UK vehicle statistics / Vespa (Douglas)
How many Vespa (Douglas) 50 Special motorcycles are left?
At the end of 2026 Q1, DfT recorded 55 licensed and 73 SORN vehicles in the UK within the Vespa (Douglas) 50 Special generic-model group.
Looking at a 50 Special?
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 50 Special is off the road? A free SORN check shows whether it is currently SORN, taxed or untaxed.
Is the 50 Special disappearing?
Licensed numbers peaked at 59 in 2025 Q2 and stand at 55 in 2026 Q1, down 7%. That is up 4% in the five years since 2021 Q1. A further 73 are declared SORN — 1 in 2 of the 128 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 Vespa (Douglas) 50 Special generic-model group as petrol.
Before you buy
- Ask why it was off the road — Of the 128 50 Special vehicles still on the DVLA record, 1 in 2 is SORN (73 at 2026 Q1). A car that has been laid up needs a closer look at brakes, tyres and the MOT history.
- Check the actual 50 Special — 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 | 55 | 73 |
| 2025 Q4 | 56 | 71 |
| 2025 Q3 | 57 | 69 |
| 2025 Q2 | 59 | 64 |
| 2025 Q1 | 55 | 65 |
| 2024 Q4 | 55 | 65 |
| 2024 Q3 | 56 | 63 |
| 2024 Q2 | 54 | 64 |
| 2024 Q1 | 51 | 70 |
| 2023 Q4 | 50 | 69 |
| 2023 Q3 | 51 | 67 |
| 2023 Q2 | 52 | 66 |
| 2023 Q1 | 47 | 69 |
| 2022 Q4 | 50 | 67 |
| 2022 Q3 | 51 | 66 |
| 2022 Q2 | 54 | 64 |
| 2022 Q1 | 50 | 65 |
| 2021 Q4 | 49 | 65 |
| 2021 Q3 | 53 | 58 |
| 2021 Q2 | 50 | 57 |
| 2021 Q1 | 53 | 55 |
| 2020 Q4 | 50 | 58 |
| 2020 Q3 | 48 | 57 |
| 2020 Q2 | 46 | 58 |
| 2020 Q1 | 49 | 58 |
| 2019 Q4 | 50 | 58 |
| 2019 Q3 | 49 | 59 |
| 2019 Q2 | 47 | 59 |
| 2019 Q1 | 44 | 59 |
| 2018 Q4 | 44 | 60 |
| 2018 Q3 | 48 | 54 |
| 2018 Q2 | 45 | 54 |
| 2018 Q1 | 46 | 53 |
| 2017 Q4 | 42 | 57 |
| 2017 Q3 | 38 | 57 |
| 2017 Q2 | 38 | 54 |
| 2017 Q1 | 37 | 48 |
| 2016 Q4 | 32 | 49 |
| 2016 Q3 | 35 | 46 |
| 2016 Q2 | 28 | 46 |
| 2016 Q1 | 23 | 46 |
| 2015 Q4 | 24 | 46 |
| 2015 Q3 | 23 | 42 |
| 2015 Q2 | 32 | 37 |
| 2015 Q1 | 27 | 39 |
| 2014 Q4 | 31 | 37 |
| 2014 Q3 | 32 | 36 |
Other Vespa (Douglas) models
See how many of every Vespa (Douglas) model are left
Common questions
How many Vespa (Douglas) 50 Special motorcycles are left in the UK?
55 were licensed and 73 were SORN at the end of 2026 Q1, according to DfT and DVLA statistics for this generic-model group.
How many Vespa (Douglas) 50 Special motorcycles are SORN?
73 are declared SORN — 1 in 2 of the 128 still on the DVLA record at the end of 2026 Q1.
Is the 50 Special disappearing?
Licensed numbers peaked at 59 in 2025 Q2 and stand at 55 in 2026 Q1, down 7%. That is up 4% in the five years since 2021 Q1. A further 73 are declared SORN — 1 in 2 of the 128 still on the DVLA record is off the road, laid up, part-restored or waiting to be sold.
What fuel is the 50 Special coded as?
DfT codes every vehicle in the Vespa (Douglas) 50 Special generic-model group as petrol.
Does this say whether one 50 Special 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.