USA: 1908-2023 Historical Data now available

The Chevrolet Chevette was the last car to rank US #1 overall (1981) although some sources have the Oldsmobile Cutlass in that position then.

See the direct links to 52 USA Historical Data posts below.

I can now share with you full models ranking for the USA between 1985 and 2020, slowly but surely filling up the holes in US Historical Data on BSCB. I have recently purchased The Encyclopedia of American Cars which compiles annual production data for all American models ever produced, so stay tuned as US Historical Data will shortly be further updated on here… For now I can give you pre-war production figures, intermittent detailed models ranking throughout the seventies, and at least a Top 10 ranking for each year from 1985 onwards without interruption.

The Ford Model T still holds the annual production volume record in the US.

It all starts in 1908 with the launch of the Ford Model T, later on reaching a record 2,011,125 units produced in 1923, still to this day the highest annual production figure ever achieved by a single model… The Ford Model A took the relay, peaking at 1.9 million units in 1929. Then there is a big gap in US data which I hope to fill in the next couple of months, and we jump to 1965 when the Chevrolet Impala sold 1,074,925 units, the highest post-war annual sales volume achieved by a single model in the country.

The Oldsmobile Cutlass was America’s most popular vehicle in 1975 and 1976.

In the seventies the US models ranking was changing fast, crowing the Ford Pinto in 1974, the Oldsmobile Cutlass in 1975 and 1976 and the Chevrolet Impala/Caprice in 1977, 1978 and 1979. In 1980 the Chevrolet Citation takes the lead before being passed by lil sis the Chevrolet Chevette in 1981. And this would mark the last year a Passenger Car topped the US sales charts, because the Ford F-Series jumped into pole position in 1982 and has not let go of it since, holding the title of best-selling vehicle in the country for 41 years in a row and peaking at 939,511 sales in 2004.

The Ford F-Series became America’s best-selling vehicle in 1982 and never looked back…

The locally-produced Honda Accord was the first model by a foreign brand to top the Passenger Car ranking in 1989, the Ford Taurus gave the title back to the US from 1992 to 1996 before the Toyota Camry started its reign in 1997 to then become the best-selling Passenger Car in the country for 26 of the following 27 years.

The Ford Taurus is the last US model to have been the #1 car at home (1996).

USA 1908-2019 Historical Data:

USA 1908-1927: Ford Model T makes the automobile popular

USA 1927-1932: Ford Model A sells 4.8 million units in 4 years

USA 1960-1970: Chevrolet Impala breaks records

USA 1972: Chevrolet Vega threatens VW Beetle

USA 1974: Ford Pinto and Plymouth Valiant dominate

USA 1975: Oldsmobile Cutlass and Ford Granada on top

USA 1976: Oldsmobile Cutlass still America’s favourite

USA 1977: Chevrolet Caprice/Impala takes the lead, Ford F-Series now best-selling truck

USA 1978: Chevrolet Impala/Caprice #1, Ford Fairmont best-selling new car ever introduced

USA 1979: Chevrolet places Impala/Caprice and Chevette on podium

USA 1980: Oldsmobile Cutlass reigns Supreme, or Chevrolet Citation?

USA 1980-1985: The last time the French really tried

USA 1981: Chevrolet Chevette or Oldsmobile Cutlass lead, VW Rabbit up to #4

USA 1982: Ford F-Series takes command, Escort #1 car in weakest market since 1970

USA 1983: Ford F-Series #1, last year of car reign by the Oldsmobile Cutlass Supreme

USA 1984: Ford F-Series 3peats at #1, Chevrolet Cavalier best-selling car

USA 1985: Ford F-Series and Chevrolet Cavalier on top

USA 1986: Chevrolet Celebrity leads passenger cars

USA 1987: Ford places F-Series, Escort and Taurus in Top 4

USA 1988: Chevrolet C/K pickup and Corsica impress

USA 1989: Honda Accord first foreign model to lead passenger cars

USA 1990: Can the Honda Accord ever lead the overall market?

USA 1991: Honda Accord ever closer to overall pole position

USA 1992: Ford Taurus leads passenger cars for the first time

USA 1993: Ford F-Series and Taurus keep the lead

USA 1994: Ford F-Series and Chevrolet C/K stronger

USA 1995: Ford F-Series and Explorer impress

USA 1996: Ford F-Series at 780,000 sales, new Dodge Ram lands

USA 1997: Toyota Camry takes command of passenger cars

USA 1998: Ford F-Series above 800,000 sales