UK vehicle statistics / BMW

How many BMW 1 Series cars are left?

At the end of 2026 Q1, DfT recorded 400,915 licensed and 24,504 SORN vehicles in the UK within the BMW 1 Series generic-model group.

Looking at a 1 Series?

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

Is the 1 Series disappearing?

Licensed numbers peaked at 405,895 in 2024 Q2 and stand at 400,915 in 2026 Q1, down 1%. That is up 1% in the five years since 2021 Q1. A further 24,504 are declared SORN — 1 in 17 of the 425,419 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.

1 Series MOT pass rate

In 2024, 78.7% of 64,918 BMW 1 Series MOTs passed first time — above the 71.2% UK average. Pass rate moves with age: 87.2% of cars aged 3–5 years passed first time, against 64.7% aged 15–30 years.

  • Condition — 5% of tests. Corrosion, damage or wear on a tested component. Worth seeing in person, as the cost ranges from trivial to structural.
  • Headlamp Aim — 2.9% of tests. Headlights pointing too high or low. Cheap to adjust, and common on every make.
  • Tread Depth — 2.6% of tests. Tyres below the 1.6mm legal limit. Budget for tyres, and treat it as a sign of how the car was maintained.
  • Washers — 2.2% of tests. Empty or blocked washers. Trivial, but again a sign of the last owner's care.

Full age bands and failure notes are on the BMW 1 Series MOT pass rate page.

Before you buy

  • Condition — 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.
  • Headlamp Aim — 2.9% of tests in 2024. Headlights pointing too high or low. Cheap to adjust, and common on every make.
  • Tread Depth — 2.6% of tests in 2024. Tyres below the 1.6mm legal limit. Budget for tyres, and treat it as a sign of how the car was maintained.
  • Washers — 2.2% of tests in 2024. Empty or blocked washers. Trivial, but again a sign of the last owner's care.
  • Check the actual 1 Series — 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 Q1400,91524,504
2025 Q4399,90223,747
2025 Q3401,03322,424
2025 Q2401,38121,837
2025 Q1402,53021,637
2024 Q4401,79220,349
2024 Q3403,73418,897
2024 Q2405,89518,316
2024 Q1403,73617,981
2023 Q4400,14316,901
2023 Q3397,75415,452
2023 Q2397,30314,749
2023 Q1396,86014,297
2022 Q4398,25313,799
2022 Q3398,56712,992
2022 Q2399,38312,536
2022 Q1399,50412,498
2021 Q4400,11212,201
2021 Q3400,39311,516
2021 Q2401,18711,303
2021 Q1397,69811,442
2020 Q4394,99811,080
2020 Q3392,25610,225
2020 Q2388,65810,199
2020 Q1387,05410,509
2019 Q4387,7509,153
2019 Q3386,6668,188
2019 Q2383,5268,204
2019 Q1378,2137,028
2018 Q4372,1556,750
2018 Q3371,6015,981
2018 Q2366,7205,621
2018 Q1362,8995,219
2017 Q4358,2685,063
2017 Q3353,8324,553
2017 Q2347,8324,221
2017 Q1341,4643,826
2016 Q4334,9623,658
2016 Q3327,6243,148
2016 Q2321,5892,768
2016 Q1315,5622,461
2015 Q4309,3272,387
2015 Q3302,8041,874
2015 Q2295,1312,011
2015 Q1288,3601,879
2014 Q4281,2322,023
2014 Q3278,4231,372

Other BMW models

See how many of every BMW model are left

Common questions

How many BMW 1 Series cars are left in the UK?

400,915 were licensed and 24,504 were SORN at the end of 2026 Q1, according to DfT and DVLA statistics for this generic-model group.

How many BMW 1 Series cars are SORN?

24,504 are declared SORN — 1 in 17 of the 425,419 still on the DVLA record at the end of 2026 Q1.

Is the 1 Series disappearing?

Licensed numbers peaked at 405,895 in 2024 Q2 and stand at 400,915 in 2026 Q1, down 1%. That is up 1% in the five years since 2021 Q1. A further 24,504 are declared SORN — 1 in 17 of the 425,419 still on the DVLA record is off the road, laid up, part-restored or waiting to be sold.

What is the BMW 1 Series MOT pass rate?

In 2024, 78.7% of 64,918 BMW 1 Series MOTs passed first time — above the 71.2% UK average.

What does the 1 Series fail its MOT on?

The most common initial failure categories in 2024 are condition (5% of tests), headlamp aim (2.9% of tests), tread depth (2.6% of tests).

Does this say whether one 1 Series 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.