Top 5 Selling Cars Of All Time

The top selling cars of all time have been able to adapt across generations, and represent the needs of drivers at the time they're released. Listen to learn about the top 5 cars that have sold tens of millions of units. 

 

Presented by State Farm Insurance and driven by America's Automotive Trust. Learn more at Americasautomotivetrust.org

Episode Transcript

(00:02):
They are icons of
the road carsthat became more than just transportation.
They became part of culture, identity,and history.
You've seen them on the highways,in movies, in your neighbor's driveway.
Some of you may even have themparked in your own garage right now.
But what makes a carnot just successful, but a mortal?
Today we're counting down the fivebest selling cars of all time.

(00:25):
Each one tells a story of people, places,and the pulse of the world.
Welcome to fuel for the future,presented by State
Farm Insurance and driven by America'sAutomotive Trust.
I'm Michael May.
Number five, the Honda Civic.
In 1972, in the midst of a global oilcrisis,

(00:46):
consumers needed something small,smart and fuel efficient.
Answering those needs,the Japanese automaker Honda released
the civic first as a two door fastbacksedan, followed by a three door hatchback.
Now, for those of ustoo young to realize this, the civic.
Even though it wasn't Honda's first car,it is the one that introduced

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millions of people around the worldto the brand.
Designed by amazing engineers,the civic represented a new ethos
a compact car, but without compromise.
It featured front wheeldrive, a transverse engine and incredible
fuel efficiency.
When stricter emissions regulationshit the US in the 1970s,

(01:27):
the civic met the challenge with the civic
engine compoundvortex controlled combustion,
a feat of engineering that made catalyticconverters unnecessary.
And by 1975,the civic was a hit in America.
Over 28 million civics have been sold
as of 2024 across 11 generations.

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It's the carthat grew up with some drivers.
A lot of people's first cars are HondaCivics, and it's evolved
from a humble hatchback into a performancelegend with its type R models.
And it's a reliable staplefor millions of commuters.
It's oftenconsidered one of the safest budget cars,
and it doesn't look likethe civic is going anywhere anytime soon.

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Number four, the Volkswagen Passat.
The two door and four doorsedan launched in 1973.
It was built and releasedto replace the VW type threes and fours.
And the Passat was always plannedto be a worldwide card, being sold under
various names and styles across Europe,North America, China, and South America.

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When it was initially releasedin North America, it went by the VW Dasher
and then eventually the quantumbefore landing on the Passat,
lending to its massive salesof roughly 34 million today.
The Passat has been a Swiss Armyknife of a car being available
as a sedan, wagon, hatchbackand with gas, diesel or hybrid engines.

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And it's been incredibly successfulon every continent.
And I very happily drove a Passat
for my everyday driverfor about three years.
Number three, the Volkswagen Golf.
In 1974, Volkswagen needed a miracle.
Sales of the beetle, oncethe world's most popular and iconic car,

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were declining, so VW tried something new.
The golf was modern, angular,and still had
that Volkswagen practicalityand built to last.
It had front wheel drive, a spacious hatch
and strong handling, which was a contrastto the rear engine beetle.
internally it was called the type 17.
The golf GTI, introduced in 1976,added fuel to the fire,

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so to speak, with a fuel injectedengine and sports suspension.
It created the hot hatch categoryand became a cult favorite
among driving enthusiasts.
Today, over 35 million golfshave been sold across eight generations
from city commuters to rally racers.
The golf has worn many hatsand it's worn them all very well.

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Number two the Ford F-Series.
From humble beginnings in 1948
to becoming a symbol of American utility,
the Ford F-Series is more than a truck.
It's an institutioneven in large cities where
the stereotype suggeststhere aren't many trucks.
You still see the F-Series everywhere.

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it launched as the bonus built lineafter World War two,
a response to a rapidlygrowing economy and demand
for vehicles that could work as hardas the people driving them.
It was rugged and versatile.
As the decades rolled on, Ford adapted,introducing features
like four wheel drive,improved towing and more comfortable cabs.

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Some of my favorite memories,personally, as a young
kid was riding around on my grandfather'sFord truck.
I can still feel the seatsand smell the car and see myself inside.
By the 1980s,the F-Series wasn't just a work truck.
It was America's best selling vehicle.
Period.
That crown still hasn't been taken.

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The F-150, its most famous iteration,became the archetype of a full size
pickup.
It has historically balancedthat rugged power with drivability.
And other automakers have tried their bestto learn and take from the F-Series.
It's had over40 million units sold and counting.
For over 40 years,the F-Series was the best selling vehicle

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in the United States,and it has grown up alongside
its country on farms, construction sitesand highways.
It's tough.
It's Ford,and it's still king of the road.
Number one, the Toyota Corolla.
In 1966,this compact car was designed to deliver

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affordable,reliable transportation to the masses.
The name Corolla is Latin for small crowd.
But over time, Toyota's small crownbecame a large crown because it's king.
It's sold over 50 million units.
Engineered by Tatsuo Hasegawa,a former aircraft engineer.
The Corolla was designedwith aerodynamic efficiency,

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practical performance,and maximum reliability.
The original model had rear wheel driveand a 1.1l engine.
It was basic but brilliant.
As Toyota expanded globally,the Corolla followed It's evolved
constantly over the years,adapting to new technologies
like hybrid drivetrains, advanced safetysystems, and global platform engineering.

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The Corolla is leading the chargeand all time sales
by far.
Last, I'm going to share one more car.
And my type of participation trophy.
I guess.
Because you
can't cover the highest selling carswithout talking about the Ford Model T.

(06:56):
Before freeways, before suburbia.
When the country was still creatinglaws and rules for the road,
there was the Ford ModelT, launched in 1908.
The model T wasn't just a bestseller.
It was a revolution of all kinds.
Because cars were yet to bethe common mode of transportation.
Henry Ford's vision was to make a caraffordable to the average American,

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and he succeeded by reimaginingproduction itself
with the introduction of the movingassembly line.
In 1913, the price of the model T droppeddramatically
from $825 in 1908
to under $300 by the 1920s.
Just for perspective, that's under $5,000

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in today's money for a good new car.
Ford's innovations in manufacturingmade the model T
the world's first mass market vehicle.
Over 15 million were soldby the time production ended in 1927.
It transformed the American landscape,giving rise to road trips,
roadside businesses, motelsand a nation on wheels.

(08:02):
The model T wasn't just a car,it was a representation of possibility
and a blueprint for mass productionthat changed the world,
Even if you're not driving
a civic or hauling tools in an F-150,I would bet that somewhere in the DNA
of your vehicle that you drive day to day,there's a trace of one of these giants.

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Because as bestsellers, they influencethe entire automotive market.
They are truechapters in the history of automobiles.
Thank you for listening to fuelfor the future, presented by State Farm
Insurance and driven by America'sAutomotive Trust.
To learn more,visit America's Automotive trust.org.