UK vehicle statistics / Lotus

How many Lotus Elan cars are left?

At the end of 2026 Q1, DfT recorded 2,504 licensed and 2,111 SORN vehicles in the UK within the Lotus Elan generic-model group.

Looking at a Elan?

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

Is the Elan disappearing?

Licensed numbers peaked at 2,816 in 2022 Q2 and stand at 2,504 in 2026 Q1, down 11%. That is down 1% in the five years since 2021 Q1. A further 2,111 are declared SORN — 1 in 2 of the 4,615 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 4,615 Elan vehicles still on the DVLA record, 1 in 2 is SORN (2,111 at 2026 Q1). A car that has been laid up needs a closer look at brakes, tyres and the MOT history.
  • Check the actual Elan — 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 Q12,5042,111
2025 Q42,5062,100
2025 Q32,7531,843
2025 Q22,7881,809
2025 Q12,5791,990
2024 Q42,5471,999
2024 Q32,7811,777
2024 Q22,8141,736
2024 Q12,5961,864
2023 Q42,5142,002
2023 Q32,7691,750
2023 Q22,8141,695
2023 Q12,5931,810
2022 Q42,5621,958
2022 Q32,8031,707
2022 Q22,8161,658
2022 Q12,6121,785
2021 Q42,5771,923
2021 Q32,7831,708
2021 Q22,7721,691
2021 Q12,5271,818
2020 Q42,4831,963
2020 Q32,6691,768
2020 Q22,6141,746
2020 Q12,4561,927
2019 Q42,5331,886
2019 Q32,7861,636
2019 Q22,7811,586
2019 Q12,5401,713
2018 Q42,4831,885
2018 Q32,7011,644
2018 Q22,6301,613
2018 Q12,3131,848
2017 Q42,3111,963
2017 Q32,5711,707
2017 Q22,5721,662
2017 Q12,3471,684
2016 Q42,3411,807
2016 Q32,5791,556
2016 Q22,5941,518
2016 Q12,4001,658
2015 Q42,4071,689
2015 Q32,6351,440
2015 Q22,6361,398
2015 Q12,4051,509
2014 Q42,3921,650
2014 Q32,6911,370

Other Lotus models

See how many of every Lotus model are left

Common questions

How many Lotus Elan cars are left in the UK?

2,504 were licensed and 2,111 were SORN at the end of 2026 Q1, according to DfT and DVLA statistics for this generic-model group.

How many Lotus Elan cars are SORN?

2,111 are declared SORN — 1 in 2 of the 4,615 still on the DVLA record at the end of 2026 Q1.

Is the Elan disappearing?

Licensed numbers peaked at 2,816 in 2022 Q2 and stand at 2,504 in 2026 Q1, down 11%. That is down 1% in the five years since 2021 Q1. A further 2,111 are declared SORN — 1 in 2 of the 4,615 still on the DVLA record is off the road, laid up, part-restored or waiting to be sold.

Does this say whether one Elan 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.