UK vehicle statistics / Rover
How many Rover cars are left?
At the end of 2026 Q1, DfT recorded 25,720 licensed and 76,041 SORN Rover vehicles in the UK, across 25 published model groups.
Looking at a Rover?
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 Rover fleet shrinking?
Adding up every published Rover model group: Licensed numbers peaked at 237,028 in 2014 Q3 and stand at 25,720 in 2026 Q1, down 89%. That is down 49% in the five years since 2021 Q1.
Rover MOT pass rate
In 2024, 62.6% of 17,099 Rover MOTs passed first time — below the 71.2% UK average.
The items most often behind a first-test failure across published Rover model groups:
- Brake Performance — 7.5% of tests. The brakes underperformed on the rolling road. Expect brake work rather than an adjustment.
- Suspension Arms — 5.7% of tests. Worn arms or bushes. A common age-related repair that affects handling and tyre wear.
- Headlamp Aim — 4.9% of tests. Headlights pointing too high or low. Cheap to adjust, and common on every make.
- 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.
See every model on the Rover MOT pass rate page.
Before you buy
- Brake Performance — 7.5% of tests in 2024. The brakes underperformed on the rolling road. Expect brake work rather than an adjustment.
- Suspension Arms — 5.7% of tests in 2024. Worn arms or bushes. A common age-related repair that affects handling and tyre wear.
- Headlamp Aim — 4.9% of tests in 2024. Headlights pointing too high or low. Cheap to adjust, and common on every make.
- 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.
- Budget for a shrinking fleet — Licensed numbers are down 89% from the 2014 Q3 peak of 237,028. Fewer cars on the road usually means fewer donor parts and fewer specialists.
- Check the actual Rover — 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 Rover models
The published Rover model groups with the smallest surviving populations.
- Vitesse — 16 licensed, 184 SORN
- 60 — 155 licensed, 82 SORN
- 95 — 182 licensed, 107 SORN
- 80 — 192 licensed, 129 SORN
- 90 — 259 licensed, 137 SORN
Every Rover model
| Model | Licensed | SORN |
|---|---|---|
| Mini | 6,805 | 23,037 |
| 75 | 5,284 | 9,093 |
| 200 Series | 1,223 | 8,368 |
| 25 | 1,997 | 6,649 |
| Range Rover | 1,625 | 6,204 |
| 45 | 1,204 | 3,574 |
| 400 Series | 459 | 3,787 |
| 100 Series | 1,369 | 2,864 |
| SD1 | 1,437 | 1,587 |
| Metro | 383 | 2,580 |
| 2000 Series | 1,053 | 1,112 |
| 600 Series | 422 | 1,715 |
| 800 Series | 224 | 1,381 |
| 3.5 Litre | 641 | 452 |
| Maestro | 87 | 975 |
| Streetwise | 244 | 608 |
| Montego | 38 | 495 |
| Cityrover | 41 | 419 |
| 3 Litre | 285 | 161 |
| Sterling | 95 | 341 |
| 90 | 259 | 137 |
| 80 | 192 | 129 |
| 95 | 182 | 107 |
| 60 | 155 | 82 |
| Vitesse | 16 | 184 |
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 Rover cars are left in the UK?
25,720 Rover vehicles were licensed and 76,041 were SORN at the end of 2026 Q1, across 25 published model groups, according to DfT and DVLA statistics.
Which Rover is rarest?
Of the published Rover model groups, the Vitesse has the smallest surviving population at 16 licensed and 184 SORN.
Is the Rover fleet shrinking?
Licensed numbers peaked at 237,028 in 2014 Q3 and stand at 25,720 in 2026 Q1, down 89%. That is down 49% in the five years since 2021 Q1.
What is the Rover MOT pass rate?
62.6% of 17,099 class-4 initial MOT tests on Rover cars passed first time in 2024 — below the 71.2% UK average.
What do Rover cars fail the MOT on?
Across published Rover model groups, the most common initial failure categories in 2024 are brake performance (7.5% of tests), suspension arms (5.7% of tests), headlamp aim (4.9% of tests). DVSA publishes each model group's six most common categories, so this ranks the biggest published causes.
Does a Rover 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.