record at the end of 2026 Q1.
Is the 500 disappearing?
Licensed numbers peaked at 5,985 in 2016 Q2 and stand at 5,384 in 2026 Q1, down 10%. The number on the road is unchanged since 2021 Q1. A further 672 are declared SORN — 1 in 9 of the 6,056 still on the DVLA record is off the road, laid up, part-restored or waiting to be sold.
What is the Abarth 500 MOT pass rate?
In 2024, 66.8% of 4,254 Abarth 500 MOTs passed first time — below the 71.2% UK average.
What does the 500 fail its MOT on?
The most common initial failure categories in 2024 are suspension arms (6.1% of tests), headlamp aim (6% of tests), exhaust emissions (4.7% of tests).
Does this say whether one 500 is a good buy?
No. These are population figures for the model group. Enter that vehicle's registration for its own free MOT, tax and mileage record.
Source and limitations
Source: Department for Transport and DVLA, df_VEH0120_UK. Released 2026-07-15 under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
DVLA make and model fields are administrative data and can contain omissions or inconsistencies. These statistics describe model groups, not an individual registration.
Confidential cells marked [c] represent between 1 and 4 vehicles and are treated as zero in aggregates, so totals can be slightly understated.