UK vehicle statistics / Daimler

How many Daimler V8 cars are left?

At the end of 2026 Q1, DfT recorded 928 licensed and 644 SORN vehicles in the UK within the Daimler V8 generic-model group.

Looking at a V8?

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 V8 is off the road? A free SORN check shows whether it is currently SORN, taxed or untaxed.

Is the V8 disappearing?

Licensed numbers peaked at 1,222 in 2014 Q3 and stand at 928 in 2026 Q1, down 24%. That is down 12% in the five years since 2021 Q1. A further 644 are declared SORN — 1 in 2 of the 1,572 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 1,572 V8 vehicles still on the DVLA record, 1 in 2 is SORN (644 at 2026 Q1). A car that has been laid up needs a closer look at brakes, tyres and the MOT history.
  • Check the actual V8 — 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 Q1928644
2025 Q4937628
2025 Q3974600
2025 Q2979600
2025 Q1979601
2024 Q4989585
2024 Q31,003574
2024 Q21,018559
2024 Q11,017561
2023 Q41,016570
2023 Q31,042550
2023 Q21,058540
2023 Q11,046557
2022 Q41,046569
2022 Q31,067541
2022 Q21,071543
2022 Q11,056556
2021 Q41,047560
2021 Q31,067533
2021 Q21,081530
2021 Q11,053555
2020 Q41,049565
2020 Q31,071545
2020 Q21,073549
2020 Q11,072554
2019 Q41,096523
2019 Q31,113504
2019 Q21,113498
2019 Q11,105502
2018 Q41,102513
2018 Q31,094499
2018 Q21,092501
2018 Q11,046544
2017 Q41,062534
2017 Q31,085511
2017 Q21,107488
2017 Q11,093470
2016 Q41,095471
2016 Q31,125437
2016 Q21,133428
2016 Q11,123436
2015 Q41,137425
2015 Q31,179381
2015 Q21,178380
2015 Q11,164385
2014 Q41,188382
2014 Q31,222344

Other Daimler models

See how many of every Daimler model are left

Common questions

How many Daimler V8 cars are left in the UK?

928 were licensed and 644 were SORN at the end of 2026 Q1, according to DfT and DVLA statistics for this generic-model group.

How many Daimler V8 cars are SORN?

644 are declared SORN — 1 in 2 of the 1,572 still on the DVLA record at the end of 2026 Q1.

Is the V8 disappearing?

Licensed numbers peaked at 1,222 in 2014 Q3 and stand at 928 in 2026 Q1, down 24%. That is down 12% in the five years since 2021 Q1. A further 644 are declared SORN — 1 in 2 of the 1,572 still on the DVLA record is off the road, laid up, part-restored or waiting to be sold.

Does this say whether one V8 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.