Car statistics

Volkswagen Golf GL Cabriolet statistics

How many Volkswagen Golf GL Cabriolets are still on the road in Great Britain, how many are declared off the road, and how the GL Cabriolet compares with other versions of the Volkswagen Golf. Built from DVLA licensing records.

A version of the Volkswagen Golf. Recorded by DVLA as “GOLF CABRIO GL”, “GOLF CABRIO GL AUTO”.

Last updated
Records analysed
381 Volkswagen Golf GL Cabriolet records (licensed and SORN)
Methodology
View methodology
  • Licensed in Great Britain 107 +1.9% on a year earlier
  • Declared SORN 274 Off the road, not taxed
  • Still registered 33.4% Other Volkswagen Golf versions 6.0%
  • Licensed in 1994 1,134 when this data begins
  • Share of Volkswagen Golfs 0.0% of those licensed or SORN
  • Declared off the road 71.9% of those still registered are SORN

How many Volkswagen Golf GL Cabriolets are left in Great Britain?

There were 107 Volkswagen Golf GL Cabriolets licensed in Great Britain at the end of March 2026, and a further 274 declared off the road (SORN). The licensed count is 90.6% lower than the 1,134 in 1994, when this data begins. More are declared SORN than are licensed: 71.9% of those still registered are off the road.

Volkswagen Golf GL Cabriolets licensed and SORN in Great Britain

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

Volkswagen Golf GL Cabriolets licensed and declared SORN in Great Britain at the end of each year
Year LicensedDeclared SORN
1994 1,134
1995 1,041
1996 1,025
1997 962
1998 884
1999 816
2000 721
2001 652
2002 550
2003 461
2004 398
2005 334
2006 302
2007 261206
2008 224232
2009 198213
2010 167210
2011 150224
2012 152210
2013 128245
2014 107256
2015 108256
2016 114252
2017 114264
2018 102282
2019 89290
2020 86300
2021 92286
2022 90293
2023 110279
2024 107277
2025 107269
2026 107274

Source:DfT / DVLA End of March 2026 Updated

Fuel type

Source:DfT / DVLA End of March 2026 Updated

How many Volkswagen Golf GL Cabriolets have survived?

33.4% of Volkswagen Golf GL 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 6.0%, so Volkswagen Golf GL Cabriolets are 5.6 times as likely to have survived.

Share still registered (licensed or SORN)

Compared with 25 other versions of the Volkswagen Golf from the same era.

Share of Volkswagen Golf GL Cabriolets still registered compared with other Volkswagen Golf versions of the same age
Version Share still registered
Volkswagen Golf GL Cabriolet 33.4%
Other Volkswagen Golf versions of the same age 6.0%

Source:DfT / DVLA End of March 2026 Updated

Volkswagen Golf GL Cabriolet engine sizes and fuel types

Of the 108 Volkswagen Golf GL Cabriolets licensed in the UK at the end of 2025, 49.1% have an engine of 1,401cc to 1,500cc, and 25.0% have an engine of 1,501cc to 1,600cc. The share with an engine of 1,501cc to 1,600cc has fallen from 43.5% in 2014 to 25.0%.

Engine sizes, end of 2025

DVLA records engine size in 100cc bands.

Volkswagen Golf GL Cabriolets licensed in the UK at the end of 2025, by engine size
Engine size Share of those licensed
1,401cc to 1,500cc 53 licensed 49.1%
1,501cc to 1,600cc 27 licensed 25.0%
1,601cc to 1,700cc 19 licensed 17.6%
1,801cc to 1,900cc 5 licensed 4.6%
1,701cc to 1,800cc 4 licensed 3.7%

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

Engine size and fuel together, end of 2025
Engine size Fuel Licensed Share
1,401–1,500cc Petrol 53 49.1%
1,501–1,600cc Petrol 27 25.0%
1,601–1,700cc Petrol 19 17.6%
1,701–1,800cc Petrol 4 3.7%
1,801–1,900cc Petrol 4 3.7%

Engine sizes, 2014 to 2025

Share of those licensed at the end of each year, for the most common sizes.

Volkswagen Golf GL Cabriolets licensed in the UK by engine size, share of each year’s total
Year 1,401–1,500cc1,501–1,600cc1,601–1,700cc1,801–1,900cc
2014 33.3%43.5%13.0%2.8%
2015 29.4%44.0%12.8%2.8%
2016 32.2%42.6%13.9%0.9%
2017 33.0%42.6%15.7%0.9%
2018 35.0%42.7%10.7%1.9%
2019
2020
2021
2022
2023 45.9%32.4%9.0%5.4%
2024 51.9%27.8%8.3%4.6%
2025 49.1%25.0%17.6%4.6%

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.

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.

Volkswagen Golf GL Cabriolet compared with other versions of the Volkswagen Golf
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

Datasets used on this page
Figures Source Period Records Updated
Licensed and SORN counts Vehicle licensing statistics Department for Transport End of March 2026 381 Volkswagen Golf GL Cabriolet 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 “GOLF CABRIO GL”, “GOLF CABRIO GL 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 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.

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