UK vehicle statistics / Wolseley

How many Wolseley Hornet cars are left?

At the end of 2026 Q1, DfT recorded 459 licensed and 271 SORN vehicles in the UK within the Wolseley Hornet generic-model group.

Looking at a Hornet?

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

Is the Hornet disappearing?

Licensed numbers peaked at 471 in 2023 Q2 and stand at 459 in 2026 Q1, down 3%. That is up 2% in the five years since 2021 Q1. A further 271 are declared SORN — 1 in 3 of the 730 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 730 Hornet vehicles still on the DVLA record, 1 in 3 is SORN (271 at 2026 Q1). A car that has been laid up needs a closer look at brakes, tyres and the MOT history.
  • Check the actual Hornet — 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 Q1459271
2025 Q4454274
2025 Q3459264
2025 Q2461260
2025 Q1460251
2024 Q4458251
2024 Q3465245
2024 Q2470242
2024 Q1469240
2023 Q4462240
2023 Q3468240
2023 Q2471237
2023 Q1464244
2022 Q4454245
2022 Q3458241
2022 Q2456242
2022 Q1451252
2021 Q4451254
2021 Q3454247
2021 Q2456248
2021 Q1449249
2020 Q4447249
2020 Q3452248
2020 Q2448251
2020 Q1450250
2019 Q4452243
2019 Q3449242
2019 Q2448240
2019 Q1444239
2018 Q4437245
2018 Q3437243
2018 Q2436237
2018 Q1418252
2017 Q4417251
2017 Q3420245
2017 Q2422240
2017 Q1429222
2016 Q4430221
2016 Q3425218
2016 Q2429213
2016 Q1420211
2015 Q4425204
2015 Q3425202
2015 Q2432189
2015 Q1436188
2014 Q4436187
2014 Q3447179

Other Wolseley models

See how many of every Wolseley model are left

Common questions

How many Wolseley Hornet cars are left in the UK?

459 were licensed and 271 were SORN at the end of 2026 Q1, according to DfT and DVLA statistics for this generic-model group.

How many Wolseley Hornet cars are SORN?

271 are declared SORN — 1 in 3 of the 730 still on the DVLA record at the end of 2026 Q1.

Is the Hornet disappearing?

Licensed numbers peaked at 471 in 2023 Q2 and stand at 459 in 2026 Q1, down 3%. That is up 2% in the five years since 2021 Q1. A further 271 are declared SORN — 1 in 3 of the 730 still on the DVLA record is off the road, laid up, part-restored or waiting to be sold.

Does this say whether one Hornet 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.