UK vehicle statistics / Lotus

How many Lotus Esprit cars are left?

At the end of 2026 Q1, DfT recorded 762 licensed and 1,287 SORN vehicles in the UK within the Lotus Esprit generic-model group.

Looking at a Esprit?

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

Is the Esprit disappearing?

Licensed numbers peaked at 970 in 2014 Q3 and stand at 762 in 2026 Q1, down 21%. That is up 13% in the five years since 2021 Q1. A further 1,287 are declared SORN — 1 in 2 of the 2,049 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 2,049 Esprit vehicles still on the DVLA record, 1 in 2 is SORN (1,287 at 2026 Q1). A car that has been laid up needs a closer look at brakes, tyres and the MOT history.
  • Check the actual Esprit — 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 Q17621,287
2025 Q47651,272
2025 Q39061,129
2025 Q28981,129
2025 Q17161,306
2024 Q47221,293
2024 Q38771,171
2024 Q28851,133
2024 Q17531,214
2023 Q47201,299
2023 Q38781,151
2023 Q28771,129
2023 Q17061,220
2022 Q47101,319
2022 Q39081,128
2022 Q29011,096
2022 Q17421,205
2021 Q46941,327
2021 Q38701,147
2021 Q28501,136
2021 Q16761,258
2020 Q47171,313
2020 Q38161,188
2020 Q27561,182
2020 Q16731,314
2019 Q47131,277
2019 Q38611,124
2019 Q28601,092
2019 Q17121,178
2018 Q47201,261
2018 Q38991,079
2018 Q28761,062
2018 Q17081,141
2017 Q47311,229
2017 Q38831,075
2017 Q28881,050
2017 Q17351,084
2016 Q47351,172
2016 Q3919982
2016 Q2915950
2016 Q17491,097
2015 Q47671,108
2015 Q3926916
2015 Q2926907
2015 Q1723993
2014 Q47581,074
2014 Q3970871

Other Lotus models

See how many of every Lotus model are left

Common questions

How many Lotus Esprit cars are left in the UK?

762 were licensed and 1,287 were SORN at the end of 2026 Q1, according to DfT and DVLA statistics for this generic-model group.

How many Lotus Esprit cars are SORN?

1,287 are declared SORN — 1 in 2 of the 2,049 still on the DVLA record at the end of 2026 Q1.

Is the Esprit disappearing?

Licensed numbers peaked at 970 in 2014 Q3 and stand at 762 in 2026 Q1, down 21%. That is up 13% in the five years since 2021 Q1. A further 1,287 are declared SORN — 1 in 2 of the 2,049 still on the DVLA record is off the road, laid up, part-restored or waiting to be sold.

Does this say whether one Esprit 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.