Car statistics

Volkswagen Golf VR6 statistics

How many Volkswagen Golf VR6s are still on the road in Great Britain, how many are declared off the road, and how the VR6 compares with other versions of the Volkswagen Golf. Built from DVLA licensing records.

A version of the Volkswagen Golf. Recorded by DVLA as “GOLF VR6”, “GOLF VR6 AUTO”.

Last updated
Records analysed
1,594 Volkswagen Golf VR6 records (licensed and SORN)
Methodology
View methodology
  • Licensed in Great Britain 258 −5.5% on a year earlier
  • Declared SORN 1,336 Off the road, not taxed
  • Still registered 20.9% Other Volkswagen Golf versions 4.3%
  • Peak year 1998 7,522 licensed
  • Share of Volkswagen Golfs 0.2% of those licensed or SORN
  • Declared off the road 83.8% of those still registered are SORN

How many Volkswagen Golf VR6s are left in Great Britain?

There were 258 Volkswagen Golf VR6s licensed in Great Britain at the end of March 2026, and a further 1,336 declared off the road (SORN). The licensed count is 96.6% lower than its peak of 7,522 in 1998. More are declared SORN than are licensed: 83.8% of those still registered are off the road.

Volkswagen Golf VR6s licensed and SORN in Great Britain

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

Volkswagen Golf VR6s licensed and declared SORN in Great Britain at the end of each year
Year LicensedDeclared SORN
1994 3,025
1995 4,133
1996 5,745
1997 7,372
1998 7,522
1999 7,472
2000 7,260
2001 7,201
2002 6,971
2003 6,711
2004 6,516
2005 6,193
2006 5,629
2007 5,094608
2008 4,406780
2009 3,738876
2010 3,007918
2011 2,284999
2012 1,787990
2013 1,3691,078
2014 1,1181,069
2015 9061,164
2016 7461,244
2017 6341,287
2018 5421,322
2019 4561,351
2020 4251,367
2021 3801,392
2022 3281,403
2023 2891,421
2024 2701,343
2025 2501,335
2026 2581,336

Source:DfT / DVLA End of March 2026 Updated

Fuel type

Source:DfT / DVLA End of March 2026 Updated

How many Volkswagen Golf VR6s have survived?

20.9% of Volkswagen Golf VR6s 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 4.3%, so Volkswagen Golf VR6s are 4.8 times as likely to have survived.

Share still registered (licensed or SORN)

Compared with 12 other versions of the Volkswagen Golf from the same era.

Share of Volkswagen Golf VR6s still registered compared with other Volkswagen Golf versions of the same age
Version Share still registered
Volkswagen Golf VR6 20.9%
Other Volkswagen Golf versions of the same age 4.3%

Source:DfT / DVLA End of March 2026 Updated

Volkswagen Golf VR6 engine sizes and fuel types

Of the 255 Volkswagen Golf VR6s licensed in the UK at the end of 2025, 99.2% have an engine of 2,701cc to 2,800cc.

Engine sizes, end of 2025

DVLA records engine size in 100cc bands.

Volkswagen Golf VR6s licensed in the UK at the end of 2025, by engine size
Engine size Share of those licensed
2,701cc to 2,800cc 253 licensed 99.2%
Other sizes 2 licensed 0.8%

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 VR6 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 1,594 Volkswagen Golf VR6 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 VR6”, “GOLF VR6 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.