UK vehicle statistics / Ford

How many Ford Prefect cars are left?

At the end of 2026 Q1, DfT recorded 942 licensed and 538 SORN vehicles in the UK within the Ford Prefect generic-model group.

Looking at a Prefect?

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

Is the Prefect disappearing?

Licensed numbers peaked at 1,005 in 2022 Q2 and stand at 942 in 2026 Q1, down 6%. That is down 5% in the five years since 2021 Q1. A further 538 are declared SORN — 1 in 3 of the 1,480 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 1,480 Prefect vehicles still on the DVLA record, 1 in 3 is SORN (538 at 2026 Q1). A car that has been laid up needs a closer look at brakes, tyres and the MOT history.
  • Check the actual Prefect — 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 Q1942538
2025 Q4947531
2025 Q3957512
2025 Q2964508
2025 Q1969500
2024 Q4979476
2024 Q3992472
2024 Q2998472
2024 Q1982476
2023 Q4968478
2023 Q3975467
2023 Q2985458
2023 Q1980459
2022 Q4991453
2022 Q3995446
2022 Q21,005438
2022 Q1993442
2021 Q4989438
2021 Q3995430
2021 Q2985431
2021 Q1988433
2020 Q4993429
2020 Q31,004414
2020 Q21,003418
2020 Q11,001418
2019 Q41,001416
2019 Q3996410
2019 Q2996403
2019 Q1993406
2018 Q4998403
2018 Q31,001390
2018 Q2993385
2018 Q1968402
2017 Q4969397
2017 Q3975386
2017 Q2981367
2017 Q1967346
2016 Q4957349
2016 Q3962337
2016 Q2969332
2016 Q1951339
2015 Q4949336
2015 Q3952323
2015 Q2960310
2015 Q1968304
2014 Q4967299
2014 Q3979282

Other Ford models

See how many of every Ford model are left

Common questions

How many Ford Prefect cars are left in the UK?

942 were licensed and 538 were SORN at the end of 2026 Q1, according to DfT and DVLA statistics for this generic-model group.

How many Ford Prefect cars are SORN?

538 are declared SORN — 1 in 3 of the 1,480 still on the DVLA record at the end of 2026 Q1.

Is the Prefect disappearing?

Licensed numbers peaked at 1,005 in 2022 Q2 and stand at 942 in 2026 Q1, down 6%. That is down 5% in the five years since 2021 Q1. A further 538 are declared SORN — 1 in 3 of the 1,480 still on the DVLA record is off the road, laid up, part-restored or waiting to be sold.

Does this say whether one Prefect 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.