How many Volvo 121 cars are left?

Name: Volvo 121 licensed and SORN statistics
Creator: Department for Transport and DVLA
License: https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3/

At the end of 2026 Q1, DfT recorded 135 licensed and 91 SORN vehicles in the UK within the Volvo 121 generic-model group.

Looking at a 121?

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

Is the 121 disappearing?

Licensed numbers peaked at 140 in 2019 Q4 and stand at 135 in 2026 Q1, down 4%. That is down 1% in the five years since 2021 Q1. A further 91 are declared SORN — 1 in 2 of the 226 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 226 121 vehicles still on the DVLA record, 1 in 2 is SORN (91 at 2026 Q1). A car that has been laid up needs a closer look at brakes, tyres and the MOT history.
Check the actual 121 — 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	135	91
2025 Q4	134	91
2025 Q3	136	92
2025 Q2	134	93
2025 Q1	137	90
2024 Q4	138	88
2024 Q3	138	87
2024 Q2	135	88
2024 Q1	139	88
2023 Q4	131	88
2023 Q3	135	86
2023 Q2	135	90
2023 Q1	132	94
2022 Q4	133	92
2022 Q3	137	88
2022 Q2	137	89
2022 Q1	137	85
2021 Q4	132	90
2021 Q3	130	94
2021 Q2	134	93
2021 Q1	136	90
2020 Q4	135	92
2020 Q3	136	89
2020 Q2	133	89
2020 Q1	139	86
2019 Q4	140	85
2019 Q3	140	81
2019 Q2	136	81
2019 Q1	134	86
2018 Q4	133	86
2018 Q3	133	83
2018 Q2	128	84
2018 Q1	122	90
2017 Q4	121	90
2017 Q3	121	89
2017 Q2	124	90
2017 Q1	122	91
2016 Q4	121	90
2016 Q3	123	87
2016 Q2	121	87
2016 Q1	117	90
2015 Q4	121	86
2015 Q3	123	80
2015 Q2	119	78
2015 Q1	125	73
2014 Q4	133	69
2014 Q3	130	66

Other Volvo models

Xc40 — 178,819 licensed. MOT pass rate
Xc60 — 154,061 licensed. MOT pass rate
Xc90 — 94,388 licensed. MOT pass rate
V40 — 94,070 licensed. MOT pass rate
V70 — 34,181 licensed. MOT pass rate
V60 — 43,006 licensed. MOT pass rate

See how many of every Volvo model are left

Common questions

How many Volvo 121 cars are left in the UK?

135 were licensed and 91 were SORN at the end of 2026 Q1, according to DfT and DVLA statistics for this generic-model group.

How many Volvo 121 cars are SORN?

91 are declared SORN — 1 in 2 of the 226 still on the DVLA record at the end of 2026 Q1.

Is the 121 disappearing?

Does this say whether one 121 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.