How many Volkswagen Derby cars are left?

Name: Volkswagen Derby licensed and SORN statistics
Creator: Department for Transport and DVLA
License: https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3/

At the end of 2026 Q1, DfT recorded 73 licensed and 54 SORN vehicles in the UK within the Volkswagen Derby generic-model group.

Looking at a Derby?

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

Is the Derby disappearing?

Licensed numbers peaked at 177 in 2014 Q3 and stand at 73 in 2026 Q1, down 59%. That is down 28% in the five years since 2021 Q1. A further 54 are declared SORN — 1 in 2 of the 127 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 127 Derby vehicles still on the DVLA record, 1 in 2 is SORN (54 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 59% from the 2014 Q3 peak of 177. Fewer cars on the road usually means fewer donor parts and fewer specialists.
Check the actual Derby — 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.

Quarter	Licensed	SORN
2026 Q1	73	54
2025 Q4	74	53
2025 Q3	77	49
2025 Q2	78	47
2025 Q1	78	52
2024 Q4	77	52
2024 Q3	80	49
2024 Q2	82	48
2024 Q1	81	49
2023 Q4	85	48
2023 Q3	91	46
2023 Q2	95	43
2023 Q1	94	46
2022 Q4	94	47
2022 Q3	97	44
2022 Q2	101	45
2022 Q1	97	54
2021 Q4	101	56
2021 Q3	103	51
2021 Q2	105	53
2021 Q1	101	55
2020 Q4	103	57
2020 Q3	108	53
2020 Q2	102	56
2020 Q1	110	51
2019 Q4	115	53
2019 Q3	124	47
2019 Q2	127	45
2019 Q1	124	49
2018 Q4	125	49
2018 Q3	130	47
2018 Q2	128	48
2018 Q1	131	46
2017 Q4	135	47
2017 Q3	146	41
2017 Q2	147	39
2017 Q1	143	44
2016 Q4	146	43
2016 Q3	150	40
2016 Q2	150	38
2016 Q1	150	36
2015 Q4	150	35
2015 Q3	155	34
2015 Q2	164	35
2015 Q1	160	37
2014 Q4	167	35
2014 Q3	177	30

Other Volkswagen models

Golf — 953,731 licensed. MOT pass rate
Polo — 684,732 licensed. MOT pass rate
Transporter — 352,853 licensed. MOT pass rate
Tiguan — 353,309 licensed. MOT pass rate
Passat — 175,154 licensed. MOT pass rate
Caddy — 163,434 licensed. MOT pass rate

See how many of every Volkswagen model are left

Common questions

How many Volkswagen Derby cars are left in the UK?

73 were licensed and 54 were SORN at the end of 2026 Q1, according to DfT and DVLA statistics for this generic-model group.

How many Volkswagen Derby cars are SORN?

54 are declared SORN — 1 in 2 of the 127 still on the DVLA record at the end of 2026 Q1.

Is the Derby disappearing?

Does this say whether one Derby 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.