Uncommon
Among 1981 cars still registered
Rarer than 71% of other 1981 vehicles still registered.
How rare is a 1981 Ford Cortina?
1981 Ford Cortina
81
still registered in Oz
Very rare
Rarer than 99% of cars still registered
How rare is yours?Oz rare cars
Rarity here means how many are still registered today — not how many were built.
About 81 Ford Cortina vehicles made in 1981 were still registered in Australia on 31 January 2025. Cars made in 1981 are 5.2% of every Ford Cortina still registered (about 1,570 across all years). By count, 1981 ranks 10th of 21 build years for the Cortina. The busiest year is 1978 (about 133 still registered); 1981 has about 61% as many. That is about 33% more than 1980. On 31 January 2021 there were about 86 — down about 6% since. Rarer than 71% of other 1981 vehicles still registered. There are noticeably fewer 1981 Ford Cortina vehicles still registered than from the years either side.
At a glance
Still registered on Aussie roads · BITRE as at 31 Jan 2025
61%
Versus the busiest Cortina year
1981 has about 61% as many still registered as 1978 (about 133).
5.2%
Share of this Cortina fleet
About 81 of about 1,570 Cortina vehicles still registered, all years together.
48%
Registered in QLD
About 39 of about 81 are registered in QLD. State figures come from a separate BITRE table, so they can differ slightly from the national count.
Still registered, year by year: 1981 Ford Cortina
How many of this exact car were still registered on 31 January each year (2021–2025). Not new sales in those calendar years.
Tap a point for its count.
BITRE snapshots. Later releases can revise earlier years. Pre-2021 figures are not on this chart.
View counts as a table
| Date | Still registered |
|---|---|
| 31 Jan 2021 | About 86 |
| 31 Jan 2022 | About 77 |
| 31 Jan 2023 | About 76 |
| 31 Jan 2024 | About 79 |
| 31 Jan 2025 | About 81 |
1981 Ford Cortina vs peak and average years
Above the average manufacture year for this model — tap bars for counts.
1981 Cortina
Peak year (1978)
Average manufacture year
Still registered counts for this model · BITRE as at 31 Jan 2025
Cortina manufacture years by registered count
Manufacture years for the Cortina, with your year highlighted. Tap a bar for its count.
You
View counts as a table
| Year made | Still registered |
|---|---|
| 1962 | About 4 |
| 1963 | About 33 |
| 1964 | About 47 |
| 1965 | About 128 |
| 1966 | About 120 |
| 1967 | About 77 |
| 1968 | About 71 |
| 1969 | About 70 |
| 1970 | About 82 |
| 1971 | About 37 |
| 1972 | About 54 |
| 1973 | About 86 |
| 1974 | About 122 |
| 1975 | About 116 |
| 1976 | About 72 |
| 1977 | About 83 |
| 1978 | About 133 |
| 1979 | About 85 |
| 1980 | About 61 |
| 1981 | About 81 |
| 1982 | About 4 |
1981 Ford Cortina registrations by state
Where these still-registered vehicles are recorded by state/territory
NSW
VIC
QLD
WA
SA
TAS
ACT
NT
Tap a bar for its count.
View counts as a table
| State | Still registered |
|---|---|
| NSW | About 12 |
| VIC | About 14 |
| QLD | About 39 |
| WA | About 8 |
| SA | About 4 |
| TAS | About 3 |
| ACT | Not published |
| NT | Not published |
Most common colour: Blue
Victorian registrations of this model, all years. National colour isn’t published.
Power / fuel
All years of this model.
- PetrolAbout 1,550 registered
- LPG / AutogasAbout 10 registered
- Other / unknownAbout 3 registered
What a fill might cost· tap to enter your postcode
A typical sedan tank is about 60 L — edit if you know yours.
Estimate only. Nearby pump prices from public fuel-price feeds. Not a valuation.
How likely are you to spot one?
About 173,000 cars
Watch this many cars go by and it’s a 50-50 chance one is a 1981 Ford Cortina.
Spot a 1981 Ford CortinaUnder 1%
Spot any Ford Cortina, any yearAbout 4%
A rough guide, based on official registration numbers.
Questions about the 1981 Ford Cortina
- How does 1981 rank among Cortina build years?
- 10th of 21 build years by count. About 81 still registered in Australia.
- How many Cortina vehicles still registered were made in 1981?
- 5.2% — about 81 of about 1,570 across all years.
- How rare is it among all 1981 cars still registered?
- Rarer than 71% of other 1981 vehicles still registered.
- Which manufacture year has the most Cortina still registered?
- 1978. The model page has every build year side by side.
- Which states have the most registered?
- QLD (About 39); VIC (About 14). State figures come from a separate BITRE table, so they can differ slightly from the national count.
Based on BITRE Road Vehicles Australia, January 2021–2025 (CC BY 3.0 AU; the January 2024 release is CC BY 2.5 AU). Colour: Victorian Department of Transport and Planning, Whole Fleet Vehicle Registration Snapshot by Model, Q4 2024 (CC BY 4.0). Oz rare cars is not affiliated with or endorsed by BITRE, the Australian Government or the Victorian Government. Registration counts are not sales, not a valuation, and not advice. Method