Bestselling automobiles are those passenger cars and light trucks which, since the introduction of the Benz Patent Motorwagen in 1886, can lay claim to being the highest selling vehicles in the markets they compete in.
While references to verify the manufacturers' claims have been included, there is always the possibility of inaccuracy or hyperbole. Also note that a single vehicle can be sold concurrently under several nameplates in different markets, as with for example the Nissan Sunny; in such circumstances manufacturers often provide only cumulative sales figures for all models. As a result, there is no definitive standard for measuring sales; Volkswagen has claimed its Beetle as the bestselling car in history as it did not substantially change throughout its production run.[1] By contrast, Toyota has applied the Corolla nameplate to nine mechanically unrelated cars since 1966, which have sold a combined 32–35 million.[2][3][4]
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Three cars have been widely acknowledged as the "bestselling automobile in the world" since Ford built its millionth Model T on December 10, 1915. The Model T itself remained the highest seller until forty five years after production ceased in 1927. On February 17, 1972 Volkswagen claimed that the Ford had been superseded by the Beetle, when the 15,007,034th was manufactured.[1] Although The Model T has subsequently been credited with 16.5 million sales, this anomaly is moot in light of the Beetle reaching 21 million.[5]
The Beetle remained the bestselling vehicle until the late 1990s,[6] when it was itself overtaken by the Toyota Corolla.[7] This was an example of the modern practice of applying a brand name across a range of vehicles, and retaining it for marketing purposes even as the car changes.[3] While the first Corolla in 1966 was rear wheel drive and rode on a 2286 mm wheelbase, the current front wheel drive versions share a 2600 mm wheelbase and use a mechanically unrelated platform.
| Image | Automobile | Production | Sales | Bestseller | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ford Model T | 1908–27 | 16,500,000.[8] | 1908–72 | The first car to achieve one million, five million, ten million and fifteen million sales. By 1914, it was estimated that nine out of every ten cars in the world were Fords.[8] | |
| Volkswagen Beetle | 1938–2003 | 21,529,464.[5] | 1972–97 | The first car to achieve twenty million sales.[1] | |
| Toyota Corolla | 1966–present | 32–35,000,000 to September 2006.[3][4] | 1997–present | The first car to achieve thirty million sales. The bestselling automobile in the world, with 1.36 million sales in 2005.[2] |
| Country | Image | Automobile | Production | Sales | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Australia | Ford Falcon | 1960–present | Over 3,000,000.[9] | ||
| Brazil | Volkswagen Gol.[10] | 1980–present | Over 4,500,000.[11] | ||
| France | Renault Clio | 1991–present | 8,535,280 up to 2005.[12] | ||
| Germany | Volkswagen Golf[10] | 1974–present | Over 25,000,000 to 2006.[13] | ||
| India | Hindustan Ambassador | 1958–present | Almost 4,000,000.[14] | ||
| Italy | Fiat Uno | 1983–present (1983-1995 in Italy) | Approximately 8,800,000 worldwide to 2004.[15] | ||
| Japan | Toyota Corolla | 1966–present | 31,600,000 to June 2006.[2] | ||
| Malaysia | Perodua Myvi | 2005-present | 77,657 at 2010.(or about 1,500,000 since 2005.)[16] | ||
| Spain | SEAT Ibiza | 1984-present | 3,949,597 up to 2008.[17] | ||
| Sweden | Volvo 200 Series | 1974–93 | 2,862,573.[18] | ||
| Ukraine | Zaporozhets | 1960–94 | 3,422,444.[19] | ||
| United Kingdom | Mini | 1959–2000 | 5,505,874.[20] | ||
| United States | Ford F-Series | 1948–present | Over 34,000,000 America's bestselling vehicle for 28 consecutive years;[21] 33,900,000 in 12 generations to May 2010.[21] |
| Marque | Image | Automobile | Production | Sales | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aston Martin | Aston Martin DB7 | 1993–2003 | 7,000[22][23] | ||
| Autobianchi | Autobianchi A112 | 1969–1986 | 1,254,178.[24] | ||
| BMW | BMW 3 Series | 1975–present | Over 9,500,000 to 2005.[25] | ||
| Buick | Buick LeSabre | 1959–2005 | Over 6,000,000.[26] | ||
| Chevrolet | Chevrolet Impala | 1958–present | Over 13,000,000 to 1996.[27] | ||
| Citroën | Citroën 2CV | 1948–90 | 3,872,583. | Including commercial variants, the total figure is approximately nine million[28] | |
| De Tomaso | De Tomaso Pantera | 1970–1991 | 7,260 produced over a single generation | [29] | |
| Ferrari | Ferrari 360 | 1999–2004 | Over 17,000 coupés and convertibles.[30] | ||
