RS2 Survival Rate - DVLA Figures

[DickyC]

As we know, 182 right hand drive RS2s were built.

There are currently 149 Audi RS2s registered in the UK of which 20 were imports and may be left hand drive. (Figures as of 30 June 2008.)

All are registered as "on the road" and none are SORN (that's "statutory off road notification" for those unfamiliar with British officialdom).

Take away the 20 imports and that's 129 RHD UK Spec RS2s at large in Blighty.

Some RHD cars were supplied new to New Zealand - anyone there have any figures? Supposing they had all come here, 129 remaining out of 182 is a remarkably high figure for a 13 or 14 year old car. Take away the ones that went elsewhere and it's incredible and goes to show how highly regarded they were and how cherished they are now.

Nope, still not busy at work

[scillyisles]

The RHD production figures were just for the UK - New Zealand, South Africa, Malaysia and some other Asian countries got some. I seem to recall 20 being mentioned for New Zealand and 12 for South Africa. Not sure about the other Asian countries.
I also seem to recall that someone else provided similar figures for RS2 on the road a couple of years ago and the figures were around 100 on the road. So your increase is interesting.

[DickyC]

129 from 182 is still 71% survival which I reckon is pretty high.

The details came in this morning but as I said, despite being the latest available, are as of 30 June. The DVLA, through commercial agencies, will sell umpteen fields of information but will not include registration numbers, VIN numbers or keepers' names for obvious reasons. They will if pressed supply the first half of keepers' post codes so that vehicle distribution can be interpreted. The first agency I approached gave this information without a fee so I didn't push that point.

[s4sturge]

The figures must be wrong as there is a UK RHD SORN RS2 in my factory which belongs to a family member. Figures from DVLA posted on S2 Forum seem quite different from these and include a fair few SORN cars.

[scillyisles]

Ah don't you just love government departments and their ability to keep data accurate and safe.

[DickyC]

Revised figures:

Quite-a-few survive out of not-many-to-begin-with.

And I'll be on to the DVLA in the morning to see if I can tighten this up a bit.

[Lloyd]

Hello DC, have a look here.
http://www.s2forum.com/forum/showthread ... light=left

Would be good to see if the data correlates.

[DickyC]

Thanks for that, Lloyd. The figure of 129 crops up again, but that's about it and it may just be a coincidence.

I'll harrass the DVLA later on, but right now my tyrant employers are insisting I do a bit

What's the matter with people? Can't they see how important this is?

[DickyC]

Whoa! The DVLA's department of statistics is defending the numbers. They pointed out that only s4sturge's SORN RS2 is disputed, ie one record in 149.

s4sturge, they asked if you could check when and "how" the car was SORN'd. Anyone else with a SORN RS2 like to chip in?

They also said that the agency quoting figures for 30 June is giving the absolute latest info as they, implying an attitude of "to be on the safe side", would only supply data from 12 months ago. If that was the case, the s2forum figures dated 2006 may have been from 2005.

Setting aside the one disputed record, they (the statistics people in London) were more interested in the proportion change of 17 SORN in 2006, quoted in s2forum's figures, to none now.

Sufficiently interested, in fact, for them to ask me to email the head of statistics at DVLA in Swansea to ask him to run the enquiry there as a check on the system as a whole. It would seem that the concept of farming the data out to commercial agencies is about to be scrutinised.

Now what have I done? If you need me I'll be hiding under the bed.

[s4sturge]

If the figures are from June, then there was another silver RS2 for sale about that time that was SORN. Based in Bath/Chippenham and kept in storage if I recall. I also saw another SORN car when I looked for mine -(The guy still suggested I took it for a spin! - I walked away!) It is hard to believe all those SORN cars have been resurrected. It has also just occurred to me that the odd cars that get broken privately (blue one recently) are rarely registered as permananently scrapped, just so that the shell can be sold with a V5. That must count for a SORN or two as I doubt they get taxed !?

[DickyC]

Curiouser and curiouser. The agent has just come back with a sample line of data, assurance that his precis of the data is correct, confirmation that there are no SORNs in the TAXATIONNAME column and news that the database with all 149 records would cost me £200.

Before I make a dent that size in my pocket money, I'll tackle the DVLA's master of ceremonies and see what he has to say.

[DickyC]

The sample record is nonsense, by the way, don't bother to download it unless you just wish to see the form in which the data is presented.

[DickyC]

While waiting for something back from le Grand Fromage at the DVLA - nothing so far, BTW - I thought I'd search on "car model survival rates."

There was nothing relevant to car survival as far as I could see but I'm becoming a bit of an expert on the survival rates of Canada Geese, the female Tsetse Fly and the Neotropical Parrot with Implications for Latitudinal Comparisons of Avian Demography.

It's testing my love affair with the Internet, I can tell you.

[AlWyn]

You busy at work atm then Dicky lol

[DickyC]

You busy at work atm then Dicky lol

Yesterday, no. Today, yes.

Consequently, my plan to take on freelance research projects at the client's expense is currently on hold.

Still nothing from DVLA. I'll give them the hurry up in a while.