How many DS cars are left?
At the end of 2026 Q1, DfT recorded 49,753 licensed and 1,224 SORN DS vehicles in the UK, across 6 published model groups. That means 1 in 42 surviving DS is currently off the road.
Looking at a DS?
Population figures describe a model group, not the car in front of you.
Check its registration free for the official tax, MOT and mileage record. Before buying, the optional £9.99 full history check adds outstanding-finance, stolen and insurance write-off checks.
Is the DS fleet shrinking?
Adding up every published DS model group: Licensed numbers peaked at 50,565 in 2025 Q2 and stand at 49,753 in 2026 Q1, down 2%. That is up 18% in the five years since 2021 Q1. A further 1,224 are declared SORN — 1 in 42 of the 50,977 still on the DVLA record is off the road, laid up, part-restored or waiting to be sold.
DS MOT pass rate
In 2024, 68.6% of 35,074 DS MOTs passed first time — below the 71.2% UK average.
The items most often behind a first-test failure across published DS model groups:
- Transmission — 7.1% of tests. A fault with a driveshaft, gaiter or transmission component. Costs vary widely.
- Springs — 4.5% of tests. A broken or sagging coil spring. Replaced in pairs, so it is not the cheapest failure.
- Headlamp Aim — 3.9% of tests. Headlights pointing too high or low. Cheap to adjust, and common on every make.
- Mechanical Brake Components — 3.6% of tests. Worn discs, pads or callipers. Routine wear, but it should be priced into the deal.
See every model on the DS MOT pass rate page.
Before you buy
- Transmission — 7.1% of tests in 2024. A fault with a driveshaft, gaiter or transmission component. Costs vary widely.
- Springs — 4.5% of tests in 2024. A broken or sagging coil spring. Replaced in pairs, so it is not the cheapest failure.
- Headlamp Aim — 3.9% of tests in 2024. Headlights pointing too high or low. Cheap to adjust, and common on every make.
- Mechanical Brake Components — 3.6% of tests in 2024. Worn discs, pads or callipers. Routine wear, but it should be priced into the deal.
- Check the actual DS — These figures describe the model group. Enter the registration for that vehicle's free MOT, tax and mileage record before you pay a deposit.
Rarest DS models
The published DS model groups with the smallest surviving populations.
- DS 4 Pallas — 120 licensed, 0 SORN
- DS9 — 142 licensed, 3 SORN
- DS5 — 1,295 licensed, 41 SORN
- DS7 — 5,609 licensed, 79 SORN
- DS4 — 6,474 licensed, 188 SORN
Every DS model
| Model | Licensed | SORN |
|---|---|---|
| DS3 | 36,113 | 913 |
| DS4 | 6,474 | 188 |
| DS7 | 5,609 | 79 |
| DS5 | 1,295 | 41 |
| DS9 | 142 | 3 |
| DS 4 Pallas | 120 | 0 |
How to read these numbers
Licensed means taxed and legal to use on the road at the end of the quarter. SORN means the keeper has declared it off the road — it still exists, but it is not in use. A model group's total is the best available proxy for how many survive, and a shrinking one means fewer donor cars, fewer specialists and slower parts supply.
Common questions
How many DS cars are left in the UK?
49,753 DS vehicles were licensed and 1,224 were SORN at the end of 2026 Q1, across 6 published model groups, according to DfT and DVLA statistics.
Which DS is rarest?
Of the published DS model groups, the DS 4 Pallas has the smallest surviving population at 120 licensed and 0 SORN.
Is the DS fleet shrinking?
Licensed numbers peaked at 50,565 in 2025 Q2 and stand at 49,753 in 2026 Q1, down 2%. That is up 18% in the five years since 2021 Q1. A further 1,224 are declared SORN — 1 in 42 of the 50,977 still on the DVLA record is off the road, laid up, part-restored or waiting to be sold.
What is the DS MOT pass rate?
68.6% of 35,074 class-4 initial MOT tests on DS cars passed first time in 2024 — below the 71.2% UK average.
What do DS cars fail the MOT on?
Across published DS model groups, the most common initial failure categories in 2024 are transmission (7.1% of tests), springs (4.5% of tests), headlamp aim (3.9% of tests). DVSA publishes each model group's six most common categories, so this ranks the biggest published causes.
Does a DS population figure describe the car I am looking at?
No. It describes the model group. Enter the registration for that car's 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.