UK vehicle statistics / Riley

How many Riley 1.5 cars are left?

At the end of 2026 Q1, DfT recorded 823 licensed and 318 SORN vehicles in the UK within the Riley 1.5 generic-model group.

Looking at a 1.5?

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

Is the 1.5 disappearing?

Licensed numbers peaked at 872 in 2023 Q1 and stand at 823 in 2026 Q1, down 6%. That is down 3% in the five years since 2021 Q1. A further 318 are declared SORN — 1 in 4 of the 1,141 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 1,141 1.5 vehicles still on the DVLA record, 1 in 4 is SORN (318 at 2026 Q1). A car that has been laid up needs a closer look at brakes, tyres and the MOT history.
  • Check the actual 1.5 — 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 Q1823318
2025 Q4823317
2025 Q3819321
2025 Q2823318
2025 Q1820319
2024 Q4824310
2024 Q3842295
2024 Q2854286
2024 Q1858279
2023 Q4864274
2023 Q3860275
2023 Q2863274
2023 Q1872271
2022 Q4868272
2022 Q3865266
2022 Q2863267
2022 Q1863270
2021 Q4859268
2021 Q3858265
2021 Q2851266
2021 Q1846265
2020 Q4847266
2020 Q3855259
2020 Q2861257
2020 Q1862254
2019 Q4864252
2019 Q3866244
2019 Q2860246
2019 Q1865242
2018 Q4849245
2018 Q3852244
2018 Q2834249
2018 Q1822261
2017 Q4822259
2017 Q3836248
2017 Q2850235
2017 Q1847223
2016 Q4845219
2016 Q3847214
2016 Q2854214
2016 Q1847216
2015 Q4843216
2015 Q3852203
2015 Q2853198
2015 Q1858193
2014 Q4857190
2014 Q3862183

Other Riley models

See how many of every Riley model are left

Common questions

How many Riley 1.5 cars are left in the UK?

823 were licensed and 318 were SORN at the end of 2026 Q1, according to DfT and DVLA statistics for this generic-model group.

How many Riley 1.5 cars are SORN?

318 are declared SORN — 1 in 4 of the 1,141 still on the DVLA record at the end of 2026 Q1.

Is the 1.5 disappearing?

Licensed numbers peaked at 872 in 2023 Q1 and stand at 823 in 2026 Q1, down 6%. That is down 3% in the five years since 2021 Q1. A further 318 are declared SORN — 1 in 4 of the 1,141 still on the DVLA record is off the road, laid up, part-restored or waiting to be sold.

Does this say whether one 1.5 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.