RarityRadar · UK car rarity tracker

BMW · BMW 3 SERIES · Cars

BMW 3 SERIES Common

BMW 3 SERIES car — UK survivor photo
Photo: Alexander-93 / CC BY-SA 4.0 · via Wikimedia Commons
Surviving in the UK · 2025 Q4
593,008
472,393 licensed120,615 SORN
▼ 16,879 (-2.8%) yr/yr
Peak: 705,609 in 2014 Q3 · first seen 2014 Q3

Survivors over time

0 176k 353k 529k 706k 2014 Q32020 Q22025 Q4

How rare is it?

Common — still a familiar sight, with 593,008 on the road.

Rarer than 0% of the 2,408 UK car models we track.

Fuel breakdown

Of the 593,008 on the road today
Diesel 49%Petrol 40%Plug-in hybrid 9%Hybrid 1%Gas (LPG) 0%Electric 0%

📉 Rate of decline

Disappearing at about 17,219 a year (2.9% of survivors). At that pace roughly 511,772 would remain in 5 years, and half the current fleet is gone by around ~2049.

A constant-rate projection from the last 3 years. The last survivors tend to linger far longer than this — cherished cars don't vanish on a fixed date.

About the 3 SERIES

The BMW 3 series is a line of compact executive cars manufactured by the German automaker BMW since May 1975. It is the successor to the 02 series and has been produced in eight generations. The first generation of the 3 Series was only available as a 2-door saloon; the model range expanded to include a 4-door saloon, 2-door convertible, 2-door coupé, 5-door estate, 5-door liftback ("Gran Turismo"; discontinued in 2019) and 3-door hatchback body styles. Since 2013, the coupé and convertible models have been marketed as the 4 Series; these styles no longer being included in the 3 Series. The 3 Series...

Source: Wikipedia, text under CC BY-SA 4.0.

BMW 3 SERIES — questions & answers

How many BMW 3 SERIES are left in the UK?

As of 2025 Q4, 593,008 BMW 3 SERIES were still registered in the UK — 472,393 licensed and on the road, plus 120,615 declared SORN (off-road). The figures come from official DVLA vehicle licensing data.

Is the BMW 3 SERIES rare?

The BMW 3 SERIES is common, with 593,008 still on the road, making it rarer than 0% of the 2,408 UK car models we track.

Is the BMW 3 SERIES increasing or decreasing?

Over the last year the number of BMW 3 SERIES on UK roads fell by 16,879 (2.8%). At the current rate of decline, roughly 511,772 would remain in 5 years.

What fuel do most BMW 3 SERIES use?

Most BMW 3 SERIES run on diesel — about 49% of those still registered, with the rest split across petrol, plug-in hybrid, hybrid, gas (lpg), electric.

When did the BMW 3 SERIES peak?

The BMW 3 SERIES peaked at 705,609 registered in 2014 Q3, and was first recorded in the data in 2014 Q3.

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