How many Ford Populars are left in New Zealand?
Rare 1 in 39,618 on the road Built 1942-1962 Sold new in New Zealand
Updated from the NZTA Motor Vehicle Register, counted as at 31 August 2026. Recounted every month.
For most of the 1950s this was the cheapest new car in Britain. Ford kept the pre-war upright Anglia body in production from 1953 with the bare minimum of fittings and called it the Popular. A second, more modern Popular followed in 1959, and the old upright one became the classic British hot rod.
Still on the road, by model year
The most are from 1954: 43 still registered. Every year is listed under the chart.
Every model year
| Model year | Still registered |
|---|---|
| 1942 | 1 |
| 1945 | 1 |
| 1947 | 1 |
| 1948 | 18 |
| 1949 | 4 |
| 1950 | 4 |
| 1951 | 2 |
| 1952 | 3 |
| 1953 | 6 |
| 1954 | 43 |
| 1955 | 27 |
| 1956 | 1 |
| 1957 | 1 |
| 1958 | 1 |
| 1960 | 1 |
| 1961 | 2 |
| 1962 | 1 |
By badge
The versions the register records, most numerous first.
| Which one | Built | Left | Grade |
|---|---|---|---|
| 103E | 4 | Rare |
What Rare means
Spotto grades every car by how many are still registered in New Zealand. With 118 still registered, the Ford Popular is Rare: the grade for cars with 25 to 174 left.
By how many are left it ranks 51st of the 126 Ford models and equal 1,006th of all 2,903 cars in Spotto's catalogue.
The six grades: Common, 8,000 or more · Uncommon, 1,200 to 7,999 · Scarce, 175 to 1,199 · Rare, 25 to 174 · Super rare, 5 to 24 · Unicorn, fewer than 5.
Seen one?
Spotto grades every car on New Zealand roads by how many are still registered, down to the generation and the badge. Log the ones you spot, build a collection, and see who else has found one.