4.2
Daimler · on record 1994 to 2025
VULNERABLE
Red List classification, from population, five year trajectory and survival against peak. Reviewed each census.
168
licensed vehicles
2025 census
2025 census
8.7% of the peak fleet remains licensed
220
declared SORN
total surviving
peak 1,927 in 1994 · −2 vehicles a year, five year trend
Population history
Licensed and SORN vehicles at each census. Filters apply to the population, MOT and registration figures together.
Licensed
SORN
Latest census observation
At the average decline recorded over the latest five years, the licensed fleet would reach zero around 2113.
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.
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, 2006 to 2019.
Pass rate by year
| Failure reason | Failures | Share of all tests |
|---|---|---|
| Deliberate modification which significantly reduces the original strength, excessive corrosion, severe distortion, a fracture or an inadequate repair of a load bearing member or its supporting structure or panelling within 30 cms of a seat belt ancho | 5 | 8.9% |
| The calculated parking brake efficiency is too low | 4 | 7.1% |
| A stop lamp inoperative or less than 50% of the light sources illuminating | 3 | 5.4% |
| When the brake is fully applied there is no possibility of further travel of the lever because the lever is at the end of its working travel on the ratchet | 3 | 5.4% |
| 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 | 5.4% |
| The strength or continuity of the load bearing structure within 30cm of any sub-frame, spring or suspension component mounting (a 'prescribed area') is significantly reduced or inadequately repaired | 3 | 5.4% |
| A ball joint dust cover missing, insecure or excessively damaged or deteriorated to the extent that it would no longer prevent the ingress of dirt etc | 3 | 5.4% |
| A rigid brake pipe excessively chafed, corroded or damaged | 2 | 3.6% |
Counted across every recorded test, 2006 to 2019. Advisories are excluded.
Where the 4.2 remains
Based on MOT test locations, 2019. 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 |
|---|---|---|
| WV | 2 | 50% |
| KA | 1 | 100% |
How this record was calculated
LATEST CENSUS2025
POPULATION SOURCEDVLA VEH0220 quarterly
HISTORY SOURCEDVLA VEH0120 GB · to 2013
MOT SOURCEDVSA results · to 2019
FAMILY DEFINITIONDAIMLER 4.2
PROCESSED20 Jul 2026
Full methodology
Population figures count vehicles recorded as licensed or SORN in the DVLA quarterly extract. Figures before 2014 cover Great Britain only. Vehicles are grouped into this family by the DVLA GenModel key shown above, with routing rules for known inconsistencies.
Variant figures are parsed from raw DVLA model descriptions and the original string is always retained. 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.