Car statistics

Volkswagen Golf R32 statistics

How many Volkswagen Golf R32s are still on the road in Great Britain, how many are declared off the road, and how the R32 compares with other versions of the Volkswagen Golf. Built from DVLA licensing records.

A version of the Volkswagen Golf. Recorded by DVLA as “GOLF R32”, “GOLF R32 S-A”.

Last updated
Records analysed
6,192 Volkswagen Golf R32 records (licensed and SORN)
Methodology
View methodology
  • Licensed in Great Britain 3,919 −6.1% on a year earlier
  • Declared SORN 2,273 Off the road, not taxed
  • Still registered 72.5% Other Volkswagen Golf versions 33.8%
  • Peak year 2009 7,515 licensed
  • Share of Volkswagen Golfs 0.6% of those licensed or SORN
  • New registrations in 2025 32 registered for the first time

How many Volkswagen Golf R32s are left in Great Britain?

There were 3,919 Volkswagen Golf R32s licensed in Great Britain at the end of March 2026, and a further 2,273 declared off the road (SORN). The licensed count is 47.9% lower than its peak of 7,515 in 2009.

Volkswagen Golf R32s licensed and SORN in Great Britain

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

Volkswagen Golf R32s licensed and declared SORN in Great Britain at the end of each year
Year LicensedDeclared SORN
2002 12
2003 1,895
2004 2,204
2005 2,515
2006 4,464
2007 5,764122
2008 7,139175
2009 7,515124
2010 7,351184
2011 7,200218
2012 7,075228
2013 6,939298
2014 6,686308
2015 6,478369
2016 6,244517
2017 6,016679
2018 5,657869
2019 5,4351,032
2020 5,1241,270
2021 4,9231,382
2022 4,6141,660
2023 4,3951,831
2024 4,1122,038
2025 3,9572,258
2026 3,9192,273

Source:DfT / DVLA End of March 2026 Updated

Fuel type

Source:DfT / DVLA End of March 2026 Updated

How many Volkswagen Golf R32s have survived?

72.5% of the Volkswagen Golf R32s first registered since 2001 are still registered, licensed or SORN. For other versions of the Volkswagen Golf first registered in the same years, the figure is 33.8%, so Volkswagen Golf R32s are 2.1 times as likely to have survived.

Share still registered (licensed or SORN)

Compared with 8 other versions of the Volkswagen Golf first registered in the same years.

Share of Volkswagen Golf R32s still registered compared with other Volkswagen Golf versions of the same age
Version Share still registered
Volkswagen Golf R32 72.5%
Other Volkswagen Golf versions of the same age 33.8%

Source:DfT / DVLA End of March 2026 Updated

Volkswagen Golf R32 registrations over time

Registrations of Volkswagen Golf R32s for the first time in Great Britain peaked at 2,117 in 2006. In 2025, 32 were registered.

Registered for the first time, by year

Volkswagen Golf R32s registered for the first time in Great Britain, by year
Year First registrations
’02 12
’03 1,915
’04 371
’05 331
’06 2,117
’07 1,505
’08 1,524
’09 457
’10 5
’11 1
’12 3
’13 6
’14 3
’15 5
’16 3
’17 1
’18 6
’19 18
’20 24
’21 57
’22 44
’23 49
’24 47
’25 32

Source:DfT / DVLA 2001 to 2025 Updated

Volkswagen Golf R32 engine sizes and fuel types

Of the 4,047 Volkswagen Golf R32s licensed in the UK at the end of 2025, 79.7% have an engine of 3,201cc to 3,300cc, and 20.2% have an engine of 3,101cc to 3,200cc.

Engine sizes, end of 2025

DVLA records engine size in 100cc bands.

Volkswagen Golf R32s licensed in the UK at the end of 2025, by engine size
Engine size Share of those licensed
3,201cc to 3,300cc 3,227 licensed 79.7%
3,101cc to 3,200cc 818 licensed 20.2%
Other sizes 2 licensed 0.0%

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

Engine size and fuel together, end of 2025
Engine size Fuel Licensed Share
3,201–3,300cc Petrol 3,227 79.7%
3,101–3,200cc Petrol 816 20.2%

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 R32 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 6,192 Volkswagen Golf R32 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 R32”, “GOLF R32 S-A”. 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.
  • 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.