Just how rare are some cars? This online tool from the UK may shed some light.
“Gee, you don’t see those very often any more.”
We’ve all said it, because generally we’re right. As cars get older, their numbers start to wane. Mechanical incidents, accidents, and general attrition see the numbers dwindle after a period of time.
But when it comes to a specific make or model, how many are left?
While finding Australian data for this is a bit tricky (we are trying!), there’s a handy site in the UK that tells you, quite simply, how many are left.
Visit howmanyleft.co.uk
Simply enter your make and model query and the site’s privately managed database will let you know how many are known to be registered on UK roads, but also how many are recorded as being owned but registered ‘off the road’ for storage or restoration.
This process is called a Statutory Off Road Notification (SORN), and means that annual registration and taxation stops for the particular car, but it also cannot be driven on public roads. Note that this is a UK system, and not relevant to Australia.
The SORN data on How Many Left can be interesting in that it offers some insight into the number of cars in a restoration or, perhaps, scrapping situation.
Taking the fan-favorite Peugeot 405 Mi16 as an example, the site notes that from a peak in 1994 (when the car was still sold new), the 2633 examples have decayed to a paltry 31 by 2010.
The most recent records indicate that the six registered in Q3 2021 are vastly outnumbered by the 82 noted as SORN. Perhaps it’s a crystal ball to the iconic Pug’s longevity…
It’s not just random Peugeots populating the list either. The data indicates there are 137 Bugattis registered, with another 100 parked up. But, before you start trolling the UK classifieds for a cut-price one-owner Veyron, the data shows that the majority are from 1926.
More curiously, with 168 miscellaneous Holdens on the list, we’re impressed to see that one of our colonial counterparts is still rolling around the English hills and dales in a 1964 EH.
While the site’s data has no correlation to what is on offer locally, it can provide an interesting window into the ‘other’ right-hand-drive market, and perhaps help you when trying to establish a rarity index for your next set of wheels.
Visit the How Many Left website here.The post Automotive tools you need: How many cars are left? appeared first on Drive.