How many MG cars are left?
At the end of 2026 Q1, DfT recorded 438,280 licensed and 54,088 SORN MG vehicles in the UK, across 30 published model groups. That means 1 in 9 surviving MG is currently off the road.
Looking at a MG?
Population figures describe a model group, not the car in front of you.
Check its registration free for the official tax, MOT and mileage record. Before buying, the optional £9.99 full history check adds outstanding-finance, stolen and insurance write-off checks.
Is the MG fleet shrinking?
Adding up every published MG model group: 438,280 are licensed as of 2026 Q1 — the highest count in the published series, so the MG range is still arriving on UK roads rather than leaving them. That is up 262% in the five years since 2021 Q1. A further 54,088 are declared SORN — 1 in 9 of the 492,368 still on the DVLA record is off the road, laid up, part-restored or waiting to be sold.
MG MOT pass rate
In 2024, 79% of 86,688 MG MOTs passed first time — above the 71.2% UK average.
The items most often behind a first-test failure across published MG model groups:
- Brake Performance — 3.2% of tests. The brakes underperformed on the rolling road. Expect brake work rather than an adjustment.
- Headlamp Aim — 2.6% of tests. Headlights pointing too high or low. Cheap to adjust, and common on every make.
- Condition — 2.6% of tests. Corrosion, damage or wear on a tested component. Worth seeing in person, as the cost ranges from trivial to structural.
- Exhaust Emissions — 2.1% 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.
See every model on the MG MOT pass rate page.
Before you buy
- Brake Performance — 3.2% of tests in 2024. The brakes underperformed on the rolling road. Expect brake work rather than an adjustment.
- Headlamp Aim — 2.6% of tests in 2024. Headlights pointing too high or low. Cheap to adjust, and common on every make.
- Condition — 2.6% of tests in 2024. Corrosion, damage or wear on a tested component. Worth seeing in person, as the cost ranges from trivial to structural.
- Exhaust Emissions — 2.1% 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.
- Check the actual MG — These figures describe the model group. Enter the registration for that vehicle's free MOT, tax and mileage record before you pay a deposit.
Rarest MG models
The published MG model groups with the smallest surviving populations.
- Montego — 13 licensed, 99 SORN
- 1100 — 110 licensed, 38 SORN
- MG S9 — 155 licensed, 0 SORN
- 1300 — 108 licensed, 60 SORN
- Maestro — 47 licensed, 274 SORN
Every MG model
| Model | Licensed | SORN |
|---|---|---|
| ZS | 133,658 | 3,320 |
| HS | 120,142 | 347 |
| 3 | 53,691 | 623 |
| 4 | 48,656 | 222 |
| MGB | 25,082 | 13,395 |
| 5 | 15,224 | 200 |
| Midget | 9,266 | 6,073 |
| TF | 5,905 | 8,418 |
| MGF | 3,032 | 9,509 |
| MG S5 SE EV | 7,236 | 39 |
| ZR | 1,338 | 5,660 |
| ZT | 1,517 | 3,097 |
| GS | 2,680 | 47 |
| MGA | 1,870 | 354 |
| MGC | 1,217 | 315 |
| 6 | 1,215 | 286 |
| Roadster | 1,112 | 312 |
| IM5 Long Range | 1,094 | 1 |
| Magnette | 799 | 260 |
| TD/TF | 847 | 195 |
| Metro | 119 | 563 |
| MG S6 | 655 | 0 |
| IM6 Launch Edition AWD | 626 | 3 |
| Cyberster | 616 | 10 |
| RV8 | 250 | 368 |
| Maestro | 47 | 274 |
| 1300 | 108 | 60 |
| MG S9 | 155 | 0 |
| 1100 | 110 | 38 |
| Montego | 13 | 99 |
How to read these numbers
Licensed means taxed and legal to use on the road at the end of the quarter. SORN means the keeper has declared it off the road — it still exists, but it is not in use. A model group's total is the best available proxy for how many survive, and a shrinking one means fewer donor cars, fewer specialists and slower parts supply.
Common questions
How many MG cars are left in the UK?
438,280 MG vehicles were licensed and 54,088 were SORN at the end of 2026 Q1, across 30 published model groups, according to DfT and DVLA statistics.
Which MG is rarest?
Of the published MG model groups, the Montego has the smallest surviving population at 13 licensed and 99 SORN.
Is the MG fleet shrinking?
438,280 are licensed as of 2026 Q1 — the highest count in the published series, so the MG range is still arriving on UK roads rather than leaving them. That is up 262% in the five years since 2021 Q1. A further 54,088 are declared SORN — 1 in 9 of the 492,368 still on the DVLA record is off the road, laid up, part-restored or waiting to be sold.
What is the MG MOT pass rate?
79% of 86,688 class-4 initial MOT tests on MG cars passed first time in 2024 — above the 71.2% UK average.
What do MG cars fail the MOT on?
Across published MG model groups, the most common initial failure categories in 2024 are brake performance (3.2% of tests), headlamp aim (2.6% of tests), condition (2.6% of tests). DVSA publishes each model group's six most common categories, so this ranks the biggest published causes.
Does a MG population figure describe the car I am looking at?
No. It describes the model group. Enter the registration for that car's 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.