DATSUN · DATSUN 120 · Cars
DATSUN 120 Rare
As of 2026 Q1, 142 DATSUN 120s remain registered in the UK — a genuinely rare sight on today's roads. Numbers are at their highest recorded level since the model first appeared in our data in 2014 Q3. Numbers have held broadly steady over recent years rather than falling away — often the mark of a model that owners deliberately preserve. Tellingly, 63% are declared SORN — kept off the road in garages and barns rather than driven, the signature of a car being looked after rather than used up. In all, the DATSUN 120 is rarer than 56% of the 2,429 UK car models we track.
Survivors over time
How rare is it?
Rare — fewer than 1,000 remain (142 in the latest data).
Rarer than 56% of the 2,429 UK car models we track.
Trend
About the 120
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 120 — questions & answers
How many DATSUN 120 are left in the UK?
As of 2026 Q1, 142 DATSUN 120 were still registered in the UK — 53 licensed and on the road, plus 89 declared SORN (off-road). The figures come from official DVLA vehicle licensing data.
Is the DATSUN 120 rare?
The DATSUN 120 is rare — fewer than 1,000 remain (142), making it rarer than 56% of the 2,429 UK car models we track.
Is the DATSUN 120 increasing or decreasing?
Over the last year the number of DATSUN 120 on UK roads held steady.
What fuel do most DATSUN 120 use?
Most DATSUN 120 run on petrol — about 100% of those still registered.
When did the DATSUN 120 peak?
The DATSUN 120 peaked at 142 registered in 2025 Q1, and was first recorded in the data in 2014 Q3.