Midget
Daihatsu · on record 2006 to 2025
The Daihatsu Midget is a tiny Japanese utility vehicle, most commonly a miniature single or 2 seat truck rather than a passenger car. Different generations range from early 3 wheel machines to later 4 wheel kei class pickups. UK registrations are generally grey imports or specialist vehicles. They should be classified as light commercial or utility vehicles because load carrying and extreme compactness define the model's purpose.
CRITICALLY ENDANGERED
Red List classification, from population, five year trajectory and survival against peak. Reviewed each census.
2
licensed vehicles
2025 census
2025 census
66.7% of the peak fleet remains licensed
4
declared SORN
total surviving
peak 3 in 2008 · −0 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
At the average decline recorded over the latest five years, the licensed fleet would reach zero around 2030.
Illustrative projection only; vehicle populations rarely decline linearly. Late fleets typically flatten as surviving examples enter preservation.
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.
New registrations
Vehicles first registered each year. A fleet still being sold shows here; a finished one shows only imports.
MOT reliability
DVSA test results for this family, 2006 to 2025.
Pass rate by year
| Failure reason | Failures | Share of all tests |
|---|---|---|
| The windscreen washers do not provide enough liquid to clear the windscreen in conjunction with the wiper(s) | 18 | 4.5% |
| During the 2nd fast idle test the carbon monoxide (co) exceeds the vehicle specific or default limits continuously for the last 5 seconds of the 30 second countdown: | 15 | 3.8% |
| A mandatory rear fog lamp inoperative or less than 50% of the light sources illuminating | 14 | 3.5% |
| During the 2nd fast idle test the lambda (l) exceeds the vehicle specific limits continuously for the last 5 seconds of the 30 second countdown | 13 | 3.3% |
| A tyre has a cut the length of which is in excess of 25 mm or 10% of section width, whichever is greater, deep enough to reach the ply or cords | 12 | 3.0% |
| An obligatory lamp shows a light other than red to the rear and white to the front (or yellow if a front position lamp is incorporated in a yellow headlamp) | 10 | 2.5% |
| Lamp emitted colour, position or intensity not in accordance with the requirements | 9 | 2.3% |
| Steering rack gaiter or ball joint dust cover damaged or deteriorated | 9 | 2.3% |
Counted across every recorded test, 2006 to 2025. Advisories are excluded.
Where the Midget 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 |
|---|---|---|
| CB | 2 | 50% |
| OL | 1 | 100% |
| DE | 1 | 0% |
| BA | 1 | 0% |
| CV | 1 | 100% |
| NP | 1 | 100% |
| RH | 1 | 100% |
| SN | 1 | 100% |
| EN | 1 | 100% |
| IP | 1 | 100% |
| SA | 1 | 100% |
| PE | 1 | 100% |
| PR | 1 | 100% |
| LU | 1 | 100% |
| PA | 1 | 100% |
| LS | 1 | 100% |
| SK | 1 | 100% |
| NG | 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 DEFINITIONDAIHATSU MIDGET
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.