Barely 30,000 Classic Mini's left on the road (2010)

[mab01uk]

The latest DVLA figures for the Classic Mini have just been published in the November 2010 issue of Mini Magazine:-

'Barely 30,000 Mini's left on the road 2010'
Latest UK Statistics:
63,592 Classic Minis still registered in UK on October 1st 2010
of which:
32,847 were taxed,
30,745 on SORN

(Wolseley Hornet and Riley Elf derivatives were not included)

5,505,874 Total Mini's produced 1959-2000
1,581,887 = UK sales (28.7%)
3,923,987 = Rest of world (71.3%)

[InimiaD]

The "Scrappage Scheme" didn't help matters either.
You can add another 3 minis to that total although mine aren't on SORN because they have been off the road for so long.
I imagine there are a lot more Minis out there that are awaiting restoration and not Sorn'ed.

[Austin Cooper]

Quite shocking really, I think I remember the figures being published in 2001 and it was over 100000 in total. I'd be interested to know how cars which have not been taxed since before SORN was brought in are represented as my car has not been taxed since 1985 but is registered.

[LDR209H]

'The "Scrappage Scheme" didn't help matters either'

And Scrapheap Challenge

[vulcanbb18]

I hate to think how many we have left here. There was only about 180,000 Oz ones to begin with, and we stopped production in 1978...

Still at least in some areas our climate is much kinder to minis. At last count there were 175 850's listed on the "Ausmini.com 850 register" and most of those were operating in mostly original condition. When you think of what percentage of mini owners would be on that one message board, and would post their details... well there must be quite a few more out there!

cheers

Jacob

[Mini4Ever]

We cannot get such statistics here in the Netherlands as this kind of data is simply not public. I would expect that no more than 500-800 Mini's in the Netherlands still have a valid MOT. All of those that were sold over here / imported will still be registered (the registration number is connected to the car / chassisnumber not to the owner) unless exported or scrapped, but nearly all of those will not be 'in the computer' or are still 'in the computer' but sorn, awaiting restoration I would expect the amount of Mini's that are still 'alive' and fall in these latter categories to be around 2000-3000, including yet unregistered Mini's from abroad.

Maybe the other Dutch people here can give their expectations too?

[mk1]

I posted on this yesterday, but for some reason the post disappeared, hey ho, I'll have another go.

Rich & I were talking about this very subject to Jeff Ruggles a couple of weeks ago when he ventured Oop North for a couple of days. Initially I was very shocked as to how fast the numbers on the road seem to be dwindling, but then when you think about it, most of the MOT'd minis still on the road at the moment probably aren't fan driven vehicles they are still cheap transport. It's inevitable that as these cars get older they will simply be scrapped like most of the Minis ever produced have been before them.

The main effect it will have on all of us fans is that we will have to get used to our Minis becoming just another classic car with the accompanying shortage of parts & difficulty in obtaining stuff. I can't imagine a lot of the pile it high sell it cheap merchants continuing to bother with Minis once there are literally only a few thousand left on the road, most of which will only do 2 or 3 thousand miles a year.

We will just have to hope that there is enough business to keep the likes of the real specialists in the game & hope that we can continue to afford what will very soon no longer be a cheap classic, regardless of model.

[Mini4Ever]

Mark, I really share the feeling you express on that the Mini is becomming a true classic now that it is out of production for 10 years. It is no longer a cheap student car but a car for the enthausiasts as the prices for good ones have rised considerably over here in the last few years. I think in the years to come, more Mini's will disappear but the enthausiasm among us relatively few fans will increase

[YMJ]

I posted on this yesterday, but for some reason the post disappeared, hey ho, I'll have another go.

Rich & I were talking about this very subject to Jeff Ruggles a couple of weeks ago when he ventured Oop North for a couple of days. Initially I was very shocked as to how fast the numbers on the road seem to be dwindling, but then when you think about it, most of the MOT'd minis still on the road at the moment probably aren't fan driven vehicles they are still cheap transport. It's inevitable that as these cars get older they will simply be scrapped like most of the Minis ever produced have been before them.

The main effect it will have on all of us fans is that we will have to get used to our Minis becoming just another classic car with the accompanying shortage of parts & difficulty in obtaining stuff. I can't imagine a lot of the pile it high sell it cheap merchants continuing to bother with Minis once there are literally only a few thousand left on the road, most of which will only do 2 or 3 thousand miles a year.

