UK vehicle statistics / Ford

How many Ford Popular cars are left?

At the end of 2026 Q1, DfT recorded 1,934 licensed and 988 SORN vehicles in the UK within the Ford Popular generic-model group.

Looking at a Popular?

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

Is the Popular disappearing?

Licensed numbers peaked at 2,038 in 2021 Q2 and stand at 1,934 in 2026 Q1, down 5%. That is down 4% in the five years since 2021 Q1. A further 988 are declared SORN — 1 in 3 of the 2,922 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 2,922 Popular vehicles still on the DVLA record, 1 in 3 is SORN (988 at 2026 Q1). A car that has been laid up needs a closer look at brakes, tyres and the MOT history.
  • Check the actual Popular — 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 Q11,934988
2025 Q41,937973
2025 Q31,950954
2025 Q21,954941
2025 Q11,968920
2024 Q41,989902
2024 Q32,017886
2024 Q22,020882
2024 Q12,008882
2023 Q41,997869
2023 Q32,012854
2023 Q22,021846
2023 Q12,018864
2022 Q42,021856
2022 Q32,029843
2022 Q22,029830
2022 Q12,016833
2021 Q42,013838
2021 Q32,019818
2021 Q22,038798
2021 Q12,019808
2020 Q42,011805
2020 Q32,021791
2020 Q22,005792
2020 Q11,978805
2019 Q41,983803
2019 Q32,000780
2019 Q21,995764
2019 Q11,985766
2018 Q41,984778
2018 Q31,988758
2018 Q21,984734
2018 Q11,942760
2017 Q41,939758
2017 Q31,952738
2017 Q21,956724
2017 Q11,935675
2016 Q41,916668
2016 Q31,931640
2016 Q21,921626
2016 Q11,917617
2015 Q41,921615
2015 Q31,938586
2015 Q21,943557
2015 Q11,950536
2014 Q41,934531
2014 Q31,959509

Other Ford models

See how many of every Ford model are left

Common questions

How many Ford Popular cars are left in the UK?

1,934 were licensed and 988 were SORN at the end of 2026 Q1, according to DfT and DVLA statistics for this generic-model group.

How many Ford Popular cars are SORN?

988 are declared SORN — 1 in 3 of the 2,922 still on the DVLA record at the end of 2026 Q1.

Is the Popular disappearing?

Licensed numbers peaked at 2,038 in 2021 Q2 and stand at 1,934 in 2026 Q1, down 5%. That is down 4% in the five years since 2021 Q1. A further 988 are declared SORN — 1 in 3 of the 2,922 still on the DVLA record is off the road, laid up, part-restored or waiting to be sold.

Does this say whether one Popular 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.