RarityRadar · UK car rarity tracker

NSU · NSU 1000 · Cars

NSU 1000 Ultra-rare

As of 2026 Q1, 19 NSU 1000s remain registered in the UK — one of the rarest cars in Britain on today's roads. Numbers are at their highest recorded level since the model first appeared in our data in 2014 Q3. Unusually, the numbers are actually rising — up 2 (11.8%) over the past year, as imports and barn-finds rejoin the register faster than cars leave it. In all, the NSU 1000 is rarer than 75% of the 2,429 UK car models we track, putting it firmly in 2026's endangered class.

NSU 1000 car — UK survivor photo
Photo: No machine-readable author provided. ChiemseeMan assumed (based on copyright claims). / Public domain · via Wikimedia Commons
Surviving in the UK · 2026 Q1
19
16 licensed3 SORN
▲ 2 (+11.8%) yr/yr
Peak: 19 in 2026 Q1 · first seen 2014 Q3

Survivors over time

0 5 10 14 19 2014 Q32020 Q22026 Q1

How rare is it?

Genuinely rare — only 19 left on UK roads.

Rarer than 75% of the 2,429 UK car models we track.

Trend

Numbers are broadly stable — no clear decline to project. Often a sign of a cherished, well-preserved model.
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About the 1000

The NSU Prinz is an automobile which was produced from 1958 to 1973 in West Germany by the NSU Motorenwerke AG which in the mid 1950s had been the biggest motorcycle producer in the world. The production of German motorcycles declined sharply as customers needed weather protection for daily driving, with demand shifting first towards microcars and then towards affordable cars.

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

NSU 1000 — questions & answers

How many NSU 1000 are left in the UK?

As of 2026 Q1, 19 NSU 1000 were still registered in the UK — 16 licensed and on the road, plus 3 declared SORN (off-road). The figures come from official DVLA vehicle licensing data.

Is the NSU 1000 rare?

The NSU 1000 is genuinely rare, with only 19 left, making it rarer than 75% of the 2,429 UK car models we track.

Is the NSU 1000 increasing or decreasing?

Over the last year the number of NSU 1000 on UK roads rose by 2 (11.8%).

What fuel do most NSU 1000 use?

Most NSU 1000 run on petrol — about 100% of those still registered.

When did the NSU 1000 peak?

The NSU 1000 peaked at 19 registered in 2026 Q1, and was first recorded in the data in 2014 Q3.

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