Car statistics
Mercedes-Benz 300 SL statistics
How many Mercedes-Benz 300 SLs are still on the road in Great Britain, how many are declared off the road, and how the SL compares with other versions of the Mercedes-Benz 300. Built from DVLA licensing records.
- Licensed in Great Britain 1,272 −1.8% on a year earlier
- Declared SORN 1,212 Off the road, not taxed
- Still registered 76.0% Other Mercedes-Benz 300 versions 17.9%
- Licensed in 1994 3,186 when this data begins
- Share of Mercedes-Benz 300s 31.1% of those licensed or SORN
- Declared off the road 48.8% of those still registered are SORN
How many Mercedes-Benz 300 SLs are left in Great Britain?
There were 1,272 Mercedes-Benz 300 SLs licensed in Great Britain at the end of June 2026, and a further 1,212 declared off the road (SORN). The licensed count is 60.1% lower than the 3,186 in 1994, when this data begins.
Mercedes-Benz 300 SLs licensed and SORN in Great Britain
This data records SORN from 2007, so the SORN line starts there.
| Year | Licensed | Declared SORN |
|---|---|---|
| 1994 | 3,186 | – |
| 1995 | 3,013 | – |
| 1996 | 3,041 | – |
| 1997 | 3,038 | – |
| 1998 | 2,971 | – |
| 1999 | 2,940 | – |
| 2000 | 2,839 | – |
| 2001 | 2,841 | – |
| 2002 | 2,734 | – |
| 2003 | 2,705 | – |
| 2004 | 2,712 | – |
| 2005 | 2,583 | – |
| 2006 | 2,473 | – |
| 2007 | 2,382 | 495 |
| 2008 | 2,212 | 602 |
| 2009 | 2,139 | 623 |
| 2010 | 2,047 | 680 |
| 2011 | 1,938 | 766 |
| 2012 | 1,840 | 823 |
| 2013 | 1,780 | 946 |
| 2014 | 1,701 | 969 |
| 2015 | 1,618 | 1,035 |
| 2016 | 1,563 | 1,066 |
| 2017 | 1,479 | 1,157 |
| 2018 | 1,426 | 1,186 |
| 2019 | 1,344 | 1,260 |
| 2020 | 1,248 | 1,330 |
| 2021 | 1,253 | 1,308 |
| 2022 | 1,192 | 1,365 |
| 2023 | 1,085 | 1,433 |
| 2024 | 1,052 | 1,414 |
| 2025 | 1,008 | 1,468 |
| 2026 | 1,272 | 1,212 |
Source:DfT / DVLA End of June 2026 Updated
Fuel type
Source:DfT / DVLA End of June 2026 Updated
How many Mercedes-Benz 300 SLs have survived?
76.0% of Mercedes-Benz 300 SLs are still registered (licensed or SORN), measured against the most on the road at any year end since 1994. For other versions of the Mercedes-Benz 300 from the same era, the figure is 17.9%, so Mercedes-Benz 300 SLs are 4.3 times as likely to have survived.
Share still registered (licensed or SORN)
Compared with 18 other versions of the Mercedes-Benz 300 from the same era.
| Version | Share still registered |
|---|---|
| Mercedes-Benz 300 SL | 76.0% |
| Other Mercedes-Benz 300 versions of the same age | 17.9% |
Source:DfT / DVLA End of June 2026 Updated
Mercedes-Benz 300 SL engine sizes and fuel types
Of the 1,017 Mercedes-Benz 300 SLs licensed in the UK at the end of 2025, 97.5% have an engine of 2,901cc to 3,000cc, and 2.1% have an engine of 3,001cc to 3,100cc.
Engine sizes, end of 2025
DVLA records engine size in 100cc bands.
| Engine size | Share of those licensed |
|---|---|
| 2,901cc to 3,000cc 992 licensed | 97.5% |
| 3,001cc to 3,100cc 21 licensed | 2.1% |
| Other sizes 4 licensed | 0.4% |
Source:DfT / DVLA End of 2014 to end of 2025 Updated
| Engine size | Fuel | Licensed | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2,901–3,000cc | Petrol | 991 | 97.4% |
| 3,001–3,100cc | Petrol | 21 | 2.1% |
United Kingdom figures from DfT table VEH0220 (licensed cars at the end of each year, SORN excluded), so they differ slightly from the Great Britain counts elsewhere on this page. This covers cars DVLA records under this version’s name only; the Mercedes-Benz 300 page covers every version. How we use engine sizes.
Mercedes-Benz 300 MOT reliability
We do not show MOT figures for the Mercedes-Benz 300: 20% of those on the DVLA record are vans, and DVSA's results do not separate car and van tests of the same model.
Other versions of the Mercedes-Benz 300
Versions of the Mercedes-Benz 300 with their own page. The Mercedes-Benz 300 page covers all 2,830 licensed, whatever the version.
| Version | Licensed | SORN | Still registered |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mercedes-Benz 300 SL | 1,272 | 1,212 | 76.0% |
| Mercedes-Benz 300 SL-24 | 195 | 416 | 53.7% |
| Mercedes-Benz 300 GD M2 | 57 | 199 | 39.5% |
| Mercedes-Benz 300 GDS | 44 | 66 | 68.3% |
Data stories to read next
Data sources and methodology
| Figures | Source | Period | Records | Updated |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Licensed and SORN counts | Vehicle licensing statistics Department for Transport | End of June 2026 | 2,484 Mercedes-Benz 300 SL records (licensed and SORN) | 2 October 2026 |
- Figures cover Great Britain (England, Scotland and Wales). Northern Ireland is not included.
- Licensed counts are vehicles with a current tax or exemption at the end of each year (or the latest quarter). SORN counts are shown separately, from 2007.
- This version groups DVLA’s detailed model names “300 SL AUTO”, “300SL AUTO”. Engine size, gearbox, number of doors and fuel are ignored, so every engine and gearbox counts together.
- Survival compares the number still registered (licensed or SORN) with the most licensed at any year end since 1994, plus any first registered after that year. Other versions are those of the same model whose licensed count peaked in the same years, up to 2001.
Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.