Car statistics
Volkswagen 1600 statistics
How many Volkswagen 1600s are still on the road in Great Britain, how many are declared off the road, how new registrations have changed and which fuels they use. Built from DVLA licensing records.
- Licensed in Great Britain 233 −6.8% on a year earlier
- Declared SORN 203 Off the road, not taxed
- Rank by number licensed No. 981 of 1,159 models we cover
- Peak year 2002 828 licensed
- New registrations in 2025 2 registered for the first time
- Most common fuel Petrol 98.3% of those licensed
How many Volkswagen 1600s are left in Great Britain?
There were 233 Volkswagen 1600s licensed in Great Britain at the end of March 2026, and a further 203 declared off the road (SORN). That is 71.9% fewer than the peak of 828 in 2002.
Volkswagen 1600s licensed in Great Britain
The highest year-end count was 828 in 2002.
| Year | Licensed |
|---|---|
| 1994 | 482 |
| 1995 | 404 |
| 1996 | 389 |
| 1997 | 366 |
| 1998 | 378 |
| 1999 | 360 |
| 2000 | 315 |
| 2001 | 315 |
| 2002 | 828 |
| 2003 | 828 |
| 2004 | 808 |
| 2005 | 775 |
| 2006 | 697 |
| 2007 | 646 |
| 2008 | 608 |
| 2009 | 583 |
| 2010 | 570 |
| 2011 | 555 |
| 2012 | 544 |
| 2013 | 503 |
| 2014 | 487 |
| 2015 | 453 |
| 2016 | 426 |
| 2017 | 376 |
| 2018 | 344 |
| 2019 | 331 |
| 2020 | 311 |
| 2021 | 276 |
| 2022 | 271 |
| 2023 | 255 |
| 2024 | 254 |
| 2025 | 236 |
| 2026 | 233 |
Source:DfT / DVLA End of March 2026 Updated
Fuel type
Source:DfT / DVLA End of March 2026 Updated
Volkswagen 1600 MOT reliability
There were not enough MOT tests of Volkswagen 1600s in 2025 to publish reliable figures: we need at least 1,000 tests of cars aged three and over. Cars have their first MOT at three years old, so newer models appear once they reach that age. How we work out MOT figures.
Volkswagen 1600 registrations over time
Registrations of Volkswagen 1600s for the first time in Great Britain peaked at 697 in 2002. In 2025, 2 were registered. With almost none registered new, the number on the road is likely to keep falling.
Registered for the first time, by year
| Year | First registrations |
|---|---|
| ’01 | 8 |
| ’02 | 697 |
| ’03 | 13 |
| ’04 | 17 |
| ’05 | 7 |
| ’06 | 4 |
| ’07 | 10 |
| ’08 | 1 |
| ’09 | 4 |
| ’10 | 4 |
| ’11 | 1 |
| ’12 | 4 |
| ’13 | 1 |
| ’14 | 0 |
| ’15 | 0 |
| ’16 | 2 |
| ’17 | 1 |
| ’18 | 1 |
| ’19 | 1 |
| ’20 | 1 |
| ’21 | 4 |
| ’22 | 3 |
| ’23 | 1 |
| ’24 | 2 |
| ’25 | 2 |
Source:DfT / DVLA 2001 to 2025 Updated
Volkswagen 1600 engine sizes and fuel types
Of the 244 Volkswagen 1600s licensed in the UK at the end of 2025, 50.4% have an engine of 1,501cc to 1,600cc, and 23.0% have an engine of 1,601cc to 1,700cc. The share with an engine of 1,101cc to 1,200cc has fallen from 42.1% in 2014 to 10.2%. Petrols made up 86.8% of those licensed in 2014 and 96.7% in 2025.
Engine sizes, end of 2025
DVLA records engine size in 100cc bands.
| Engine size | Share of those licensed |
|---|---|
| 1,501cc to 1,600cc 123 licensed | 50.4% |
| 1,601cc to 1,700cc 56 licensed | 23.0% |
| 1,101cc to 1,200cc 25 licensed | 10.2% |
| 1,301cc to 1,400cc 21 licensed | 8.6% |
| 1,801cc to 1,900cc 9 licensed | 3.7% |
| Other sizes 10 licensed | 4.1% |
Source:DfT / DVLA End of 2014 to end of 2025 Updated
| Engine size | Fuel | Licensed | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1,501–1,600cc | Petrol | 123 | 50.4% |
| 1,601–1,700cc | Petrol | 56 | 23.0% |
| 1,101–1,200cc | Petrol | 25 | 10.2% |
| 1,301–1,400cc | Petrol | 21 | 8.6% |
| 1,801–1,900cc | Diesel | 8 | 3.3% |
| 2,001–2,100cc | Petrol | 4 | 1.6% |
Engine sizes, 2014 to 2025
Share of those licensed at the end of each year, for the most common sizes.
