UK vehicle statistics / Bentley

How many Bentley Continental cars are left?

At the end of 2026 Q1, DfT recorded 13,378 licensed and 3,703 SORN vehicles in the UK within the Bentley Continental generic-model group.

Looking at a Continental?

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

Is the Continental disappearing?

Licensed numbers peaked at 14,366 in 2023 Q2 and stand at 13,378 in 2026 Q1, down 7%. The number on the road is unchanged since 2021 Q1. A further 3,703 are declared SORN — 1 in 5 of the 17,081 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.

Continental MOT pass rate

In 2024, 89.8% of 9,196 Bentley Continental MOTs passed first time — above the 71.2% UK average. Pass rate moves with age: 93.8% of cars aged 6–9 years passed first time, against 88.3% aged 15–30 years.

  • Exhaust Emissions — 2.8% 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 — 2.5% of tests. Corrosion, damage or wear on a tested component. Worth seeing in person, as the cost ranges from trivial to structural.
  • Brake Performance — 1.1% of tests. The brakes underperformed on the rolling road. Expect brake work rather than an adjustment.
  • Suspension Arms — 0.9% of tests. Worn arms or bushes. A common age-related repair that affects handling and tyre wear.

Full age bands and failure notes are on the Bentley Continental MOT pass rate page.

Before you buy

  • Exhaust Emissions — 2.8% 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 — 2.5% of tests in 2024. Corrosion, damage or wear on a tested component. Worth seeing in person, as the cost ranges from trivial to structural.
  • Brake Performance — 1.1% of tests in 2024. The brakes underperformed on the rolling road. Expect brake work rather than an adjustment.
  • Suspension Arms — 0.9% of tests in 2024. Worn arms or bushes. A common age-related repair that affects handling and tyre wear.
  • Ask why it was off the road — Of the 17,081 Continental vehicles still on the DVLA record, 1 in 5 is SORN (3,703 at 2026 Q1). A car that has been laid up needs a closer look at brakes, tyres and the MOT history.
  • Check the actual Continental — 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 Q113,3783,703
2025 Q413,4103,613
2025 Q314,0902,934
2025 Q214,1112,833
2025 Q113,3113,410
2024 Q413,2153,305
2024 Q313,8292,641
2024 Q214,0172,419
2024 Q113,6152,593
2023 Q413,5612,805
2023 Q314,1832,185
2023 Q214,3662,013
2023 Q113,8592,230
2022 Q413,8062,482
2022 Q314,2691,902
2022 Q214,2751,763
2022 Q113,7561,972
2021 Q413,6692,161
2021 Q314,0411,697
2021 Q213,9861,661
2021 Q113,4291,957
2020 Q413,4882,106
2020 Q313,7821,671
2020 Q213,3511,748
2020 Q113,2581,818
2019 Q413,4301,520
2019 Q313,6271,179
2019 Q213,3861,092
2019 Q112,9361,200
2018 Q412,7671,336
2018 Q312,921995
2018 Q212,786912
2018 Q112,4691,010
2017 Q412,4311,099
2017 Q312,671851
2017 Q212,616778
2017 Q112,299811
2016 Q412,112883
2016 Q312,182647
2016 Q212,042609
2016 Q111,653721
2015 Q411,542725
2015 Q311,545559
2015 Q211,429514
2015 Q111,173546
2014 Q411,023582
2014 Q311,276406

Other Bentley models

See how many of every Bentley model are left

Common questions

How many Bentley Continental cars are left in the UK?

13,378 were licensed and 3,703 were SORN at the end of 2026 Q1, according to DfT and DVLA statistics for this generic-model group.

How many Bentley Continental cars are SORN?

3,703 are declared SORN — 1 in 5 of the 17,081 still on the DVLA record at the end of 2026 Q1.

Is the Continental disappearing?

Licensed numbers peaked at 14,366 in 2023 Q2 and stand at 13,378 in 2026 Q1, down 7%. The number on the road is unchanged since 2021 Q1. A further 3,703 are declared SORN — 1 in 5 of the 17,081 still on the DVLA record is off the road, laid up, part-restored or waiting to be sold.

What is the Bentley Continental MOT pass rate?

In 2024, 89.8% of 9,196 Bentley Continental MOTs passed first time — above the 71.2% UK average.

What does the Continental fail its MOT on?

The most common initial failure categories in 2024 are exhaust emissions (2.8% of tests), condition (2.5% of tests), brake performance (1.1% of tests).

Does this say whether one Continental 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.