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Three of the best classic cars ever

March 20th, 2013 2 comments

1958 Austin Healey 100-61958 Austin Healey 100-6

This post is brought to you by Groupon.

As you can track on my Historical Data page, cars have become increasingly popular during the twentieth century, especially after World War II when the production and demand for a motorized means of transport have grown. The technologies and designs have developed further and further, however the more modern cars become, the greater the interest in older cars, or “classics”.

While there are many ways to define a “classic” car, either by date of construction or age, there is probably one common aspect they should all have: they should have style. It is possible to rent and buy cars of that value with classic car deals to experience the flair. Here are three of the best classic cars that ever drove on earth.

The Volkswagen Beetle, which was developed and produced in Germany and which first appeared in 1938, is definitely one of the milestones when it comes to classic cars. By now, more than 21 million cars of this type have been sold worldwide. Indeed it has been so successful that it has always been adapted to new car fashion eras and is still in high demand among young and old. Today, one can even buy them as cabriolets. The old Beetle, however, is really a cult, especially when bought in red or yellow.

The Mini has won great fans among young and old as well. It became an icon of the 1960s in Britain and was effectually popularized by Mr. Bean. The Mini was made by the British Motor Corporation and has been redesigned over time. For utilitarian purposes, the Mini had to fit into small measures of width, length and height which brought about its unique shape. It is also because of that box shape that it has become so popular.

A classic which is more extravagant is the British car Austin Healey. The Donald Healey Motor Company produced the car until 1972. It looks like a racing car and as such was also used heavily which helped to promote it in America as well.

Categories: Uncategorized

Kuwait Sponsored Post: Low prices at Volkswagen Behbehani

February 27th, 2013 2 comments

Red Beetle...yet again!

This post is sponsored by Volkswagen Behbehani Kuwait.

In 2012, Volkswagen’s two best-selling models in Kuwait both gained ground year-on-year: the VW Touareg is up 21% to #34 with 1,049 sales and the VW Tiguan up 19% to #63 and 541 units. The next Volkswagen models to follow in the Kuwaiti ranking are the VW CC at #91 with 326 sales, the VW Jetta at #94 and 322 units,  the VW Passat at #149 with 138 sales, the VW Golf at #153 and 113 units and the VW Polo makes its first appearance in the Kuwaiti models ranking in 179th place with 71 units.

To try and repeat this performance for 2013 and also for the occasion of Hala Febrayer, this month in Kuwait Volkswagen Behbehani is offering astonishingly low prices on 3 of their best-sellers in the country…

VW Kuwait

The new VW Touareg is now starting from KD 13,999, the new VW Passat is now starting from KD 5,999 and the brand new redesigned VW Polo Sedan is now starting from KD 3,999. These offers include 5 years free manufacturers warranty with unlimited mileage, 3 years free service, or up to 45,000 km, 3 years free third-party insurance and free car registration, and a free replacement vehicle during vehicle servicing with VIP service.

If you live in Kuwait and want to access this offer, you can visit one of Volkswagen Behbehani showrooms in the country, browse through the Volkswagen Kuwait smartphone app, visit www.volkswagen.com.kw or join the Facebook page at Volkswagen Behbehani Kuwait or simply call 1822589. Behbehani Motors Company (BMC) was established by late Mr. Morad Yousef Behbehani in 1956 and has been the sole distributor for Volkswagen cars in Kuwait for over half a century. The mission was, and still is, to deliver the highest level of customer satisfaction.

Categories: Uncategorized

World 2012: Ferrari lodges best year ever

February 19th, 2013 2 comments

Ferrari Dubai. Picture courtesy of Ed Callow via Flickr

In the midst of gloom and doom European sales, Ferrari shines once again and announced yesterday its best sales figures in 66 years of trading, despite a harsh downturn in sales in its home country Italy. Global sales for 2012 topped €2.4 billion, a rise of 8% on 2011 and Ferrari sold 7,318 cars, up 4% year-on-year. In the meantime, net profits rose by 18% to €244 million. Although Italy sales were down over 40%, the company enjoyed record sales in the USA where the brand passed the 2,000 annual units milestone for the first time (+15%), China, Germany (+8%) and Great Britain at 673 sales, up 20%. Japan sales are also up by 14% while Switzerland is up 17%.

