The Best-Selling Cars Of All Time

The Magic Formula

They may not be as exciting as a sexy little sports car or an incredibly innovative new design that blows people away, but these cars are best-sellers for a reason. They’re trusty and reliable—but, surprisingly, only a few on this list would be considered ubiquitous. In fact, many aren’t even that common in the US—and some aren’t sold stateside!

Toyota Hilux

The Toyota…what? We may not be familiar with the name in North America, but the Hilux is a best-seller throughout the globe. Why? Well, for one thing, it’s been in production since 1968. Additionally, it isn’t just used as a passenger vehicle. The Hilux can be seen used in work fleets, in emergency services, and in use by militaries.

Vauxford, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons

Lada “Classic”

Once again—what the heck is a Lada? Well, it’s Russia’s #1 car manufacturer. And when you’re in the top 10 for population—and exports have been cut off for a variety of reasons—someone’s gotta step in and produce a reliable passenger vehicle. Also known as the Lada Riva in other markets, the Lada “Classic” is based on a Fiat 124 body and has sold over 17 million units.

Charles01, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons

Toyota Camry

When it comes to reliable sedans, it’s hard to beat Toyota, who has two entries in that size class on this list. The Camry has been on the market since 1982, and it’s grown in size—and sales—ever since. Despite its best-selling status, Toyota is discontinuing the model at home in Japan, but will continue to produce it for other markets.

Dinkun Chen, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons

Ford Fiesta

Unsurprisingly, Ford is the subject of multiple entries on this list—and the Fiesta, its signature compact, is incredibly popular. Though often outsold stateside by the Focus, it’s incredibly common in Europe. Ford made the model for 47 years before discontinuing it last year.

M 93, Wikimedia Commons

VW Beetle

Though it’s not at the top of the list, the Volkswagen Beetle is the all-time best-selling car with only a single body style. The distinctive “bug” unseated the Model T in the 1970s and remained the best-selling car in the world until the 1990s. Sadly, VW retired the Beetle in 2019 after selling over 20 million units.

Vwexport1300, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons

Honda Civic

There are ubiquitous cars, and then there’s the Honda Civic. Through multiple redesigns and over 50 years, Honda has sold over 27 million units of this ultra-reliable choice. It was Honda’s first big hit of a car, and has been a mainstay on their line-up ever since.

MB-one, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons

VW Passat

In the early 70s, Volkswagen wanted a new family car to replace aging models. The result was the Passat—but few could’ve predicted just how far the model would go. Though it was seen as a reliable choice in those first few decades, it really began selling like wildfire in the 1990s, and has seen sales of 28 million units since.

Dinkun Chen, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons

VW Golf

Let’s hope those Volkswagen designers working in the early 1970s got healthy bonuses. Introduced just a year after the Passat, the Golf surpassed it, becoming VW’s best-selling car in 2002. It’s sold over 35,000,000 units in its lifetime.

Rudolf Stricker, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons

Ford F-Series

Though less of a specific model and more of a long-running series of pickup trucks, the Ford F-Series is nevertheless the best-selling vehicle, period, in the United States, with over 40 million sold. The oh-so reliable light-duty, mid-size pickup has been in production since 1948.

IFCAR, Wikimedia Commons

Toyota Corolla

55 years. 50 million cars. What is it about the Corolla that made it surpass the Beetle and become the best-selling car in the world in the 1990s? Well, for one thing, its fuel mileage. Of course, it’s also changed a lot over the years—there are 12 generations of Corolla—but one thing remains the same: People view it as a reliable, no-brainer choice when picking out a car.

TTTNIS, Wikimedia Commons

Bonus: Ford Model T

Unsurprising, the first mass-produced car was also the first car to have 1 million, 5 million, 10 million, and 15 million units sold, until it was surpassed by the VW Beetle. Before the Model T, car travel was inaccessible to most Americans, and the mass production (and therefore lower costs) of the T ensured that the middle class could get their very own car for the first time.

ModelTMitch, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons

Bonus: BMW 3 Series

The 3 Series is BMW’s best-seller, at over 14 million units sold, and is one of the best-selling executive-class cars on the market. It’s been in production since 1975 and has been produced in seven generations.

Vauxford, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons

Bonus: Opel Corsa

We may not see them at home, but the Opel is ubiquitous in Europe, where it’s sold over 18 million units since 1982. In 1998, it briefly unseated the Toyota Corolla as the best-selling car in the world.

Thomas doerfer, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons

Bonus: VW Type 2

They’re a rarity on the road now, but the best-selling van of all time is the Volkswagen Type 2, which sold over 12 million units in six generations. What may be surprising to North American readers is that it’s still in production today, with a design recalling the van’s classic era.

RobertG, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons