Car statistics
Volkswagen Golf Cabriolet statistics
How many Volkswagen Golf Cabriolets are still on the road in Great Britain, how many are declared off the road, and how the Cabriolet compares with other versions of the Volkswagen Golf. Built from DVLA licensing records.
- Licensed in Great Britain 233 −17.1% on a year earlier
- Declared SORN 796 Off the road, not taxed
- Still registered 21.2% Other Volkswagen Golf versions 13.3%
- Peak year 2001 4,706 licensed
- Share of Volkswagen Golfs 0.1% of those licensed or SORN
- New registrations in 2025 2 registered for the first time
How many Volkswagen Golf Cabriolets are left in Great Britain?
There were 233 Volkswagen Golf Cabriolets licensed in Great Britain at the end of March 2026, and a further 796 declared off the road (SORN). The licensed count is 95.0% lower than its peak of 4,706 in 2001. More are declared SORN than are licensed: 77.4% of those still registered are off the road.
Volkswagen Golf Cabriolets licensed and SORN in Great Britain
This data records SORN from 2007, so the SORN line starts there.
| Year | Licensed | Declared SORN |
|---|---|---|
| 1994 | 868 | – |
| 1995 | 1,770 | – |
| 1996 | 2,856 | – |
| 1997 | 4,090 | – |
| 1998 | 4,535 | – |
| 1999 | 4,608 | – |
| 2000 | 4,627 | – |
| 2001 | 4,706 | – |
| 2002 | 4,661 | – |
| 2003 | 4,556 | – |
| 2004 | 4,451 | – |
| 2005 | 4,394 | – |
| 2006 | 4,240 | – |
| 2007 | 4,054 | 332 |
| 2008 | 3,819 | 417 |
| 2009 | 3,554 | 451 |
| 2010 | 3,196 | 546 |
| 2011 | 2,826 | 645 |
| 2012 | 2,366 | 648 |
| 2013 | 2,003 | 697 |
| 2014 | 1,608 | 724 |
| 2015 | 1,317 | 791 |
| 2016 | 1,061 | 914 |
| 2017 | 861 | 939 |
| 2018 | 708 | 924 |
| 2019 | 580 | 904 |
| 2020 | 471 | 924 |
| 2021 | 417 | 904 |
| 2022 | 359 | 862 |
| 2023 | 305 | 859 |
| 2024 | 290 | 789 |
| 2025 | 249 | 791 |
| 2026 | 233 | 796 |
Source:DfT / DVLA End of March 2026 Updated
Fuel type
Source:DfT / DVLA End of March 2026 Updated
How many Volkswagen Golf Cabriolets have survived?
21.2% of Volkswagen Golf Cabriolets are still registered (licensed or SORN), measured against the most on the road at any year end since 1994. For other versions of the Volkswagen Golf from the same era, the figure is 13.3%, so Volkswagen Golf Cabriolets are 1.6 times as likely to have survived.
Share still registered (licensed or SORN)
Compared with 5 other versions of the Volkswagen Golf from the same era.
| Version | Share still registered |
|---|---|
| Volkswagen Golf Cabriolet | 21.2% |
| Other Volkswagen Golf versions of the same age | 13.3% |
Source:DfT / DVLA End of March 2026 Updated
Volkswagen Golf Cabriolet registrations over time
First registrations of Volkswagen Golf Cabriolets in Great Britain were highest in 2001, when this data begins, at 122. In 2025, 2 were registered.
Registered for the first time, by year
| Year | First registrations |
|---|---|
| ’01 | 122 |
| ’02 | 43 |
| ’03 | 12 |
| ’04 | 9 |
| ’05 | 14 |
| ’06 | 13 |
| ’07 | 17 |
| ’08 | 7 |
| ’09 | 4 |
| ’10 | 2 |
| ’11 | 3 |
| ’12 | 2 |
| ’13 | 7 |
| ’14 | 1 |
| ’15 | 1 |
| ’16 | 1 |
| ’17 | 3 |
| ’18 | 1 |
| ’19 | 2 |
| ’20 | 1 |
| ’21 | 2 |
| ’22 | 3 |
| ’23 | 2 |
| ’24 | 0 |
| ’25 | 2 |
Source:DfT / DVLA 2001 to 2025 Updated
Volkswagen Golf Cabriolet engine sizes and fuel types
Of the 252 Volkswagen Golf Cabriolets licensed in the UK at the end of 2025, 72.6% have an engine of 1,701cc to 1,800cc, and 12.7% have an engine of 1,901cc to 2,000cc. The share with an engine of 1,701cc to 1,800cc has fallen from 84.5% in 2014 to 72.6%.
Engine sizes, end of 2025
DVLA records engine size in 100cc bands.