See below for the sources of this article.

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Categories: Uncategorized

Sponsored post: Let comedy traffic sign relax you

February 19th, 2013 No comments

Lizard CrossingWhen will a ‘Lizards crossing’ sign appear on our roads?

This post is sponsored by Mini.

A terrible commute into work can mean a ruined day at the office. The trials and tribulations of your trip in can really have an effect on your mood and if you’re consistently having a nightmare getting in, stressful days ahead are a sure thing. However there are ways to make the journey to your job a little less frustrating. The obvious one: invest in a new car. Keep an eye on the latest new car deals on offer to get something more comfortable for your commute, like something from the Cooper MINI collection. Nothing beats the ‘new car’ smell to put a smile of your face on a dull day.

If your budget won’t stretch to a brand new motor, then simply take to staring out the window, there are everyday elements of your commute that are guaranteed to lift your mood, like comedy traffic sign, so keep your eyes peeled for something similar to one of the following side splitters to help turn your frown upside down…

Celine Dion Crossing. Picture courtesy of Ultimateguitar.comOh no!

Blatantly inaccurate information: these baffling signs can be seen wherever you’re trying to get to. Whether its signs positioned next to each other giving you completely conflicting information or it’s the broken sign on the motorway where half the wording has failed to illuminate. One way traffic signs that point in both directions are also a favourite as are weather-worn signs that seem to point straight up.

Toad trouble: it might be puerile, but happening upon the hazard sign depicting our favourite hopping friend can often end in fits of laughter. We all know deep down they are there to protect frogs and toads from careless cars but if you’re travelling with a particularly gullible companion, it’s great to try and convince them that there’s a toad-shaped threat just up ahead! Other favourites include ‘Mind the moose’, ‘Falling rocks’ has suddenly taken a whole different meaning in these asteroid-filled days, and of course all the tampered with signs out there (see above)…

Categories: Uncategorized

Sponsored Video: Bentley sees worldwide sales increase by 22%

February 7th, 2013 No comments

This post is sponsored by Bentley.

Bentley’s worldwide sales are getting back on track after being knocked out by the financial crisis. Peaking at 10,014 units in 2007, Bentley sales went down to 7,605 in 2008 (-24%) then 4,616 in 2009 (-29%) before timidly getting back up in 2010 to 5,117 (+11%). 2011 saw a 37% increase to 7,003 units and in 2012, 8,510 vehicles were delivered worldwide, a 22% year-on-year increase.

Bentley Mulsanne Diamond Jubilee 2012Bentley Mulsanne Diamond Jubilee

Region-wise, the Americas is still Bentley’s largest global market at 2,457 sales (+22%) but this should be the case for too long anymore. China is catching up at a record 2,253 units (+23%) and should pass the Americas within the next couple of years. Europe deliveries are up 12% at 1,333 units, with Russia up a whopping 37%, UK sales are up a shy 7% which is nevertheless better than the market as a whole (+5%). Other regions where Bentley has experienced significant growth in 2012 are Japan up 73% with 190 deliveries, the Middle East up 44% to 815 vehicles and Asia Pacific also up 44% to 358 sales.

Model-wise, the Continental GT/GTC is king, accounting for over a third of all worldwide sales, as illustrated by an out-of-this-world Top 10 ranking in Monaco. The flagship Mulsanne saw sustained growth of 10%, with 4 out of every 10 Mulsannes sold in China, where the popularity of the pinnacle limousine was boosted by the Diamond Jubilee special edition. The Flying Spur also continued to sell well, particularly in China, Bentley’s largest four door market.

See the source of this article below.

