UK vehicle statistics / JCB
How many 538 cars are left?
At the end of 2026 Q1, DfT recorded 1,939 licensed and 24 SORN vehicles in the UK within the JCB 538 generic-model group.
Looking at a 538?
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.
Recent quarterly trend
| Quarter | Licensed | SORN |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 Q1 | 1,939 | 24 |
| 2025 Q4 | 1,869 | 22 |
| 2025 Q3 | 1,832 | 19 |
| 2025 Q2 | 1,780 | 15 |
| 2025 Q1 | 1,693 | 13 |
| 2024 Q4 | 1,622 | 10 |
| 2024 Q3 | 1,537 | 8 |
| 2024 Q2 | 1,469 | 8 |
| 2024 Q1 | 1,388 | 10 |
| 2023 Q4 | 1,328 | 8 |
| 2023 Q3 | 1,258 | 5 |
| 2023 Q2 | 1,197 | 3 |
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.