VW Engine Codes

This list shows all Volkswagen engine codes used around the world from 1947 to the late 2000s. This listing is sorted numerically, then alphabetically.

Early Beetle and Transporter engines made before 1965 did not have a letter code, but rather just a consecutive number. These are listed here as beginning with ‘1’, even though the highest non-letter engine number in practice was 9800000.

The engine capacity is given in cubic centimetres (cc). Early engines are usually rounded off – such as the 1192cc engine listed as a 1200 – but modern engines give the exact figure.

‘Layout’ describes the engine design. I = In-line; F = Flat (boxer); V = Vee. The number of cylinders is given. Then, if required, T = Turbocharged, S = Supercharged, or TS = Turbo-supercharged (twin-charger).

Fuel indicates P = Petrol engine, D = Diesel.

Engine power outputs are given in both kilowatts (kW) and DIN horsepower (PS), the current European standards. Note that up to the early 1970s Australia used the American ‘SAE’ horsepower figures, which are not the same as DIN horsepower. SAE was an ‘ideal’ figure, disregarding all ancillaries like fans, pumps, generators, alternators, etc. The DIN figure is a ‘real world’ figure that includes the ancillaries and represents the actual power delivered to the flywheel. Therefore, DIN hp figures are lower than SAE figures. For example, the famous VW 1200 ’40-horse’ is actually 34 hp DIN (40 hp SAE). This practice was officially discontinued when Australia converted to metric measurements in 1973, although both were used together for a number of years afterwards.

The dates listed are the calendar years in question, NOT the model year. No date in the ‘To’ column indicates that the engine is still in production according to recent references.

Please note that not all of these engines or VW models were sold in Australia, and the ones that were may not match the range of European dates.

The number of different engine codes has increased dramatically since the air-cooled era, with dozens of new codes added each year. Note that there are many similar engines with different codes that have been used in other VW Group vehicles by SEAT, Skoda or Audi. These have not been included (we are a Volkswagen club and you have to draw the line somewhere).

For further details, or for information on current or new VW engines not listed here, please consult your local Volkswagen dealer.