The Best-Selling Cars of All Time

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Breaking news: people love cars. In a society that has designed its cities, public spaces, laws, and culture around cars, it should come as no surprise that they sell in huge volumes . But as with any industry, there are always those that dominate the market due to their affordability, reliability, or other features.

For this list, we gathered the data to find the best-selling cars of all time. This data is taken from public records and industry reports. Most of it is current as of 2021, or the most recent generation of these vehicles.

Why Are We Talking About This?

A photo of some Hotwheels cars.

If you’re going to invest heavily in the car market, then you should be able to identify market trends and industry strengths and weaknesses. No matter what marketing campaigns show, or investment experts say, sales numbers don’t like and remain the best measure for the strength of any brand. Use these numbers to inform your auto industry investment strategy.

#20 Oldsmobile Cutlass

A photo of the Oldsmobile Cutlass.

• Vehicles sold : 11,900,000+
• Year introduced : 1961

There were several vehicle lines that used the name Cutlass, but this isn’t unique to the Cutlass, of course. It included compact, mid-sized, muscle cars, and luxury cars. It began as a cheaper entry-level vehicle that quickly gained popularity. It was named after the Navy carrier fighter called the F7U Cutlass.

The Cutlass series of cars ended in 1999.

#19 BMW 3 Series

A photo of the BMW 3 Series.

• Vehicles sold : 14,000,000+
• Year introduced : 1975

The BMW 3 Series is a compact, luxury, executive car. There have been seven iterations, or generations, of the BMW 3 series, and it continues to go strong. It is BMW’s best-selling model, making up more than 30% of all of BMW’s total annual car sales.

The BMW 3 Series was named the 2021 Executive Car of the Year by What Car? and Grassroots Motorsports called it the second-most important performance car ever built in the last 25 years. It is the longest-running car on the 10 Best list on Car and Driver, having been included 22 times.

#18 Volkswagen Polo

A recent photo of the Volkswagen Polo.

• Vehicles sold : 14,000,000+
• Year introduced : 1975

There have been six generations of the Polo model, including hatchbacks, saloons, estates, and more. It is the top-selling car in South Africa, the sixth-best-selling car in the UK in 2010, and remained the fifth-best-selling car in 2021.

#17 Renault Clio

The Renault Clio in 2021.

• Vehicles sold : 15,000,000+
• Year introduced : 1990

There have been five generations of the Renault Clio, arguably one of the most famous French cars in the world. Critics have said that this car alone saved the Renault car company. It was the European Car of the Year in 1991 and in 2006, only one of two cars to do so twice.

It won the What Car? supermini of the year award in 2006 and the Best Supermini award from Automóvil Panamericano magazine in 2002, 2003, and 2004. It has consistently been one of Europe’s top-selling cars.

#16 Chrysler Minivan

A photo of a Chrysler Minivan.

• Vehicles sold : 15,000,000+
• Year introduced : 1983

The Chrysler Minivan is currently in its sixth generation and includes a variety of names and brands. Is this cheating to be considered in this list under one vehicle? Who are we to say? Some of the current models in this lineup include the Pacifica, Voyager, and Grand Caravan. It is the highest-selling brand of minivans in the world.

#15 Ford Model T

A photo of a Ford Model T.

• Vehicles sold : 15,000,000+
• Year introduced : 1908

It’s easy to be one of the top-selling cars in the world when you’re the only affordable, mass-produced vehicle available. This was the vehicle that finally made car travel affordable enough for middle-class people to enjoy. Ford was able to produce these cars so efficiently that the price dropped to $290 in 1924 (which is equal to $5,156 in 2023).

The Model T was the most influential car of the century. It retained the status of best-selling car in the world until 1972 when it was finally passed by the Volkswagen Beetle.

#14 Ford Focus

A 2021 Ford Focus.

• Vehicles sold : 16,000,000+
• Year introduced : 1998

The Ford Focus was created as part of Ford’s plan to sell a compact car worldwide and globalize the development of a single model. Ford sold this car in large numbers because it was cheap and fuel efficient, and the company said it wasn’t worried about losing money on the cheap vehicle because it was planning on selling large gas guzzlers for high premiums. The whole purpose of the car was to lower Ford’s average fleet fuel economy to meet federal standards in the United States, earning it the nickname of ‘compliance car’.

#13 Chevrolet Impala

A newer model of the Chevrolet Impala.

• Vehicles sold : 16,800,000+
• Year introduced : 1958

The Chevrolet Impala has been produced sporadically since its introduction, with the last, tenth, generation ending in 2020. It was ranked the number one Affordable Large Car by U.S. News & World Report. The car was discontinued because Americans began buying fewer and fewer full-sized cars. It was Motor Trend’s Car of the Year in 1977 and Automotive Fleet and Business Fleet’s Fleet Car of the Year in 2006, 2007, and 2008.

#12 Honda Accord

The 2019 Honda Accord.

• Vehicles sold : 18,000,000+
• Year introduced : 1976

The Honda Accord is also known as the Honda Inspire in Japan and China. It includes a variety of station wagons, coupes, hatchbacks, and crossovers. It is currently in its eleventh generation.

It won the Import Car of the Year award in 1994 from Motor Trend. It was voted the Car of the Year in Japan in 1985, 1993, and 2002. It was Drive’s Car of the Year in 2008 and earned dozens of other awards over the years.

#11 Ford Escort

A photo of a Ford Escort.

