World's Top 5 Best-Selling Cars Ever

[shueyb]

Back in the 1960s, Americans flipped for the cute-as-a-bug Volkswagen Beetle. The lovable little "Bug," first made in Germany in 1937, became the most popular car in history. By 1979, it was no longer sold in the U.S. The New Beetle is set to roll into the U.S. in March. This model is bigger, fancier and faster. Will it catch up in sales with these best-selling cars of all time?

1. Volkswagen Beetle, 1937
   21 million made

2. Toyota Corolla, 1963
   20 million

3. Ford Model T, 1908
   15.5 million

4. Volkswagen Golf/Rabbit, 1974
   15 million

5. Lada Riva, 1970
   13.5 million

Source: The Top 10 of Everything 1998, by Russell Ash (DK Publishing, Inc.)

[shueyb]

THE BESTSELLERS THAT NEVER SAY DIE
By Giles Chapman of The Sunday Times

Times Online December 18, 2005

There have been many lists of motoring bestsellers but, as far as we can tell, none that celebrates only those cars that have remained virtually unaltered from the day they first went on sale.
That’s why there is no Toyota Corolla on our list . Although 29m cars bearing the name have been sold since 1966, it has been redesigned nine times and no single version has reached the crucial 5m level to qualify for the league table. It’s the same for the Toyota Camry and the Ford Mustang, each with some 10m sales but almost as many makeovers.

On the other hand, the Fiat Uno in fourth place soldiers on in Brazil in much the same shape as it was 22 years and 8.5m models ago. Then there is the Fiat 124 — or more precisely the Russian-built Lada version of it. Dismissed years ago in the West as an embarrassing anachronism, the car is still being built in Russia (since 1970) in essentially the same form as when launched in Italy in 1966.

That the venerable Model T has been ousted from second place by a Lada might be hard to take but there is no disgrace in being beaten by a car we suspect will one day take over the top spot. For now that honour remains with the VW Beetle, which has worn the crown since February 17, 1972, when it overtook the Model T.

Like the Beetle the Mini (Britain’s only entry) has recently been revived and updated but BMW’s version is not included in sales figures since its Mini is the same in name only.

Today, in its frantic scramble for quick sales, the car industry would rarely allow a model to stay in unaltered production for 10 years, much less the 31 years of the VW Golf MK1 or the 64 years of the Beetle.

In fact unlike other bestselling lists — and with one eye on the unstoppable Lada — this one looks set to remain largely unchanged for good.

Source: http://driving.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,22750-1935715,00.html

[Proverbial_Slang]

Do consider the fact that VW Beetle's basic design did not change during this time, while other cars received major facelifts and changes.

[Vajih102]

thats really a good point Proverbial_Slang

[nickatnite]

The Lada Riva is one of the best automobiles ever designed.Not pretty, but utilitarian.And, that's the most important attribute for an automobile!!.It is based on the FIAT 124 which was also the base for the indian version, the Premier 118NE.

PAL 118NE...

[mics420]

I have driven Fiat 124 and 125. Didn't enjoy much as they had steering mounted gear shift levers, which are not easy to use for the first timers.

[shueyb]

@ Proverbial_Slang:
Absolutely you are right. The first listing of five best-selling cars is just a ranking of best-selling models sold under the same name, like Corolla, which has changed platforms and models many times since it was introduced in 1963.

However, in the post immediately following, this aspect has been taken care of. And the list of top selling models ever (without any change in shape) is provided therein.

[spectra]

Fiat Uno and Peugeot 205 are in the list and just look at the treatment they get here in Pakistan

[nightsurfer]

@spectra
people compare these cars with khybers and mehrans and say the suzukis are better

[levin]

:)toyota corolla:) where ever you go in the world, you find a corolla.

[spectra]

corolla has sold in numbers rashid bhai but its not in top 10

coz no single model crossed 5 million mark

[levin]

beetle production started in 37, corolla production started in 63. now gap is of 1 million,, "run beetle run"

[levin]

toyota levin 's 20v engine smoked vw golf 20valve engine. massive difference in perf of two.

[nickatnite]

Hi Shueyb!!.Life treating you good?...

[Aleem1]

wherever you go in the world you'll find a VW...the first car to be registered in Antarctica ("Antarctica 1") in 1962 was a Beetle.

[shueyb]

nickanite, I'm well. Hope you're as well Thanks. When are you coming to Pak by the way?

[shueyb]

As the graph is too small to read, I am writing the list of top selling cars and their production below according to my best visual guess:

(Figures in millions)
1. Volkswagen Beetle: 21.579
2. Fiat 124 / Lada: 15.255
3. Ford Model T: 15.068
4. Fiat Uno: 8.500 (still made in Brazil)
5. Renault 4: 8.135
6. Volkswagen Golf Mk I: 6.843 (still made in South Africa)
7. Volkswagen Golf Mk II: 6.301
8. Renault 5: 5.472
9. Mini: 5.388
10. Peugeot 205: 5.279

[Racerf1]

@Shueyb
The info. on the main post is from 1998 so outdated

The info. on your second post is for only European cars

Here is the latest data from 2005

Best-selling car nameplate - Toyota Corolla (more than 32,000,000 sold in nine generations since 1966)

Best-selling vehicle nameplate - Toyota Corolla (more than 32,000,000 sold in nine generations since 1966)

Best-selling single model - Volkswagen Beetle (more than 21,000,000 of the same basic design sold worldwide between 1947 and 2003)

Best-selling sports car - Ford Mustang (more than 7,800,000 of five generations sold between 1964 and 2004)

Best-selling 2-seat car - Mazda Roadster/MX-5/Miata (more than 700,000 of two generations sold between 1989 and 2004)

Best single-year sales - 9,395,118 - 2004 Ford F-150 (23 years in a row as the top-selling single vehicle, 28 years as the best-selling truck in the USA)

Best-selling American Sedan - Ford Taurus (more than 7,000,000 sold in 4.5 generations sold between 1986 and 2006)

Best Selling Minivan - Dodge Caravan, over 11,000,000 sold.

[shueyb]

@ Racer F1:
Yes, the first post is outdated as it gives the data of 1998. Corolla has now moved ahead of Beetle in terms of most cars sold under the same name.

However, the second post is not of European cars only. You can see Ford Model T at no. 3 in the listing, which is an American car. It is the worldwide ranking as you can read in the summary published along with the listing.

You have posted valuable information. Can you tell us the source, please?

[c123pk]

That Lada looks a bit respectful, if compared to Ambassador.