Read more…

Categories: Uncategorized

Best wishes for the New Year! Plus my 50 questions for 2013…

December 31st, 2012 13 comments

It is time for me to send you all my best wishes for the New Year 2013, may it bring you and your loved ones all you ever wanted! 2012 was a fantastic year for BestSellingCarsBlog, going from strength to strength all thanks to you: You were 900,000 to visit BSCB at least once this year, 3.5 times more than in 2011! So a HUGE Thank You to all of you who have kept coming back to and made it what it is today by sharing some rare data.

Chery is creating a new brand for Europe: Qoros. Will it be a success?

Many new countries and territories have started being regularly updated this year on BSCB, I have to say it’s one of my favourite moments: when a country can finally be explored in detail. In particular Bulgaria, EstoniaIceland, Hong Kong (China), Macedonia, Philippines, Puerto Rico and Singapore have all become regular fixtures on the site, thanks to tips from you readers! If you have sales figures for any country or territory that doesn’t appear on the list please do not hesitate to get in touch by clicking on ‘Contact’ above!

The Lada Granta did end up dominating Russia this year after a few hesitant months…

If you were already a BSCB reader one year ago, you will remember I featured a list of world car sales questions for 2012, the first of which being ‘Will the Lada Granta dominate Russia?’ It did, but took a little more time than expected… You will find all the answers to these 25 questions for 2012 below the jump, as well as my 50 questions for 2013, starting with:

The Chevrolet Onix has the potential to threaten the VW Gol in Brazil. Will it? 

1. Will Chery crack Europe with the Qoros GQ3?

2. Will the Hyundai HB20 or Chevrolet Onix threaten the VW Gol’s supremacy in Brazil?

3. Which Passenger Car will top the Chinese year-end ranking?

4. Will General Motors, Toyota, Hyundai or any other major manufacturer announce the creation of a low-cost brand outside China? Will Nissan unveil a low-cost Datsun range as planned?

5. Will the new BYD F3 and Chery QQ make 2013 the year of the renaissance for local models in China?

6. Will Kaili, Volkswagen’s low-cost Chinese brand, finally be launched? If so will it be more successful than GM’s Baojun? Nissan’s Venucia? Honda’s Linian? Ciimo?

Opel Adam

7. Will the Mokka and Adam help Opel towards recovery?

8. Will a BMW or Mercedes break into the UK year-end Top 5 for the first time?

9. Will the Renault Duster break into the monthly Top 5 in Russia? India?

The Dacia Dokker could cannibalise sales of Renault Kangoo at home in France…

10. Will the Dacia Dokker dominate the French LCV market, the biggest in Europe?

See 40 more questions for 2013 and the answers to the 2012 questions below. What are your questions for 2013? Post some more by commenting on this article!

Read more…

Categories: Uncategorized

No more annoying ‘Contact us’ tab…

December 28th, 2012 No comments

(Just thought I would share one of my favourite car stunts of 2012 as well…)

Today I deleted the ‘Contact us’ button on the left of the screen that was annoyingly hiding part of some articles on mobile devices. There is now a simple ‘Contact’ tab at the top of the screen below the logo and banner ad, along with the ‘Home’, ‘Thank you’, ‘Advertise’ and ‘Services’ sections. Simply click on ‘Contact’ and fill in the form to get in touch with me for any reason. I will email you back in the briefest delays.

One thing also for those of you who are checking out BestSellingCarsBlog from your mobile: you might want to set the ‘mobile theme’ off at the bottom of the page if you want to enjoy all the pictures for each article.

Thank you all for your feedback to make BestSellingCarsBlog a better site each day, and please do keep telling me all the things you think of that could help make this site better, for example by filling the ‘Contact’ form ;-) I appreciate any feedback!

Categories: Uncategorized

Season’s Greetings from BestSellingCarsBlog!

December 25th, 2012 1 comment

BestSellingCarsBlog and I send you all our best wishes in this Holiday season, hoping you are all having a good time around the world in this end of year. I thought it would be appropriate to share with you how Santas celebrate Christmas in Australia where I live… You can watch the Aldi commercial above, created by Carlos and Laura who I would like to thank very much for all their support and encouragement this year.

