DATSUN · DATSUN 2.8 · Cars
DATSUN 2.8 Ultra-rare
As of 2025 Q4, 9 DATSUN 2.8s remain registered in the UK — one of the rarest cars in Britain on today's roads. That's down from a peak of 11 in 2014 Q4 — only 82% of the high-water mark, a loss of about 2 cars. They're disappearing at roughly 0 a year (2.0% of what's left), a pace that would halve the survivors by around 2059 if it held — though in practice the last, most-cherished examples tend to linger far longer. In all, the DATSUN 2.8 is rarer than 79% of the 2,408 UK car models we track, putting it firmly in 2025's endangered class.
Survivors over time
How rare is it?
Genuinely rare — only 9 left on UK roads.
Rarer than 79% of the 2,408 UK car models we track.
Fuel breakdown
📉 Rate of decline
Disappearing at about 0 a year (2.0% of survivors). At that pace roughly 8 would remain in 5 years, and half the current fleet is gone by around ~2059.
About the 2.8
Datsun (UK: , US: ) was a Japanese automobile manufacturer brand owned by Nissan. Datsun's original production run began in 1931. From 1958 to 1986, only vehicles exported by Nissan were identified as Datsun. Nissan phased out the Datsun brand in March 1986, but relaunched it in June 2013 as the brand for low-cost vehicles manufactured for emerging markets. Nissan considered phasing out the Datsun brand for a second time in 2019 and 2020, eventually discontinuing the struggling brand in April 2022. In 1931, DAT Motorcar Co. chose to name its new small car "Datson", a name which indicated the new...
DATSUN 2.8 — questions & answers
How many DATSUN 2.8 are left in the UK?
As of 2025 Q4, 9 DATSUN 2.8 were still registered in the UK — 4 licensed and on the road, plus 5 declared SORN (off-road). The figures come from official DVLA vehicle licensing data.
Is the DATSUN 2.8 rare?
The DATSUN 2.8 is genuinely rare, with only 9 left, making it rarer than 79% of the 2,408 UK car models we track.
Is the DATSUN 2.8 increasing or decreasing?
Over the last year the number of DATSUN 2.8 on UK roads held steady. At the current rate of decline, roughly 8 would remain in 5 years.
What fuel do most DATSUN 2.8 use?
Most DATSUN 2.8 run on petrol — about 89% of those still registered, with the rest split across gas (lpg).
When did the DATSUN 2.8 peak?
The DATSUN 2.8 peaked at 11 registered in 2014 Q4, and was first recorded in the data in 2014 Q3.