UK vehicle statistics / Volkswagen

How many Volkswagen 1600 cars are left?

At the end of 2026 Q1, DfT recorded 272 licensed and 241 SORN vehicles in the UK within the Volkswagen 1600 generic-model group.

Looking at a 1600?

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 1600 is off the road? A free SORN check shows whether it is currently SORN, taxed or untaxed.

Is the 1600 disappearing?

Licensed numbers peaked at 564 in 2014 Q3 and stand at 272 in 2026 Q1, down 52%. That is down 24% in the five years since 2021 Q1. A further 241 are declared SORN — 1 in 2 of the 513 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 513 1600 vehicles still on the DVLA record, 1 in 2 is SORN (241 at 2026 Q1). A car that has been laid up needs a closer look at brakes, tyres and the MOT history.
  • Budget for a shrinking fleet — Licensed numbers are down 52% from the 2014 Q3 peak of 564. Fewer cars on the road usually means fewer donor parts and fewer specialists.
  • Check the actual 1600 — 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 Q1272241
2025 Q4273239
2025 Q3275241
2025 Q2291230
2025 Q1290229
2024 Q4293227
2024 Q3289238
2024 Q2297237
2024 Q1300234
2023 Q4296232
2023 Q3302223
2023 Q2316224
2023 Q1318226
2022 Q4317231
2022 Q3317226
2022 Q2311232
2022 Q1322234
2021 Q4327236
2021 Q3343225
2021 Q2355222
2021 Q1356226
2020 Q4374220
2020 Q3377223
2020 Q2379220
2020 Q1381223
2019 Q4392218
2019 Q3396220
2019 Q2406221
2019 Q1396234
2018 Q4407235
2018 Q3427225
2018 Q2433219
2018 Q1425239
2017 Q4438238
2017 Q3451232
2017 Q2467220
2017 Q1479204
2016 Q4497200
2016 Q3510195
2016 Q2517187
2016 Q1513192
2015 Q4522188
2015 Q3541172
2015 Q2541172
2015 Q1537172
2014 Q4549174
2014 Q3564161

Other Volkswagen models

See how many of every Volkswagen model are left

Common questions

How many Volkswagen 1600 cars are left in the UK?

272 were licensed and 241 were SORN at the end of 2026 Q1, according to DfT and DVLA statistics for this generic-model group.

How many Volkswagen 1600 cars are SORN?

241 are declared SORN — 1 in 2 of the 513 still on the DVLA record at the end of 2026 Q1.

Is the 1600 disappearing?

Licensed numbers peaked at 564 in 2014 Q3 and stand at 272 in 2026 Q1, down 52%. That is down 24% in the five years since 2021 Q1. A further 241 are declared SORN — 1 in 2 of the 513 still on the DVLA record is off the road, laid up, part-restored or waiting to be sold.

Does this say whether one 1600 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.