UK vehicle statistics / Datsun

How many Datsun 120 cars are left?

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.

Recent quarterly trend

QuarterLicensedSORN
2026 Q15690
2025 Q45886
2025 Q35987
2025 Q25887
2025 Q15787
2024 Q45585
2024 Q35683
2024 Q25682
2024 Q15980
2023 Q45976
2023 Q36074
2023 Q26673

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

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.