UK vehicle statistics / Lotus

How many Lotus Elite cars are left?

At the end of 2026 Q1, DfT recorded 304 licensed and 254 SORN vehicles in the UK within the Lotus Elite generic-model group.

Looking at a Elite?

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

Is the Elite disappearing?

Licensed numbers peaked at 305 in 2024 Q4 and stand at 304 in 2026 Q1, flat 0%. That is up 19% in the five years since 2021 Q1. A further 254 are declared SORN — 1 in 2 of the 558 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 558 Elite vehicles still on the DVLA record, 1 in 2 is SORN (254 at 2026 Q1). A car that has been laid up needs a closer look at brakes, tyres and the MOT history.
  • Check the actual Elite — 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 Q1304254
2025 Q4302253
2025 Q3293256
2025 Q2298253
2025 Q1304247
2024 Q4305242
2024 Q3299246
2024 Q2297248
2024 Q1297251
2023 Q4293245
2023 Q3287245
2023 Q2281244
2023 Q1277246
2022 Q4281245
2022 Q3282241
2022 Q2280242
2022 Q1279244
2021 Q4270250
2021 Q3270248
2021 Q2266252
2021 Q1256260
2020 Q4251267
2020 Q3253264
2020 Q2244266
2020 Q1239274
2019 Q4236274
2019 Q3239270
2019 Q2237265
2019 Q1228269
2018 Q4226276
2018 Q3235269
2018 Q2227264
2018 Q1203278
2017 Q4205275
2017 Q3216265
2017 Q2216260
2017 Q1200252
2016 Q4199253
2016 Q3206250
2016 Q2197244
2016 Q1174265
2015 Q4186260
2015 Q3205239
2015 Q2198240
2015 Q1178245
2014 Q4183257
2014 Q3205232

Other Lotus models

See how many of every Lotus model are left

Common questions

How many Lotus Elite cars are left in the UK?

304 were licensed and 254 were SORN at the end of 2026 Q1, according to DfT and DVLA statistics for this generic-model group.

How many Lotus Elite cars are SORN?

254 are declared SORN — 1 in 2 of the 558 still on the DVLA record at the end of 2026 Q1.

Is the Elite disappearing?

Licensed numbers peaked at 305 in 2024 Q4 and stand at 304 in 2026 Q1, flat 0%. That is up 19% in the five years since 2021 Q1. A further 254 are declared SORN — 1 in 2 of the 558 still on the DVLA record is off the road, laid up, part-restored or waiting to be sold.

Does this say whether one Elite 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.