The Most Popular Cars in the World

Several factors influence the popularity of a car: its safety record, sale value, reliability, and durability. Some vehicles are popular because they meet the basics of getting people from point A to B while others are noticeable because they offer more than just the basics. With the cost of living rising across the world, people are looking for cheap vehicles with minimal maintenance costs. Electric cars are gaining popularity, not because they are cheap, but they are more reliable and less polluting. Nationalism is driving domestic sales of vehicles and countries are preventing import by raising taxes on imported cars. The following are the best selling vehicles by country.

Best Selling Vehicles by Country

Australia - Ford Falcon

Ford Australia manufactured the Ford Falcon between 1960 and 2016. The company produced seven models of the vehicle and sold over three million units in Australia, New Zealand, and South Africa. The Ford Falcon dominates the taxi business in New Zealand and Australia as well as company fleet and police vehicles. In 2013, Ford announced that it planned to stop the production of the Falcon, and on October 7, 2016, the last car rolled off the production line.

China - Volkswagen Santana

The Volkswagen Santana was first built in China on a trial basis in 1983. The first 100 vehicles were built from parts delivered from Germany. The Shanghai Volkswagen Automotive joint venture was established in 1984, and commercial production of the Santana began. The locals fully embraced the vehicle, and two years down the line over 10,000 units had been built and sold in China. Several variants of the Santana were produced between 1990 and 2008. Approximately 1.68 million vehicles were assembled and sold in China.

France - Renault Clio

French manufacturer Renault produces the Renault Clio. The vehicle was launched in 1990, and by 2012 it was in its fourth generation. It proved popular and became one of the top selling cars in Europe. It is sold as Renault Lutecia in Japan since Honda Clio reserves the rights to the name “Clio” in the country. The vehicle is still in production, and by 2013 it had sold more than 12.3 million units.

Japan - Toyota Corolla

The Toyota Corolla is the most popular vehicle in the world and in Japan. It was introduced in 1966, and by 2013 it had sold over 40 million units. The first model of the vehicle was manufactured in Japan, but variants were produced across the world, including in Taiwan and the United States. The 12th generation Corollas currently being built are the Toyota Corolla (E210) hatchback and the Corolla Touring Sports.

United States - Ford F-series

The first model of the Ford F-Series was produced in 1948, and since then the variants have grown to include chassis cab trucks, commercial vehicles, and pickup trucks. The F 150 is the most popular of the F-Series models and is currently in its 13th generation. The vehicles have been the best selling pickup trucks in the US since 1977, and in 2018, the F-Series generated about $41billion in revenue. Over 34 million units have been produced and sold across the world with the United States being the largest market.

​Best Selling Vehicles in History

The Toyota Corolla is the best-selling vehicle with over 40 million units sold across the world. The Volkswagen Beetle was first assembled in 1938, and by the time the production ceased in 2003 the vehicle had sold over 21.5 million units. It was the first vehicle to surpass 20 million sales. The Lada “Classic” was the vehicle produced by Russian vehicle manufacturer AvtoVAZ between 1970 and 2012. It was among the most popular vehicles in Europe where 17.75 million units were sold.