VOLVO · VOLVO 221 · Cars
As of 2026 Q2, 60 VOLVO 221s remain registered in the UK — one of the rarest cars in Britain on today's roads. That's down from a peak of 62 in 2026 Q1 — only 97% of the high-water mark, a loss of about 2 cars. Numbers have held broadly steady over recent years rather than falling away — often the mark of a model that owners deliberately preserve. Tellingly, 47% 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 VOLVO 221 is rarer than 64% of the 2,315 UK car models we track, putting it firmly in 2026's endangered class.
Genuinely rare — only 60 left on UK roads.
Rarer than 64% of the 2,315 UK car models we track.
The Volvo Modular Engine is a family of straight-four, straight-five, and straight-six automobile piston engines that was produced by Volvo Cars in Skövde, Sweden from 1990 until 2016. All engines feature an aluminium engine block and aluminium cylinder head, forged steel connecting rods, aluminium pistons and double overhead camshafts.
As of 2026 Q2, 60 VOLVO 221 were still registered in the UK — 32 licensed and on the road, plus 28 declared SORN (off-road). The figures come from official DVLA vehicle licensing data.
The VOLVO 221 is genuinely rare, with only 60 left, making it rarer than 64% of the 2,315 UK car models we track.
Over the last year the number of VOLVO 221 on UK roads fell by 1 (1.6%).
Most VOLVO 221 run on petrol — about 100% of those still registered.
The VOLVO 221 peaked at 62 registered in 2026 Q1, and was first recorded in the data in 2014 Q3.