AutoCensus
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Makes / Bmw / 2800

2800

Bmw · on record 1994 to 2025

The BMW 2800 comes from a period when numeric model names carried more of the range hierarchy than today's named families. This numeric designation belongs to BMW's larger classic saloon era, when engine capacity formed much of the model name before the 5 Series and 7 Series hierarchy was introduced. A surviving 2800 is now chiefly a historic vehicle, sustained by restoration, club knowledge and owners prepared to maintain machinery far beyond its original everyday life.

GROWING

Red List classification, from population, five year trajectory and survival against peak. Reviewed each census.

20 licensed vehicles
2025 census

54.1% of the peak fleet remains licensed

18
declared SORN
 
total surviving

peak 37 in 2001  ·  +1 vehicles a year, five year trend

Population history

Licensed and SORN vehicles at each census. The filters below apply to the family population, MOT and registration figures. They do not alter the generation history above.

Licensed SORN Latest census observation SOURCE DVLA VEH0120 / VEH0220

Inside the surviving fleet

AutoCensus parses every DVLA variant description, so the fleet can be read by fuel and specification rather than as one number.

First registrations by year

When surviving examples first joined the British fleet.

Recent UK first registrations

This family is no longer sold new. These figures are imports and historic vehicles joining the British register for the first time.

MOT reliability

DVSA test results for this family, 2005 to 2025.

 
Pass rate by year
Failure reason Failures Share of all tests
A stop lamp inoperative or less than 50% of the light sources illuminating 5 5.9%
Amalgamation of failures for all headlamp testers 4 4.7%
A wiper blade insecure, missing or in such a condition that it does not clear the windscreen effectively to give the driver an adequate view of the road (through the windscreen) to the left and right sides of the vehicle, as well as to the front 3 3.5%
The windscreen washers do not provide enough liquid to clear the windscreen in conjunction with the wiper(s) 3 3.5%
Significant braking effort recorded on a road wheel, even though the brake is not applied, indicating that a brake is binding 2 2.4%
A rigid brake pipe inadequately clipped or otherwise supported 2 2.4%
Windscreen washers not working or not providing sufficient fluid to clear the windscreen 2 2.4%
Seat belt retractor not functioning as intended 2 2.4%

Counted across every recorded test, 2005 to 2025. Advisories are excluded.

Where the 2800 remains

Based on MOT test locations, 2025. Test location is a proxy: a vehicle is counted where it was last tested, not where it is kept.

Postcode area Vehicles tested Pass rate
LD 1 100%
EX 1 100%

How this record was calculated

LATEST CENSUS2025
POPULATION SOURCEDVLA VEH0220 annual
HISTORY SOURCEDVLA VEH0120 GB · to 2013
MOT SOURCEDVSA results · to 2025
FAMILY DEFINITIONBMW 2800
PROCESSED20 Sep 2026
Full methodology

Population history combines DVLA VEH0120 Q4 census observations through 2013 with the annual VEH0220 census from 2014 onward. Figures before 2014 cover Great Britain only. Historical VEH0120 is used only when its overlapping UK observations reconcile to the current canonical family definition. Vehicles are grouped into this family using the DVLA GenModel together with durable routing rules for known inconsistencies.

Variant figures are parsed from raw DVLA model descriptions and the original string is always retained. Configuration is only assigned where the model description explicitly identifies it; a blank configuration is not treated as a two door Wrangler. Blank transmission fields are shown as manual because DVLA records the field for automatic vehicles.

MOT figures count tests, not vehicles, and geographic figures count each vehicle at its most recent test location. The decline projection is a straight line fitted to the latest five years and is illustrative only.