How many Volkswagen 1500s are left in New Zealand?
Scarce 1 in 6,825 on the road Built 1963-1974 Sold new in New Zealand
Updated from the NZTA Motor Vehicle Register, counted as at 31 August 2026. Recounted every month.
Volkswagen used the 1500 badge on two air-cooled cars. The first was the Type 3 of 1961, a larger three-box saloon with a flat engine hidden under the rear boot floor. The second was the Beetle 1500, sold from 1966 to 1970 and often called the best all-round Beetle of the lot.
Still on the road, by model year
The most are from 1969: 267 still registered. Every year is listed under the chart.
Every model year
| Model year | Still registered |
|---|---|
| 1963 | 4 |
| 1964 | 4 |
| 1965 | 6 |
| 1966 | 4 |
| 1967 | 11 |
| 1968 | 86 |
| 1969 | 267 |
| 1970 | 240 |
| 1971 | 57 |
| 1972 | 1 |
| 1973 | 1 |
| 1974 | 1 |
What Scarce means
Spotto grades every car by how many are still registered in New Zealand. With 685 still registered, the Volkswagen 1500 is Scarce: the grade for cars with 175 to 1,199 left.
By how many are left it ranks 16th of the 48 Volkswagen models and 530th of all 2,903 cars in Spotto's catalogue.
The six grades: Common, 8,000 or more · Uncommon, 1,200 to 7,999 · Scarce, 175 to 1,199 · Rare, 25 to 174 · Super rare, 5 to 24 · Unicorn, fewer than 5.
Seen one?
Spotto grades every car on New Zealand roads by how many are still registered, down to the generation and the badge. Log the ones you spot, build a collection, and see who else has found one.