Vehicle Licensing Statistics

Had a trawl through the latest dataset from the Dft / DVLA and here's where we're at:

Quarter 4, 2010 totals: 2036 Volvo 300s taxed, 1204 on SORN.

Compared to 5 years ago - 16861 taxed
And 10 years ago - 130954 taxed

(Download my extracts in .ods (Open Office / Libre Office) format or .xls (MS Excel) format)

Alarming figures, particularly if you look at how the figures have been declining in the past years:

taxed:
4337 2008 q4
2036 2010 q4
0? 2012 q4?

both taxed and SORN:
343: 74
345: 57
360: 631

According the the list though, redlines and bluelines have been extinct since 2002?

Cheers

Tom

The figures aren't exactly precise as has been noted on RR but they're not *that* far off.

Mine was one of those SORN during Q4 2010 but its back on the road now

When you look at the database what are the 363, 365's?

Hell Driver wrote:When you look at the database what are the 363, 365's?

Guessing theyre the mk1 360s?

They were badged as 360s though.

volvosneverdie wrote:

Hell Driver wrote:When you look at the database what are the 363, 365's?

Guessing theyre the mk1 360s?

They were badged as 360s though.

Just depends what the dealer put on the log book, and his pricelist would probably have 363/365 on it.

Yes, I know how amazing DVLA counting is, but it's a ballpark figure. Interesting is the rate of loss.

Volvo 66s taxed fell off from over 500 in 1994 to 8 now.

I think that I have been mentioning about this some time earlier, situation in there starts to be already such that original mint condition cars are getting so rare that prices will start to skyrocket by some sellers trying to make quick cash, here mint 300 is very expensive already, MkII 360 glt is something that costs nearly 2k if original and in mint condition, might be even more nowdays.

It is really quick that car model disappears, green meanies will peer pressure enough to get some crushed, rwd cancer takes lot of nice ones out etc. Surely rust is more than average person will be willing to pay for and parts availability starts to get bit heavy, so people just crush them and move on to some fwd econoboxes.

Some of the data does reveal that the DVLA have got car details wrong, for instance the 360 GLS and GLT autos. I know it only shows a handful of each, but it does mean that a couple of poor sods are driving around with incorrect details on their V5's.

Did anyone notice that there are only 14 262's left (12 262C autos and 2 262C's)? I know only 200 RHD models were made, but I hadn't realised there were so few left.

As an aside, I find some of the stats very odd. Take the Merc SEC (S class coupe of the 126 an early 140 range)
It claims 531 are left, only 51 3.8's, 166 4.2's, 35 5.0's and 279 5.6's. I find it very hard to believe that the most common is the 560SEC when so few were originally built and are hard to find second hand; equally that only 35 500's remain seeing as they were the most common and carried over (with the 4.2's) to the 140 range.

Something very odd is up with those figures.

It says there are only 10 Toyota 1000's Taxed and the same SORN'd.

If this is true I really need to get on with rebuilding mine.

I guess there is some question regarding the accuracy but at least you guys can access this information. No chance over here.

If you plot the figures on a graph those statistics don't look too alarming (apart from of course the actual low numbers). The percentage rate of decline has reduced over the last few years as the hardcore of owners refuse to give them up (or maybe it's the drifters giving them an extended life and keeping them going )

Either way, judging by the graph, 300's will never die!

CLICK ON FOR FULL VIEW

Thanks for the graph, couldn't quite be arsed getting that far. Could we have a pie chart? Yum-yum!

Actually I think there's still a bit to go in terms of loss and I can see figures left in the next 5 years being very low.

Seems to be Great Britain, rather than UK, so doesn't include N.Ireland. But I'm thinking that are are <100 here, Mark seems to own most of them

Ride_on wrote:Seems to be Great Britain, rather than UK, so doesn't include N.Ireland. But I'm thinking that are are <100 here, Mark seems to own most of them

Yep GB stats, however I've found "Table 1.9 Private and Light Goods vehicles licensed in NI by make and model: 2009" from the Annual 2009-2010 Northern Ireland Transport Statistics and they have a figure of 14 taxed for 340 / nothing for 360, but 507 grouped under "Volvo / other".

macplaxton wrote:Thanks for the graph, couldn't quite be arsed getting that far. Could we have a pie chart? Yum-yum!

Actually I think there's still a bit to go in terms of loss and I can see figures left in the next 5 years being very low.

It just helps to see the meaning of the figures more easily! Yes, the rate of decline is now lower but as you say, in 5 years there will be relatively few cars left, maybe 500 to 1000? I can't quite be arsed to project the graph forward and my maths ain't good enough for that anyway

I would say that in 10 to 15 years time that the cars that are left may well be worth quite a bit more than they are now, simply by virtue of their rarity and maybe the effect of all those currently younger people who will drift, sell on and move on to modern cars as they settle down etc. They may well want to re-live their cheap care free drifty days in the form of a midlife crisis later , when they have a bit more dosh to spend but at a time when the cars have all but vanished! However, I don't think they'll ever make really serious money, a lot depends on other factors, not the least of which is the possible impending oil supply problems.

I know that for quite a while, (although I've always had at least 1 tucked away for a rainy day ), my 300 interest really took a back seat while I was busy with other stuff. In fact it was mainly getting onto here at V3M and seeing the 360 for sale on ebay that got me started again. Now I've got a bit more time again, it's like a breath of fresh air being able to work on a car which is as it should be, ie. engine the right way round and correct wheels driving. Also not needing hands the size of a midget's and a wallet the size of the titanic to change a light bulb is an advantage.