• Vehicles sold : 18,000,000+
• Year introduced : 1980

There were three generations of the Ford Escort, and it was the smallest vehicle Ford produced during its time in North America. It was the best-selling car in the United States for much of the 1908s. It was replaced by the Ford Focus. It was Ford’s third “world car” and production ended in 2003.

#10 Opel Corsa

A car made by Opel.

• Vehicles sold : 18,000,000+
• Year introduced : 1982

This model of car has been sold under a handful of brands and companies, and during the 1990s it reached its peak popularity, selling over 910,839 vehicles in 1998 alone, becoming the best-selling car in the world.

It was the third most popular car in the United Kingdom in 2018 and the most popular car in 2021, finally kicking the Ford Fiesta from the top spot after 12 years.

#9 VAZ 2101

A photo of the Soviet Union.

• Vehicles sold : 19,000,000+
• Year introduced : 1970

If there is a more recognizable symbol of Cold War communism than the VAZ 2101, then we have yet to find it! It was the first product created by Soviet manufacturer AvtoVAZ and was based on the Fiat 124 car. It remained essentially unchanged during its entire lifetime until production ended in 1988, with only a slight modification in 1982.

The VAZ 2101 is nicknamed the “Kopeyka” after the smallest Soviet coin.

#8 Toyota Hilux

A photo of the Toyota Hilux.

• Vehicles sold : 19,000,000+
• Year introduced : 1968

Our first pickup truck on the list. It is currently in its eighth generation. It earned mass popularity due to its durability and reliability, even being put through the wringer on the Top Gear car show when it was left in the ocean, being set on fire, and put on top of a building while it was demolished, and then still working after. It was also the first pickup truck to reach the South Pole.

#7 Ford Fiesta

The 2021 Ford Fiesta.

• Vehicles sold : 19,000,000+
• Year introduced : 1976

The Ford Fiesta was a supermini car that dominated the automobile market until 2023. It has seven generations and was Britain’s most popular car for 17 years, including a 12-year streak from 2009 to 2020. It is the best-selling car in the United Kingdom of all time, with more than four million being sold in the UK alone. It won dozens of awards in categories from Green Car of the Year and Best Small Car to Best Used Supermini and Car of the Year.

#6 Volkswagen Beetle

A 1968 Volkswagen Beetle.

• Vehicles sold : 23,000,000+
• Year introduced : 1938

The Volkswagen Beetle has been called one of the most iconic cars in all of car history and has the longest production period of any single car and the highest total production of any car on a single platform.

Production of the Volkswagen Beetle began when Adolf Hitler said that there was a need for a “people’s car” in Germany. Ferdinand Porsche began the first designs for the car. The Volkswagen brand began with the launch of the Beetle itself.

Production for the Beetle ended in 2003.

#5 Honda Civic

The 2020 Honda Civic.

• Vehicles sold : 27,000,000+
• Year introduced : 1972

There have been eleven generations of the Honda Civic since its introduction as a reliable, fuel-efficient, and environmentally friendly. It was one of Honda’s first cars it ever made and the first to help it expand to international markets. It quickly became one of the most influential cars in the world with many other brands copying features from it.

It won an International Car of the Year award in 2005 and the Car of the Year Japan award, among dozens of other awards and recognitions throughout its production lifetime.

#4 Volkswagen Passat

A photo of the Volkswagen Passat.

• Vehicles sold : 30,000,000+
• Year introduced : 1973

The Volkswagen Passat is a large family car and includes saloon, estate, coupe, and hatchback body styles. The Passat NMS style was designed specifically to appeal to North American audiences and discontinued production in 2022. The 2024 versions of the Passat include gas, hybrid, and diesel engines as well as a digital cockpit.

#3 Volkswagen Golf

A view of the Volkswagen Golf.

• Vehicles sold : 35,000,000+
• Year introduced : 1974

There have been eight generations of the Volkswagen Golf and includes the Volkswagen Rabbit in the U.S. and the Volkswagen Caribe in Mexico. It was originally produced as the replacement for the Volkswagen Beetle. It is Volkswagen’s best-selling car.

It won the World Car of the Year award in 2009 and is one of three cars that won the European Car of the Year two times. It has earned dozens of other awards including Motor Trend Car of the Year and more.

#2 Ford F-Series

A photo of the Ford F-Series.

• Vehicles sold : 40,000,000+
• Year introduced : 1948

Despite the marketing and what Ford fanboys will tell you, the Ford F-Series line is actually classified as light-duty trucks , though their cartoonish size might try to convince you otherwise.

The F-150 is the most popular version of the F-Series, which is in its fourteenth generation starting in 2021. It is the best-selling pickup truck in the United States and Canada and has been for over fifty years. It takes four whole facilities to maintain the production of the vehicles.

Because of the comically large size of the F-Series (along with other huge American gas-guzzling trucks), they have terrible visibility while driving, making them more dangerous to drive on public roads than an A1 Abrams tank.

#1 Toyota Corolla

A photo of the Toyota Corolla.

• Vehicles sold : 50,000,000+
• Year introduced : 1966

The Toyota Corolla became the best-selling car in the world way back in 1974 and keeps that title today. It passed the Volkswagen Beetle for most cars sold in 1997 reaching 50 million vehicles sold in 2021. It is currently in its twelfth generation and includes three body styles: the estate, sedan, and hatchback.

Toyota Corollas are produced around the world, but in Japan, they are made in a single plan: the Takaoka plant which was built in 1966. The name Corolla means “small crown” in Latin.

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