UK vehicle statistics / Lotus

How many Lotus Elise cars are left?

At the end of 2026 Q1, DfT recorded 3,556 licensed and 3,880 SORN vehicles in the UK within the Lotus Elise generic-model group.

Looking at a Elise?

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

Is the Elise disappearing?

Licensed numbers peaked at 5,877 in 2014 Q3 and stand at 3,556 in 2026 Q1, down 39%. That is down 14% in the five years since 2021 Q1. A further 3,880 are declared SORN — 1 in 2 of the 7,436 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.

Elise MOT pass rate

In 2024, 86.3% of 4,115 Lotus Elise MOTs passed first time — above the 71.2% UK average. Pass rate moves with age: 94.6% of cars aged 3–5 years passed first time, against 85% aged 15–30 years.

  • Exhaust Emissions — 4.3% of tests. The car exceeded its emissions limits. Can be a sensor or a service, but on a diesel it can also mean an expensive filter or catalyst.
  • Headlamp Aim — 2.3% of tests. Headlights pointing too high or low. Cheap to adjust, and common on every make.
  • Washers — 1.9% of tests. Empty or blocked washers. Trivial, but again a sign of the last owner's care.
  • Position Lamps — 1.4% of tests. A side or tail light out. Usually a bulb.

Full age bands and failure notes are on the Lotus Elise MOT pass rate page.

Before you buy

  • Exhaust Emissions — 4.3% of tests in 2024. The car exceeded its emissions limits. Can be a sensor or a service, but on a diesel it can also mean an expensive filter or catalyst.
  • Headlamp Aim — 2.3% of tests in 2024. Headlights pointing too high or low. Cheap to adjust, and common on every make.
  • Washers — 1.9% of tests in 2024. Empty or blocked washers. Trivial, but again a sign of the last owner's care.
  • Position Lamps — 1.4% of tests in 2024. A side or tail light out. Usually a bulb.
  • Ask why it was off the road — Of the 7,436 Elise vehicles still on the DVLA record, 1 in 2 is SORN (3,880 at 2026 Q1). A car that has been laid up needs a closer look at brakes, tyres and the MOT history.
  • Budget for a shrinking fleet — Licensed numbers are down 39% from the 2014 Q3 peak of 5,877. Fewer cars on the road usually means fewer donor parts and fewer specialists.
  • Check the actual Elise — 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 Q13,5563,880
2025 Q43,4513,977
2025 Q34,5282,890
2025 Q24,6172,799
2025 Q13,6543,743
2024 Q43,5113,858
2024 Q34,5702,826
2024 Q24,7032,650
2024 Q13,9223,063
2023 Q43,6753,715
2023 Q34,7862,655
2023 Q24,9212,468
2023 Q14,1192,880
2022 Q43,9683,495
2022 Q34,9232,548
2022 Q25,0262,372
2022 Q14,3062,818
2021 Q44,0583,419
2021 Q34,9882,501
2021 Q25,0252,387
2021 Q14,1512,821
2020 Q44,0103,412
2020 Q34,7942,613
2020 Q24,6752,495
2020 Q14,1343,131
2019 Q44,3772,987
2019 Q35,2092,188
2019 Q25,2312,040
2019 Q14,5992,352
2018 Q44,4702,859
2018 Q35,2852,053
2018 Q25,3121,888
2018 Q14,6972,173
2017 Q44,6522,673
2017 Q35,4771,875
2017 Q25,5751,748
2017 Q14,9981,946
2016 Q44,9332,407
2016 Q35,6261,631
2016 Q25,7311,545
2016 Q15,1531,988
2015 Q45,1262,210
2015 Q35,8001,473
2015 Q25,8201,401
2015 Q15,1201,690
2014 Q45,0662,205
2014 Q35,8771,397

Other Lotus models

See how many of every Lotus model are left

Common questions

How many Lotus Elise cars are left in the UK?

3,556 were licensed and 3,880 were SORN at the end of 2026 Q1, according to DfT and DVLA statistics for this generic-model group.

How many Lotus Elise cars are SORN?

3,880 are declared SORN — 1 in 2 of the 7,436 still on the DVLA record at the end of 2026 Q1.

Is the Elise disappearing?

Licensed numbers peaked at 5,877 in 2014 Q3 and stand at 3,556 in 2026 Q1, down 39%. That is down 14% in the five years since 2021 Q1. A further 3,880 are declared SORN — 1 in 2 of the 7,436 still on the DVLA record is off the road, laid up, part-restored or waiting to be sold.

What is the Lotus Elise MOT pass rate?

In 2024, 86.3% of 4,115 Lotus Elise MOTs passed first time — above the 71.2% UK average.

What does the Elise fail its MOT on?

The most common initial failure categories in 2024 are exhaust emissions (4.3% of tests), headlamp aim (2.3% of tests), washers (1.9% of tests).

Does this say whether one Elise 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.