| Fiat | Fiat Uno | 1983–present | Approximately 8,800,000 worldwide to 2004. | Sold over six million in Western Europe before being replaced by the Punto in 1995, while production continued in South Africa, Poland and Brazil.[15] | |
| Ford | Ford F-Series | 1948–present | Over 34,000,000 America's bestselling vehicle for 28 consecutive years;[21] 33,900,000 in 12 generations to May 2010.[21] | ||
| Hindustan | Hindustan Ambassador | 1958–present | Almost 4,000,000.[14] | ||
| Holden | Holden Commodore | 1978–present | 2,400,000 to 2006.[31] | ||
| Honda | Honda Civic | 1972–present | Over 16,500,000 to May 2006.[32] | ||
| Lada | Lada Riva | 1980–present | 13,500,000 until exports to Europe were discontinued in 1997. | Production continues in both Russia and Egypt.[33] | |
| Lamborghini | Lamborghini Gallardo | 2004–present | 10,000 coupés and convertibles to June 2010.[34] | ||
| Lotus | Lotus Elise | 1996–present | over 20,000 produced over two generations to December 2004.[35] | ||
| Mazda | Mazda Familia | 1963–2003 | Over 10,000,000 up to 1995.[36] | ||
| Mercedes-Benz | Mercedes-Benz C-Class | 1993–present | 6,900,000 to November 2006.[37] | ||
| Mercury | Mercury Grand Marquis | 1975-2011 | Approximately 2,700,000 to the end of 2010.[38] | Figure includes production totals from when Grand Marquis was a sub-model of Mercury Marquis from 1975-1982. | |
| Mitsubishi | Mitsubishi Lancer | 1973–present | Over 6,000,000 to the end of 2006.[39] | Figure may include the Lancer Evolution. | |
| Nissan | Nissan Sunny/Sentra/Pulsar/Almera | 1966–present | Over 15,900,000.[33] Ten generations, and four nameplates depending on marketplace. | ||
| Oldsmobile | Oldsmobile Cutlass | 1961–99 | 11,900,000 across several platforms and generations.[40] | ||
| Opel | Opel Corsa | 1982–present | Over 18,000,000 sold worldwide in 25 years and in 4 generations. 10 million of them were sold only in Europe.[41] | ||
| Peugeot | Peugeot 206 | 1998–present | Approximately 5,400,000 to 2006.[42] | ||
| Pontiac | Pontiac Grand Am | 1973–75, 1978–80, 1985–2005 | Over 4,000,000.[43] | ||
| Porsche | Porsche 911 | 1963–present | 645,575 produced over six generations up to 2006. | Figure includes the 959, may include the 934 and 935 but not the 911 GT1.[44] | |
| Renault | Renault Clio | 1991–present | 8,535,280 up to 2005.[12] | ||
| Rolls-Royce | Rolls-Royce Silver Shadow | 1965–80 | 29,030 produced over a single generation.[45] | ||
| Saab | Saab 900 | 1978–93 | 908,810.[46] | ||
| SEAT | SEAT Ibiza | 1984-present | 3,949,597 up to 2008.[17] | The sales of the fourth generation of the SEAT Ibiza, as well as those of its derivatives (such as the SEAT Córdoba and the SEAT Inca, or the rebadged versions) are not included in the figures. | |
| Simca | Simca 1100 | 1967–1982 | 2,139,400 | Figures include a small numer of complete knock down (CKD) kits and commercial versions.[47] | |
| Subaru | Subaru Legacy | 1988–present | Over 3,000,000 to 2005.[48] | ||
| Škoda | Škoda Octavia | 1996–present | Over 2,000,000 to 2007.[49] | ||
| Toyota | Toyota Corolla | 1966–present | 31,600,000 to June 2006.[2] | ||
| Trabant | Trabant | 1957–91 | Over 3,000,000.[50] | ||
| Volkswagen | Volkswagen Golf | 1974–present | Over 25,000,000 to 2006.[13] Became Volkswagen's bestseller in 2002. | ||
| Volvo | Volvo 200 Series | 1974–93 | 2,862,573.[18] | ||
| ZAZ | Zaporozhets | 1960–94 | 3,422,444.[19] |
| Class | Image | Automobile | Production | Sales | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Full-size car | Chevrolet Impala | 1958–1985 1994–1996 2000–present |
Over 13,000,000 between its introduction and 1996.[27] | The bestselling car in America in a single year, with more than one million sold in 1965. | |
| Hybrid electric vehicle | Toyota Prius | 1997–present | 2,000,000 worldwide in three generations to September 2010.[51] | ||
| Pickup truck | Ford F-Series | 1948–present | Over 34,000,000 America's bestselling vehicle for 28 consecutive years;[21] 33,900,000 in 12 generations to May 2010.[21] | World's bestselling truck for thirty consecutive years.[52] | |
| Luxury car | Mercedes-Benz S-Class | 1965–present | Approximately 2,700,000 of the first five generations since the Mercedes-Benz W108.[53] | ||
| Rotary engined car | Mazda RX-7 | 1978–2002 | 811,634 in three generations to 2005.[54] | ||
| Two-seat convertible sports car | Mazda MX-5 | 1989–present | Almost 750,000 in the first two generations to 2005.[55] | Verified by the Guinness Book of Records as the bestselling two-seater, convertible (open top) sports car in history. |