UK vehicle statistics / Austin

How many Austin Sprite cars are left?

At the end of 2026 Q1, DfT recorded 411 licensed and 196 SORN vehicles in the UK within the Austin Sprite generic-model group.

Looking at a Sprite?

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 Sprite is off the road? A free SORN check shows whether it is currently SORN, taxed or untaxed.

Is the Sprite disappearing?

Licensed numbers peaked at 431 in 2024 Q3 and stand at 411 in 2026 Q1, down 5%. That is down 3% in the five years since 2021 Q1. A further 196 are declared SORN — 1 in 3 of the 607 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.

Before you buy

  • Ask why it was off the road — Of the 607 Sprite vehicles still on the DVLA record, 1 in 3 is SORN (196 at 2026 Q1). A car that has been laid up needs a closer look at brakes, tyres and the MOT history.
  • Check the actual Sprite — 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.

QuarterLicensedSORN
2026 Q1411196
2025 Q4412189
2025 Q3415186
2025 Q2418183
2025 Q1417181
2024 Q4426171
2024 Q3431164
2024 Q2422168
2024 Q1421174
2023 Q4415174
2023 Q3415173
2023 Q2424172
2023 Q1424171
2022 Q4426170
2022 Q3426166
2022 Q2423166
2022 Q1420166
2021 Q4418166
2021 Q3421160
2021 Q2418162
2021 Q1424155
2020 Q4417157
2020 Q3413157
2020 Q2407160
2020 Q1403163
2019 Q4401163
2019 Q3403163
2019 Q2397163
2019 Q1399165
2018 Q4395168
2018 Q3398163
2018 Q2388167
2018 Q1364190
2017 Q4362186
2017 Q3363184
2017 Q2370176
2017 Q1368167
2016 Q4363168
2016 Q3366166
2016 Q2366161
2016 Q1369160
2015 Q4374156
2015 Q3374155
2015 Q2375145
2015 Q1370144
2014 Q4365148
2014 Q3373148

Other Austin models

  • Mini — 8,134 licensed
  • Seven — 2,279 licensed
  • A35 — 1,724 licensed
  • Healey — 2,122 licensed
  • A40 — 1,533 licensed
  • Metro — 260 licensed

See how many of every Austin model are left

Common questions

How many Austin Sprite cars are left in the UK?

411 were licensed and 196 were SORN at the end of 2026 Q1, according to DfT and DVLA statistics for this generic-model group.

How many Austin Sprite cars are SORN?

196 are declared SORN — 1 in 3 of the 607 still on the DVLA record at the end of 2026 Q1.

Is the Sprite disappearing?

Licensed numbers peaked at 431 in 2024 Q3 and stand at 411 in 2026 Q1, down 5%. That is down 3% in the five years since 2021 Q1. A further 196 are declared SORN — 1 in 3 of the 607 still on the DVLA record is off the road, laid up, part-restored or waiting to be sold.

Does this say whether one Sprite 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.