| Year | 1,501–1,600cc | 1,601–1,700cc | 1,101–1,200cc | 1,301–1,400cc |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 | 19.5% | 9.0% | 42.1% | 13.8% |
| 2015 | 21.9% | 9.3% | 40.6% | 13.0% |
| 2016 | 23.8% | 8.8% | 40.3% | 12.9% |
| 2017 | 24.1% | 10.9% | 35.8% | 14.1% |
| 2018 | 30.0% | 13.8% | 28.9% | 13.5% |
| 2019 | 33.1% | 15.3% | 26.9% | 12.8% |
| 2020 | 39.4% | 16.5% | 20.6% | 11.8% |
| 2021 | 42.4% | 19.3% | 16.9% | 11.5% |
| 2022 | 46.3% | 19.5% | 14.6% | 10.1% |
| 2023 | 48.7% | 19.5% | 12.4% | 10.5% |
| 2024 | 50.8% | 19.3% | 11.7% | 10.2% |
| 2025 | 50.4% | 23.0% | 10.2% | 8.6% |
Source:DfT / DVLA End of 2014 to end of 2025 Updated
Fuel type, 2014 to 2025
Share of those licensed at the end of each year.
| Year | Petrol | Diesel |
|---|---|---|
| 2014 | 86.8% | 13.2% |
| 2015 | 87.2% | 12.8% |
| 2016 | 88.0% | 12.0% |
| 2017 | 87.3% | 12.7% |
| 2018 | 89.1% | 10.9% |
| 2019 | 91.1% | 8.9% |
| 2020 | 91.5% | 8.5% |
| 2021 | 92.9% | 7.1% |
| 2022 | 94.1% | 5.9% |
| 2023 | 94.8% | 5.2% |
| 2024 | 95.8% | 4.2% |
| 2025 | 96.7% | 3.3% |
Source:DfT / DVLA End of 2014 to end of 2025 Updated
United Kingdom figures from DfT table VEH0220 (licensed cars at the end of each year, SORN excluded), so they differ slightly from the Great Britain counts elsewhere on this page. How we use engine sizes.
Volkswagen 1600 safety recalls
We found no recalls for the Volkswagen 1600 in DVSA’s records since 1992. That does not mean none apply: DVSA sometimes records a recall under a range or chassis name we cannot match to a model. Check a specific car on GOV.UK’s vehicle recall check.
A recall applies to cars built on particular dates or with particular VINs, not to every Volkswagen 1600. The details come from manufacturers through DVSA, which says they may be delayed or incomplete. To check a specific car, use GOV.UK’s vehicle recall check or ask the manufacturer or a dealer. How we match recalls to models.
Compare the Volkswagen 1600 with other Volkswagen models
| Model | Licensed | Change on a year | SORN | Rank | Main fuel |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Volkswagen 1600 | 233 | −6.8% | 203 | 981 | Petrol |
| Volkswagen Golf | 900,884 | −2.1% | 122,944 | 3 | Petrol |
| Volkswagen Polo | 663,686 | −0.3% | 49,229 | 6 | Petrol |
| Volkswagen Tiguan | 331,220 | +6.5% | 4,557 | 19 | Diesel |
| Volkswagen T-Roc | 164,314 | +16.3% | 684 | 49 | Petrol |
Data sources and methodology
| Figures | Source | Period | Records | Updated |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Licensed and SORN counts | Vehicle licensing statistics Department for Transport | End of March 2026 | 436 1600 records (licensed and SORN) | 15 September 2026 |
| Registered for the first time | Vehicle licensing statistics Department for Transport | 2001 to 2025 | – | 15 September 2026 |
- Figures cover Great Britain (England, Scotland and Wales). Northern Ireland is not included.
- Licensed counts are vehicles with a current tax or exemption at the end of each year (or the latest quarter). SORN counts are shown separately.
- First registrations count vehicles registered in Great Britain for the first time, including used imports.
- Models are grouped by DVLA’s generic model name, so every generation and trim counts together.
Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.