131
Fiat · on record 1994 to 2025
The Fiat 131 arrived in the mid 1970s as a conventional rear wheel drive family saloon and estate, and was also sold in Britain with the Mirafiori name. Most buyers knew it as practical everyday transport, but Abarth developed competition versions that gave the 131 a major rallying reputation. That split identity matters today, because ordinary road cars have become scarce while sporting associations and period motorsport interest help sustain the model's enthusiast following.
CRITICALLY ENDANGERED
Red List classification, from population, five year trajectory and survival against peak. Reviewed each census.
3
licensed vehicles
2025 census
2025 census
2.0% of the peak fleet remains licensed
7
declared SORN
total surviving
peak 150 in 1994 · −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 2040.
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, 2005 to 2025.
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 supporting panelling within 30cm of any sub- | 13 | 5.5% |
| 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 | 6 | 2.6% |
| Amalgamation of failures for all headlamp testers | 4 | 1.7% |
| The windscreen washers do not provide enough liquid to clear the windscreen in conjunction with the wiper(s) | 4 | 1.7% |
| An obligatory lamp inoperative or less than 50% of the light sources illuminating | 3 | 1.3% |
| Amalgamation of failures for all headlamp testers | 3 | 1.3% |
| Emissions levels exceed default limits | 3 | 1.3% |
| The calculated out-of-balance of the brakes across an axle is greater than 30% | 3 | 1.3% |
Counted across every recorded test, 2005 to 2025. Advisories are excluded.
Where the 131 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 |
|---|---|---|
| SS | 2 | 50% |
| DL | 1 | 100% |
| YO | 1 | 100% |
| SA | 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 DEFINITIONFIAT 131
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.