VOLKSWAGEN · VOLKSWAGEN 1600 · Cars
VOLKSWAGEN 1600 Rare
As of 2025 Q4, 461 VOLKSWAGEN 1600s remain registered in the UK — a genuinely rare sight on today's roads. That's down from a peak of 678 in 2014 Q3 — only 68% of the high-water mark, a loss of about 217 cars. They're disappearing at roughly 10 a year (2.2% of what's left), a pace that would halve the survivors by around 2057 if it held — though in practice the last, most-cherished examples tend to linger far longer. Tellingly, 47% are declared SORN — kept off the road in garages and barns rather than driven, the signature of a car being looked after rather than used up.
Survivors over time
How rare is it?
Rare — fewer than 1,000 remain (461 in the latest data).
Rarer than 43% of the 2,408 UK car models we track.
Fuel breakdown
📉 Rate of decline
Disappearing at about 10 a year (2.2% of survivors). At that pace roughly 413 would remain in 5 years, and half the current fleet is gone by around ~2057.
About the 1600
The Volkswagen Type 3 is a compact car manufactured and marketed by Volkswagen from 1961 to 1973. Introduced at the 1961 Frankfurt International Motor Show, the IAA, the Type 3 was marketed as the Volkswagen 1500 and later as the Volkswagen 1600, in two-door notchback, fastback, and station wagon body styles, the latter marketed as the 'Squareback' in the United States. The Type 3 diversified Volkswagen's product range beyond the existing models—the Type 1 Beetles, Type 14 Karmann Ghia, Type 2 vans and pickups—while retaining Volkswagen's hallmark engineering features: the air-cooled rear-engine...
VOLKSWAGEN 1600 — questions & answers
How many VOLKSWAGEN 1600 are left in the UK?
As of 2025 Q4, 461 VOLKSWAGEN 1600 were still registered in the UK — 244 licensed and on the road, plus 217 declared SORN (off-road). The figures come from official DVLA vehicle licensing data.
Is the VOLKSWAGEN 1600 rare?
The VOLKSWAGEN 1600 is rare — fewer than 1,000 remain (461), making it rarer than 43% of the 2,408 UK car models we track.
Is the VOLKSWAGEN 1600 increasing or decreasing?
Over the last year the number of VOLKSWAGEN 1600 on UK roads fell by 10 (2.1%). At the current rate of decline, roughly 413 would remain in 5 years.
What fuel do most VOLKSWAGEN 1600 use?
Most VOLKSWAGEN 1600 run on petrol — about 95% of those still registered, with the rest split across diesel.
When did the VOLKSWAGEN 1600 peak?
The VOLKSWAGEN 1600 peaked at 678 registered in 2014 Q3, and was first recorded in the data in 2014 Q3.