UK vehicle statistics / Volkswagen

How many Volkswagen 1500 cars are left?

At the end of 2026 Q1, DfT recorded 494 licensed and 497 SORN vehicles in the UK within the Volkswagen 1500 generic-model group.

Looking at a 1500?

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 1500 is off the road? A free SORN check shows whether it is currently SORN, taxed or untaxed.

Is the 1500 disappearing?

Licensed numbers peaked at 538 in 2020 Q3 and stand at 494 in 2026 Q1, down 8%. That is down 6% in the five years since 2021 Q1. A further 497 are declared SORN — 1 in 2 of the 991 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 991 1500 vehicles still on the DVLA record, 1 in 2 is SORN (497 at 2026 Q1). A car that has been laid up needs a closer look at brakes, tyres and the MOT history.
  • Check the actual 1500 — 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 Q1494497
2025 Q4499489
2025 Q3504486
2025 Q2513475
2025 Q1524462
2024 Q4521458
2024 Q3524452
2024 Q2519459
2024 Q1517464
2023 Q4496469
2023 Q3505462
2023 Q2529459
2023 Q1528464
2022 Q4526465
2022 Q3526458
2022 Q2533460
2022 Q1536466
2021 Q4533465
2021 Q3535461
2021 Q2537461
2021 Q1527465
2020 Q4530464
2020 Q3538465
2020 Q2527463
2020 Q1525472
2019 Q4514482
2019 Q3513483
2019 Q2514481
2019 Q1503490
2018 Q4493493
2018 Q3489496
2018 Q2475491
2018 Q1409540
2017 Q4418533
2017 Q3436513
2017 Q2438505
2017 Q1446458
2016 Q4441454
2016 Q3441445
2016 Q2447436
2016 Q1454425
2015 Q4445431
2015 Q3452413
2015 Q2463394
2015 Q1467385
2014 Q4472379
2014 Q3484373

Other Volkswagen models

See how many of every Volkswagen model are left

Common questions

How many Volkswagen 1500 cars are left in the UK?

494 were licensed and 497 were SORN at the end of 2026 Q1, according to DfT and DVLA statistics for this generic-model group.

How many Volkswagen 1500 cars are SORN?

497 are declared SORN — 1 in 2 of the 991 still on the DVLA record at the end of 2026 Q1.

Is the 1500 disappearing?

Licensed numbers peaked at 538 in 2020 Q3 and stand at 494 in 2026 Q1, down 8%. That is down 6% in the five years since 2021 Q1. A further 497 are declared SORN — 1 in 2 of the 991 still on the DVLA record is off the road, laid up, part-restored or waiting to be sold.

Does this say whether one 1500 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.