UK vehicle statistics / Volkswagen

How many Volkswagen 1303 cars are left?

At the end of 2026 Q1, DfT recorded 164 licensed and 105 SORN vehicles in the UK within the Volkswagen 1303 generic-model group.

Looking at a 1303?

Population figures cannot tell you whether one particular car is taxed, MOT-valid or safe to buy.

Check its registration free for the official tax, MOT and mileage record. If the car is still worth pursuing, the optional £9.99 full history check adds outstanding-finance, stolen and insurance write-off checks.

Wondering whether one particular 1303 is off the road? A free SORN check shows whether it is currently SORN, taxed or untaxed.

Is the 1303 disappearing?

Licensed numbers peaked at 170 in 2024 Q2 and stand at 164 in 2026 Q1, down 4%. That is up 6% in the five years since 2021 Q1. A further 105 are declared SORN — 1 in 3 of the 269 still on the DVLA record is off the road, laid up, part-restored or waiting to be sold.

A falling population is worth knowing before you buy: it usually means fewer donor cars, fewer specialists and slower parts supply, and it is why a good example of a scarce model can hold its price while a neglected one is hard to sell at any price.

Before you buy

  • Ask why it was off the road — Of the 269 1303 vehicles still on the DVLA record, 1 in 3 is SORN (105 at 2026 Q1). A car that has been laid up needs a closer look at brakes, tyres and the MOT history.
  • Check the actual 1303 — These figures describe the model group. Enter the registration for that vehicle's free MOT, tax and mileage record before you pay a deposit.

Quarterly licensed and SORN counts

Every quarter DfT has published for this model group, newest first.

QuarterLicensedSORN
2026 Q1164105
2025 Q4160107
2025 Q3161103
2025 Q2163106
2025 Q1167103
2024 Q4166103
2024 Q3166104
2024 Q2170102
2024 Q1161105
2023 Q4156109
2023 Q3155107
2023 Q2163109
2023 Q1159112
2022 Q4157113
2022 Q3160110
2022 Q2159110
2022 Q1157112
2021 Q4152115
2021 Q3149113
2021 Q2152113
2021 Q1154118
2020 Q4149123
2020 Q3151120
2020 Q2150120
2020 Q1145127
2019 Q4139134
2019 Q3142128
2019 Q2137127
2019 Q1126136
2018 Q4129144
2018 Q3145129
2018 Q2141127
2018 Q1104149
2017 Q4114156
2017 Q3133135
2017 Q2132134
2017 Q1104139
2016 Q4107153
2016 Q3135125
2016 Q2135122
2016 Q1105147
2015 Q498158
2015 Q3132123
2015 Q2136116
2015 Q1101133
2014 Q4108151
2014 Q3144115

Other Volkswagen models

See how many of every Volkswagen model are left

Common questions

How many Volkswagen 1303 cars are left in the UK?

164 were licensed and 105 were SORN at the end of 2026 Q1, according to DfT and DVLA statistics for this generic-model group.

How many Volkswagen 1303 cars are SORN?

105 are declared SORN — 1 in 3 of the 269 still on the DVLA record at the end of 2026 Q1.

Is the 1303 disappearing?

Licensed numbers peaked at 170 in 2024 Q2 and stand at 164 in 2026 Q1, down 4%. That is up 6% in the five years since 2021 Q1. A further 105 are declared SORN — 1 in 3 of the 269 still on the DVLA record is off the road, laid up, part-restored or waiting to be sold.

Does this say whether one 1303 is a good buy?

No. These are population figures for the model group. Enter that vehicle's registration for its own free MOT, tax and mileage record.

Source and limitations

Source: Department for Transport and DVLA, df_VEH0120_UK. Released 2026-07-15 under the Open Government Licence v3.0.

DVLA make and model fields are administrative data and can contain omissions or inconsistencies. These statistics describe model groups, not an individual registration.

Confidential cells marked [c] represent between 1 and 4 vehicles and are treated as zero in aggregates, so totals can be slightly understated.