Car statistics

Volkswagen Beetle Dark Flint statistics

How many Volkswagen Beetle Dark Flints are still on the road in Great Britain, how many are declared off the road, and how the Dark Flint compares with other versions of the Volkswagen Beetle. Built from DVLA licensing records.

A version of the Volkswagen Beetle. Recorded by DVLA as “BEETLE DARK FLINT”, “BEETLE DARK FLINT TDI”, “BEETLE DARK FLINT AUTO”.

Last updated
Records analysed
154 Volkswagen Beetle Dark Flint records (licensed and SORN)
Methodology
View methodology
  • Licensed in Great Britain 99 −1.0% on a year earlier
  • Declared SORN 55 Off the road, not taxed
  • Still registered 70.0% Other Volkswagen Beetle versions 45.7%
  • Licensed in 2005 225 when this data begins
  • Share of Volkswagen Beetles 0.3% of those licensed or SORN
  • Declared off the road 35.7% of those still registered are SORN

How many Volkswagen Beetle Dark Flints are left in Great Britain?

There were 99 Volkswagen Beetle Dark Flints licensed in Great Britain at the end of March 2026, and a further 55 declared off the road (SORN). The licensed count is 56.0% lower than the 225 in 2005, when this data begins.

Volkswagen Beetle Dark Flints licensed and SORN in Great Britain

This data records SORN from 2007, so the SORN line starts there.

Volkswagen Beetle Dark Flints licensed and declared SORN in Great Britain at the end of each year
Year LicensedDeclared SORN
2005 225
2006 223
2007 2183
2008 2135
2009 2125
2010 20710
2011 20710
2012 2096
2013 2078
2014 20310
2015 20311
2016 19612
2017 18418
2018 18319
2019 17228
2020 16237
2021 15137
2022 14235
2023 12148
2024 10347
2025 10053
2026 9955

Source:DfT / DVLA End of March 2026 Updated

Fuel type

Source:DfT / DVLA End of March 2026 Updated

How many Volkswagen Beetle Dark Flints have survived?

70.0% of the Volkswagen Beetle Dark Flints first registered since 2001 are still registered, licensed or SORN. For other versions of the Volkswagen Beetle first registered in the same years, the figure is 45.7%, so Volkswagen Beetle Dark Flints are 1.5 times as likely to have survived.

Share still registered (licensed or SORN)

Compared with 3 other versions of the Volkswagen Beetle first registered in the same years.

Share of Volkswagen Beetle Dark Flints still registered compared with other Volkswagen Beetle versions of the same age
Version Share still registered
Volkswagen Beetle Dark Flint 70.0%
Other Volkswagen Beetle versions of the same age 45.7%

Source:DfT / DVLA End of March 2026 Updated

Volkswagen Beetle Dark Flint engine sizes and fuel types

Of the 103 Volkswagen Beetle Dark Flints licensed in the UK at the end of 2025, 58.3% have an engine of 1,501cc to 1,600cc, and 25.2% have an engine of 1,801cc to 1,900cc.

Engine sizes, end of 2025

DVLA records engine size in 100cc bands.

Volkswagen Beetle Dark Flints licensed in the UK at the end of 2025, by engine size
Engine size Share of those licensed
1,501cc to 1,600cc 60 licensed 58.3%
1,801cc to 1,900cc 26 licensed 25.2%
1,901cc to 2,000cc 17 licensed 16.5%

Source:DfT / DVLA End of 2014 to end of 2025 Updated

Engine size and fuel together, end of 2025
Engine size Fuel Licensed Share
1,501–1,600cc Petrol 60 58.3%
1,801–1,900cc Diesel 26 25.2%
1,901–2,000cc Petrol 17 16.5%

Fuel type, 2014 to 2025

Share of those licensed at the end of each year.

Volkswagen Beetle Dark Flints licensed in the UK by fuel type, share of each year’s total
Year PetrolDiesel
2014 74.4%25.6%
2015 74.9%25.1%
2016 75.5%24.5%
2017 76.5%23.5%
2018 78.0%22.0%
2019 75.6%24.4%
2020 78.2%21.8%
2021 76.3%23.7%
2022 74.7%25.3%
2023 74.8%25.2%
2024 73.3%26.7%
2025 74.8%25.2%

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. This covers cars DVLA records under this version’s name only; the Volkswagen Beetle page covers every version. How we use engine sizes.

Data sources and methodology

Datasets used on this page
Figures Source Period Records Updated
Licensed and SORN counts Vehicle licensing statistics Department for Transport End of March 2026 154 Volkswagen Beetle Dark Flint records (licensed and SORN) 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, from 2007.
  • This version groups DVLA’s detailed model names “BEETLE DARK FLINT”, “BEETLE DARK FLINT TDI”, “BEETLE DARK FLINT AUTO”. Engine size, gearbox, number of doors and fuel are ignored, so every engine and gearbox counts together.
  • Survival compares the number still registered (licensed or SORN) with the number first registered since 2001. Other versions are those of the same model with the same average year of first registration.

Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.