We will just have to hope that there is enough business to keep the likes of the real specialists in the game & hope that we can continue to afford what will very soon no longer be a cheap classic, regardless of model.

Gun? Knife? Rope?
Piano wire, please! Pass it around.

On the other hand, no other classic (and that's what the Mini genuinely is) will have the amount of s/h spares lying around in yards and sheds that the Mini does. Neither do they have the same amount of specialist suppliers or petrolheads.

I know it's Wednesday but cheer up, it's going to be sunny all day!

[mab01uk]

Initially I was very shocked as to how fast the numbers on the road seem to be dwindling, but then when you think about it, most of the MOT'd minis still on the road at the moment probably aren't fan driven vehicles they are still cheap transport. It's inevitable that as these cars get older they will simply be scrapped like most of the Minis ever produced have been before them.

The main effect it will have on all of us fans is that we will have to get used to our Minis becoming just another classic car with the accompanying shortage of parts & difficulty in obtaining stuff. I can't imagine a lot of the pile it high sell it cheap merchants continuing to bother with Minis once there are literally only a few thousand left on the road, most of which will only do 2 or 3 thousand miles a year.

We will just have to hope that there is enough business to keep the likes of the real specialists in the game & hope that we can continue to afford what will very soon no longer be a cheap classic, regardless of model.

On the more 'general' Mini forums it is as said the still relatively cheap to buy and insure 1980's, 90's Mini's which are regularly appearing either written off or as abandoned 'custom' projects by young 1st time owners. Quite minor body damage is also sadly writing off many of the last MPi Minis as far as insurance companies values are concerned and of course many seem to rust far worse than earlier Mini's ever did...........

I would also expect Miniworld and Mini Magazine to merge or for one to disappear in the near future as a result. I know Miniworld is likely to be sold to Kelsey Publishing soon who also own Modern MINI magazine.

[Pandora]

FEAR NOT!

the dvla have realised that they forgot to count under Guru's 'tarp of doom' and the previously released total was a gross under estimate

plenty left to go round

[guru_1071]

FEAR NOT!

the dvla have realised that they forgot to count under Guru's 'tarp of doom' and the previously released total was a gross under estimate

plenty left to go round

the 'tarp of doom' is no more, most of the contents got chopped up and have been weighed in

its now a 'space of plenty'

[Pandora]

ah, that explains the recent aquisitions!

[guru_1071]

ah, that explains the recent aquisitions!

nah, ive gone posh, its rented garages now - thats the future!

[mk1]

I know Miniworld is likely to be sold to Kelsey Publishing soon who also own Modern MINI magazine.

I think you are right, I suspect Miniworld will soon become MINI(& mini)World, to completely dissapear shortly after.

I sincerely hope that Mini Mag continues more or less as is though, surely there must be enough demand for at least one national specialist Mini publication in the UK.

[mab01uk]

More DVLA figures, this time for Hornet and Elf owners!

A recent 'Freedom of Information request' by an Elf/Hornet Register member revealed:
"On the 22 August 2010, there were 327 Riley Elf vehicles with a current licence and 225 with a SORN. Also, there were 275 Wolseley Hornets with a current licence and 166 with a SORN."

possibly a future 'endangered species'...........

(Also interesting that it seems these type of figures can be requested from the DVLA under a 'Freedom of Information' request).

[Mark T Boldry]

So to get an idea of how many Morris 850s were made / assembled here in Australia, does anyone hold any records..?

Mark.

[Tim]

Legend has it that all Australian records were either dumped or burnt as the parent company gradually allowed manufacturing to whither here. There are a number of people who are trying to collect details of surviving cars, in a register style, but for most models the information is very patchy. Your best bet would be to contact Craig 'Watto' Watson editor (and everything else) of "The Mini Experience" magazine, http://miniexperience.com.au/contact-us.html.

I was going to suggest also "Sports850" on the Ausmini Forum, who maintains the 850 register, but I see you've left a message there already.

Because each state and territory maintains its own vehicle registration system there is no single vehicle registration body, so you could try contacting each of the eight separate state authorities, but you'd have to make a request under FOI, and it would be a waste of time.

Tim