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Makes / Mg / Midget

Midget

Mg · on record 1994 to 2025

The MG Midget was a small 2 seat roadster developed alongside the Austin Healey Sprite, offering simple rear wheel drive mechanicals and compact dimensions at an affordable price. Successive engine and body updates kept it in production for many years. Its simplicity, parts availability and cheerful driving character make it a popular entry level classic, supporting survival well beyond that of ordinary small cars from the same period.

DECLINING

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

9,270 licensed vehicles
2025 census

88.5% of the peak fleet remains licensed

6,031
declared SORN
 
total surviving

peak 10,481 in 1997  ·  −28 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

At the average decline recorded over the latest five years, the licensed fleet would reach zero around 2358.

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, 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- 2,620 3.0%
The calculated parking brake efficiency is too low 2,569 3.0%
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- 2,515 2.9%
The windscreen washers do not provide enough liquid to clear the windscreen in conjunction with the wiper(s) 2,506 2.9%
A stop lamp inoperative or less than 50% of the light sources illuminating 2,126 2.5%
The horn inoperative 1,661 1.9%
The calculated out-of-balance of the brakes across an axle is greater than 30% 1,410 1.6%
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 1,352 1.6%

Counted across every recorded test, 2005 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
RH 27 89%
PE 25 92%
TN 25 84%
B 18 89%
WR 18 94%
BH 17 76%
GL 17 76%
GU 17 65%
NR 17 82%
OX 17 94%
LE 16 69%
IP 15 80%
EX 15 93%
LL 14 93%
CO 14 93%
Show all 104 areas

How this record was calculated

LATEST CENSUS2025
POPULATION SOURCEDVLA VEH0220 annual
HISTORY SOURCEDVLA VEH0120 GB · to 2013
MOT SOURCEDVSA results · to 2025
FAMILY DEFINITIONMG 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.