| Engine size | Share of those licensed |
|---|---|
| 1,701cc to 1,800cc 183 licensed | 72.6% |
| 1,901cc to 2,000cc 32 licensed | 12.7% |
| 1,501cc to 1,600cc 18 licensed | 7.1% |
| 2,001cc to 2,100cc 7 licensed | 2.8% |
| 1,801cc to 1,900cc 5 licensed | 2.0% |
| Other sizes 7 licensed | 2.8% |
Source:DfT / DVLA End of 2014 to end of 2025 Updated
| Engine size | Fuel | Licensed | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1,701–1,800cc | Petrol | 183 | 72.6% |
| 1,901–2,000cc | Petrol | 30 | 11.9% |
| 1,501–1,600cc | Petrol | 16 | 6.3% |
| 2,001–2,100cc | Petrol | 7 | 2.8% |
| 1,801–1,900cc | 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 | 1,701–1,800cc | 1,901–2,000cc | 1,501–1,600cc | 2,001–2,100cc |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 | 84.5% | 10.1% | 3.0% | 1.2% |
| 2015 | 83.1% | 10.3% | 3.6% | 1.1% |
| 2016 | 82.0% | 10.4% | 3.8% | 1.8% |
| 2017 | 81.0% | 11.6% | 3.9% | 1.4% |
| 2018 | 77.9% | 13.1% | 4.7% | 1.5% |
| 2019 | 78.5% | 11.9% | 4.9% | 1.7% |
| 2020 | 74.8% | 13.3% | 6.2% | 1.7% |
| 2021 | 76.3% | 12.3% | 6.0% | 1.6% |
| 2022 | 75.9% | 13.0% | 6.2% | 1.9% |
| 2023 | 76.3% | 13.2% | 6.3% | 1.9% |
| 2024 | 74.3% | 13.9% | 6.4% | 1.7% |
| 2025 | 72.6% | 12.7% | 7.1% | 2.8% |
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 | 99.5% | 0.5% |
| 2015 | 99.2% | 0.8% |
| 2016 | 99.1% | 0.9% |
| 2017 | 99.1% | 0.9% |
| 2018 | 98.8% | 1.2% |
| 2019 | 98.8% | 1.2% |
| 2020 | 98.5% | 1.5% |
| 2021 | 98.4% | 1.6% |
| 2022 | 98.4% | 1.6% |
| 2023 | 98.4% | 1.6% |
| 2024 | 98.0% | 2.0% |
| 2025 | 98.0% | 2.0% |
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 Golf page covers every version. How we use engine sizes.
Volkswagen Golf Cabriolet fuel economy and CO2
The Vehicle Certification Agency’s new car data lists the Volkswagen Golf Cabriolet from 2001 to 2015. On the NEDC test (listings 2001 to 2015), official combined fuel economy for its petrol and diesel versions ranges from 30.7 to 64.2 mpg, with CO2 of 117 to 221 g/km.
| Engine and fuel | Combined mpg | CO2 g/km | Listed | Euro standard | Versions |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1.2 petrol | 47.9 | 139 | 2015 | Euro 5 | 1 |
| 1.4 petrol | 44.1 | 149 | 2015 | Euro 5 | 1 |
| 2.0 petrol | 30.7–34.9 | 180–221 | 2001–2013 | Euro 3 to Euro 5 | 5 |
| 1.6 diesel | 64.2 | 117 | 2015 | Euro 5 | 1 |
| 2.0 diesel | 55.4–62.8 | 119–134 | 2012–2015 | Euro 5 | 2 |
Source:VCA July 2000 to 15 September 2026 Updated
- Official figures from laboratory type-approval tests. VCA says they may not be achieved in real-world driving, and should not be used to rank cars with similar figures.
- These are the VCA listings we could match to the Volkswagen Golf Cabriolet by name. The Volkswagen Golf page covers every version.
- Engine sizes are rounded to the nearest 0.1 litre. A version is one line in VCA’s data (description, gearbox, engine and fuel), counted once however many years it was listed. Matched from VCA’s model name “Golf Cabriolet”. How we use VCA’s figures.
Other versions of the Volkswagen Golf
Versions of the Volkswagen Golf with their own page. The Volkswagen Golf page covers all 900,884 licensed, whatever the version.
| Version | Licensed | SORN | Still registered |
|---|---|---|---|
| Volkswagen Golf GTI | 39,080 | 20,061 | – |
| Volkswagen Golf R | 35,845 | 1,174 | 85.4% |
| Volkswagen Golf R32 | 3,919 | 2,273 | 72.5% |
| Volkswagen Golf GTI Cabriolet | 595 | 2,100 | 50.4% |
| Volkswagen Golf Clipper Cabriolet | 539 | 1,901 | 50.3% |
| Volkswagen Golf GTI Edition 30 | 1,353 | 429 | 78.2% |
| Volkswagen Golf VR6 | 258 | 1,336 | 20.9% |
| Volkswagen Golf Cabriolet | 233 | 796 | 21.2% |
| Volkswagen Golf Avantgarde Cabriolet | 167 | 522 | 21.8% |
| Volkswagen Golf VR6 Highline | 119 | 514 | 33.3% |
| Volkswagen Golf Anniversary T | 239 | 285 | 65.2% |
| Volkswagen Golf Anniversary | 223 | 266 | 53.1% |
| Volkswagen Golf GL Cabriolet | 107 | 274 | 33.4% |
| Volkswagen Golf GTI Rivage | 87 | 229 | 59.2% |
| Volkswagen Golf GTI Sportline | 47 | 186 | 66.6% |
| Volkswagen Golf GTI Anniversary | 37 | 181 | 31.1% |
| Volkswagen Golf CC Cabriolet | 27 | 130 | 44.9% |
| Volkswagen Golf Syncro | 12 | 116 | 19.8% |
Data sources and methodology
| Figures | Source | Period | Records | Updated |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Licensed and SORN counts | Vehicle licensing statistics Department for Transport | End of March 2026 | 1,029 Volkswagen Golf Cabriolet 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, from 2007.
- This version groups DVLA’s detailed model names “GOLF CABRIOLET”, “GOLF CABRIOLET AUTO”, “GOLF CABRIOLET TDI”. 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 most licensed at any year end since 1994, plus any first registered after that year. Other versions are those of the same model whose licensed count peaked in the same years, up to 2001.
- First registrations count vehicles registered in Great Britain for the first time, including used imports.
Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.