How many Datsun 120 cars are left?

Name: Datsun 120 licensed and SORN statistics
Creator: Department for Transport and DVLA
License: https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3/

At the end of 2026 Q1, DfT recorded 56 licensed and 90 SORN vehicles in the UK within the Datsun 120 generic-model group.

Looking at a 120?

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

Is the 120 disappearing?

Licensed numbers peaked at 66 in 2023 Q2 and stand at 56 in 2026 Q1, down 15%. That is down 5% in the five years since 2021 Q1. A further 90 are declared SORN — 1 in 2 of the 146 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.

Fuel

DfT codes every vehicle in the Datsun 120 generic-model group as petrol.

Before you buy

Ask why it was off the road — Of the 146 120 vehicles still on the DVLA record, 1 in 2 is SORN (90 at 2026 Q1). A car that has been laid up needs a closer look at brakes, tyres and the MOT history.
Check the actual 120 — 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	56	90
2025 Q4	58	86
2025 Q3	59	87
2025 Q2	58	87
2025 Q1	57	87
2024 Q4	55	85
2024 Q3	56	83
2024 Q2	56	82
2024 Q1	59	80
2023 Q4	59	76
2023 Q3	60	74
2023 Q2	66	73
2023 Q1	66	70
2022 Q4	65	71
2022 Q3	66	69
2022 Q2	64	69
2022 Q1	62	70
2021 Q4	60	71
2021 Q3	62	69
2021 Q2	60	72
2021 Q1	59	71
2020 Q4	59	72
2020 Q3	54	73
2020 Q2	58	71
2020 Q1	53	77
2019 Q4	55	76
2019 Q3	58	72
2019 Q2	53	72
2019 Q1	44	76
2018 Q4	43	80
2018 Q3	45	77
2018 Q2	42	75
2018 Q1	34	83
2017 Q4	37	82
2017 Q3	42	77
2017 Q2	37	77
2017 Q1	30	78
2016 Q4	30	82
2016 Q3	29	80
2016 Q2	31	79
2016 Q1	28	79
2015 Q4	26	80
2015 Q3	30	76
2015 Q2	35	72
2015 Q1	29	71
2014 Q4	36	65
2014 Q3	39	63

Other Datsun models

240 — 315 licensed
260 — 145 licensed
280 — 94 licensed
Sunny — 32 licensed
100 — 34 licensed

See how many of every Datsun model are left

Common questions

How many Datsun 120 cars are left in the UK?

56 were licensed and 90 were SORN at the end of 2026 Q1, according to DfT and DVLA statistics for this generic-model group.

How many Datsun 120 cars are SORN?

90 are declared SORN — 1 in 2 of the 146 still on the DVLA record at the end of 2026 Q1.

Is the 120 disappearing?

What fuel is the 120 coded as?

DfT codes every vehicle in the Datsun 120 generic-model group as petrol.

Does this say whether one 120 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.