How many on the road

FordEscort RS

481 Ford Escort RS cars are licensed in the UK, and another 416 are declared off the road (SORN). Licensed numbers peaked at 557 at or before the end of 1994, when these records start; 86% of that peak is still licensed. Over the last five years the number on the register has risen by 10%. One of 213 versions DVLA records under the Ford Escort.

Licensed
481taxed for the road
SORN
416declared off the road
On the register
897licensed + SORN
1-year change
+2.0%vs June 2025
5-year change
+9.7%on the register
Peak licensed
5571994 or earlier
United Kingdom · DfT VEH0120 · 1994 to 2026 Q2

Cars on the register over time

LicensedSORN (stacked on top)

Yearly figures to 2007, then every quarter. Figures cover Great Britain until June 2014 and the whole UK from September 2014, marked on the chart, when Northern Ireland records were added. SORN was only recorded from the end of 2007, so earlier totals show licensed cars only. Small dips at each year end are usually seasonal: some owners SORN their cars for winter.

United Kingdom · DfT VEH0124 · end of 2025

Which years have survived

Cars still registered at the end of 2025, by the year they were made.

LicensedSORN

Year of manufacture, or year of first registration where DVLA has no manufacture year. 1 with no year recorded are not shown.

United Kingdom · DfT VEH0160 + VEH0124 · 2001 onwards

New each year, and how many are still here

26 were first registered between 2001 and 2025, and 0 of those are still registered. Too few in any one year to chart. This data starts in 2001, so cars first registered before then aren't counted here.

United Kingdom · VEH0120 · 2026 Q2

Fuel type

LicensedSORN
  • Petrol897

As recorded by DVLA, including some likely recording errors.

United Kingdom · VEH0220 · end of 2025

Engine size

LicensedSORN
  • 1501cc to 1600cc18
  • 1801cc to 1900cc13
  • 1901cc to 2000cc824
  • 2001cc to 2100cc22
  • 7 other bands, each under 1%12

Small bands are grouped because most are DVLA recording errors, such as cars listed with engines under 100cc.

United Kingdom · VEH0120 · 2026 Q2

All Ford Escort versions

DVLA's detailed model names. Choose one to see its own figures.

VersionLicensedSORNOn the register, 2008–2025
Escort RS Turbo9913,553
Escort1,5881,933
Escort L9151,803
Escort 1.6I Cabriolet6281,985
Escort XR3 INJ5351,779
Escort RS 2000 also “Escort RS2000”7381,203
Escort Ghia5681,048
Escort LX2121,370
Escort Finesse1981,099
Escort RS Cosworth384868

UK figures to the end of June 2026, and to the end of 2025 for year built and engine size. Updated 7 November 2026.

Figures cover the United Kingdom. Quarterly history before 2014 Q3 covers Great Britain only, because the UK figures start then; Northern Ireland adds a few percent from that point. SORN (off-road) counts are only available from the end of 2007. Older vehicles often have no model recorded by DVLA, so counts for classic models are likely to be low.

Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Source: Department for Transport and DVLA, Vehicle licensing statistics.