UK vehicle statistics / Riley

How many Riley ELF cars are left?

At the end of 2026 Q1, DfT recorded 442 licensed and 350 SORN vehicles in the UK within the Riley ELF generic-model group.

Looking at a ELF?

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

Is the ELF disappearing?

Licensed numbers peaked at 447 in 2024 Q2 and stand at 442 in 2026 Q1, down 1%. That is up 7% in the five years since 2021 Q1. A further 350 are declared SORN — 1 in 2 of the 792 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 Riley ELF generic-model group as petrol.

Before you buy

  • Ask why it was off the road — Of the 792 ELF vehicles still on the DVLA record, 1 in 2 is SORN (350 at 2026 Q1). A car that has been laid up needs a closer look at brakes, tyres and the MOT history.
  • Check the actual ELF — 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 Q1442350
2025 Q4445346
2025 Q3443346
2025 Q2444345
2025 Q1445343
2024 Q4441341
2024 Q3445334
2024 Q2447332
2024 Q1441332
2023 Q4424337
2023 Q3424334
2023 Q2438330
2023 Q1431336
2022 Q4434339
2022 Q3429339
2022 Q2426342
2022 Q1426339
2021 Q4426335
2021 Q3420335
2021 Q2419329
2021 Q1412327
2020 Q4409327
2020 Q3407327
2020 Q2399333
2020 Q1403332
2019 Q4403328
2019 Q3405328
2019 Q2404325
2019 Q1389332
2018 Q4387334
2018 Q3373338
2018 Q2365345
2018 Q1340369
2017 Q4340366
2017 Q3346362
2017 Q2345357
2017 Q1342335
2016 Q4339337
2016 Q3345329
2016 Q2359313
2016 Q1363304
2015 Q4369297
2015 Q3367293
2015 Q2369280
2015 Q1365275
2014 Q4362276
2014 Q3370268

Other Riley models

See how many of every Riley model are left

Common questions

How many Riley ELF cars are left in the UK?

442 were licensed and 350 were SORN at the end of 2026 Q1, according to DfT and DVLA statistics for this generic-model group.

How many Riley ELF cars are SORN?

350 are declared SORN — 1 in 2 of the 792 still on the DVLA record at the end of 2026 Q1.

Is the ELF disappearing?

Licensed numbers peaked at 447 in 2024 Q2 and stand at 442 in 2026 Q1, down 1%. That is up 7% in the five years since 2021 Q1. A further 350 are declared SORN — 1 in 2 of the 792 still on the DVLA record is off the road, laid up, part-restored or waiting to be sold.

What fuel is the ELF coded as?

DfT codes every vehicle in the Riley ELF generic-model group as petrol.

Does this say whether one ELF 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.