How many Mini First cars are left?
At the end of 2026 Q1, DfT recorded 5,096 licensed and 503 SORN vehicles in the UK within the Mini First generic-model group.
Looking at a First?
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 First is off the road? A free SORN check shows whether it is currently SORN, taxed or untaxed.
Is the First disappearing?
Licensed numbers peaked at 7,415 in 2014 Q3 and stand at 5,096 in 2026 Q1, down 31%. That is down 25% in the five years since 2021 Q1. A further 503 are declared SORN — 1 in 11 of the 5,599 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.
Fuel
DfT codes every vehicle in the Mini First generic-model group as petrol.
First MOT pass rate
In 2024, 70.2% of 1,403 Mini First MOTs passed first time — below the 71.2% UK average.
- Position Lamps — 5.2% of tests. A side or tail light out. Usually a bulb.
- Exhaust Emissions — 4.9% 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 — 4.3% of tests. Headlights pointing too high or low. Cheap to adjust, and common on every make.
- Wipers — 2.9% of tests. Worn wiper blades. Minutes to fix, and a fair hint that servicing was skipped.
Full age bands and failure notes are on the Mini First MOT pass rate page.
Before you buy
- Position Lamps — 5.2% of tests in 2024. A side or tail light out. Usually a bulb.
- Exhaust Emissions — 4.9% 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 — 4.3% of tests in 2024. Headlights pointing too high or low. Cheap to adjust, and common on every make.
- Wipers — 2.9% of tests in 2024. Worn wiper blades. Minutes to fix, and a fair hint that servicing was skipped.
- Budget for a shrinking fleet — Licensed numbers are down 31% from the 2014 Q3 peak of 7,415. Fewer cars on the road usually means fewer donor parts and fewer specialists.
- Check the actual First — 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.
| Quarter | Licensed | SORN |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 Q1 | 5,096 | 503 |
| 2025 Q4 | 5,239 | 510 |
| 2025 Q3 | 5,376 | 479 |
| 2025 Q2 | 5,515 | 463 |
| 2025 Q1 | 5,665 | 447 |
| 2024 Q4 | 5,790 | 401 |
| 2024 Q3 | 5,912 | 362 |
| 2024 Q2 | 6,018 | 351 |
| 2024 Q1 | 6,128 | 330 |
| 2023 Q4 | 6,284 | 288 |
| 2023 Q3 | 6,347 | 261 |
| 2023 Q2 | 6,419 | 260 |
| 2023 Q1 | 6,464 | 248 |
| 2022 Q4 | 6,548 | 242 |
| 2022 Q3 | 6,572 | 238 |
| 2022 Q2 | 6,608 | 216 |
| 2022 Q1 | 6,703 | 199 |
| 2021 Q4 | 6,732 | 204 |
| 2021 Q3 | 6,756 | 184 |
| 2021 Q2 | 6,773 | 200 |
| 2021 Q1 | 6,826 | 203 |
| 2020 Q4 | 6,863 | 171 |
| 2020 Q3 | 6,877 | 175 |
| 2020 Q2 | 6,920 | 168 |
| 2020 Q1 | 6,912 | 156 |
| 2019 Q4 | 6,980 | 138 |
| 2019 Q3 | 6,962 | 135 |
| 2019 Q2 | 7,029 | 109 |
| 2019 Q1 | 7,053 | 102 |
| 2018 Q4 | 7,091 | 83 |
| 2018 Q3 | 7,118 | 84 |
| 2018 Q2 | 7,136 | 75 |
| 2018 Q1 | 7,160 | 79 |
| 2017 Q4 | 7,207 | 75 |
| 2017 Q3 | 7,224 | 76 |
| 2017 Q2 | 7,228 | 60 |
| 2017 Q1 | 7,216 | 68 |
| 2016 Q4 | 7,257 | 64 |
| 2016 Q3 | 7,233 | 50 |
| 2016 Q2 | 7,257 | 45 |
| 2016 Q1 | 7,291 | 44 |
| 2015 Q4 | 7,325 | 32 |
| 2015 Q3 | 7,321 | 37 |
| 2015 Q2 | 7,340 | 26 |
| 2015 Q1 | 7,392 | 29 |
| 2014 Q4 | 7,358 | 31 |
| 2014 Q3 | 7,415 | 29 |
Other Mini models
- Cooper — 505,837 licensed. MOT pass rate
- Countryman — 159,107 licensed. MOT pass rate
- ONE — 113,139 licensed. MOT pass rate
- Clubman — 55,914 licensed. MOT pass rate
- John Cooper Works — 33,740 licensed. MOT pass rate
- Paceman — 9,030 licensed. MOT pass rate
See how many of every Mini model are left
Common questions
How many Mini First cars are left in the UK?
5,096 were licensed and 503 were SORN at the end of 2026 Q1, according to DfT and DVLA statistics for this generic-model group.
How many Mini First cars are SORN?
503 are declared SORN — 1 in 11 of the 5,599 still on the DVLA record at the end of 2026 Q1.
Is the First disappearing?
Licensed numbers peaked at 7,415 in 2014 Q3 and stand at 5,096 in 2026 Q1, down 31%. That is down 25% in the five years since 2021 Q1. A further 503 are declared SORN — 1 in 11 of the 5,599 still on the DVLA record is off the road, laid up, part-restored or waiting to be sold.
What fuel is the First coded as?
DfT codes every vehicle in the Mini First generic-model group as petrol.
What is the Mini First MOT pass rate?
In 2024, 70.2% of 1,403 Mini First MOTs passed first time — below the 71.2% UK average.
What does the First fail its MOT on?
The most common initial failure categories in 2024 are position lamps (5.2% of tests), exhaust emissions (4.9% of tests), headlamp aim (4.3% of tests).
Does this say whether one First 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.