Since my last Season’s Greetings, you have been more and more numerous to visit BestSellingCarsBlog month after month, with unique visitors increasing 3-fold in the space of a year to reach just under 120,000 in December 2012. Also, today BSCB is celebrating a notable milestone: 5 million page views since the creation of the site in October 2010!

So I wanted to say a huge thank you to all of you who have discovered BSCB over the last year and have made it a favourite of yours, to all of you who keep coming back regularly, to all of you who have participated in the improvement of the site by sharing tips and new data and to all of you who have been following BSCB from the start.

Thank you.

Categories: Uncategorized

10 things I don’t understand…

November 22nd, 2012 57 comments

1959 Pontiac Catalina

* See the Full Article by clicking on the title! (and enjoy) *

Over the last 2 years I have been writing this blog and the last 25 years I have been fascinated by car sales around the globe, there has been a few things I haven’t got my head around. Simple things, odd things or stupid things. They have been like a nagging voice in the back of my head. So I decided to put them all in one article on here. Now the tone is definitely tongue in cheek, I know most answers to these questions are commercial and financial, but that’s boring. So enjoy!

1. Why are the Americans not stuck in the fifties?

In the late fifties and early sixties, American cars were the biggest, boldest and baddest. Oldsmobile Super 88, Pontiac Bonneville, Mercury Park Lane, Lincoln Continental, Cadillac Coupe DeVille, Pontiac Catalina (pictured above), Plymouth Belvedere and Ford Thunderbird: legendary nameplates that have almost all disappeared. Heck, even the Chevrolet (Bel Air) Impala looked good back then. Today what we have to deal with is a Chevrolet Cruze designed in South Korea… Please Detroit, along with importing cars from Detroit, take us back to 1959 all over again!

Lada Largus

2. Why does Lada take so long to launch a car that already exists?

In 2006 Renault launched the Dacia Logan MCV, then bought Avtovaz (aka Lada) in 2011 and decided it would rebadge the Logan MCV as the Lada Largus for the Russian market. It was unveiled at the Moscow Motor Show in August 2011. But we had to wait almost an entire year to see the model go on sale in the country in July 2012… Why oh why? It is exactly the same car. Iranian carmaker Iran Khodro does even ‘better’ and waited 3 years between the presentation of the Iran Khodro Runna in April 2009 and its on-sale date in Iran in April 2012, whereas the model is a thinly disguised Peugeot 206 sedan dating back to 2006…

You don’t like the new Hyundai Santa Fe? That’s ok, a new one should be here in 3 years…

3. How does Hyundai do it?

On the other end of the scale, in the same time it takes Iran Khodro to launch an already existing model, Hyundai has decided they would revamp their entire range… I don’t mean just facelift, I mean totally revamp their models, like the Hyundai Accent, Elantra, Sonata, Santa Fe, i30 and i40 to name just a few, and also throw in a quirky coupé, the Veloster. And it goes the same for sister brand Kia with a constant flux of all-new models being churned out of the Korean car maker’s factories all around the world. But how do they do it?

1963 Panhard 24 CT

4. Where has French luxury gone?

While Louis Vuitton bags, Moët & Chandon champagne, Hermès scarves and Louboutin heels continue to rack up stratospheric sales and churn billions of dollars, keeping the French economy afloat in the process, in the automobile world French luxury has gone missing. Renault Vel Satis anyone? Surely if Victoria Beckham can design the interior of a Range Rover Evoque, the French should be able to do wonders. Bonus points to Citroen for its DS range, but please, someone bring back Panhard already!

1957 Fiat 500 

5. What is wrong with Fiat making (very) small cars?

Fiat Bravo, Stilo, Marea, Croma, Ulysse… Rather forget about them? That’s right. Fiat doesn’t do medium or large cars very well. Fact. Fiat Topolino, 500, 600, 850, 126, 127, 128, Uno, Panda, Cinquecento, Seicento, Palio, Punto, Grande Punto, Nuova 500, 500L… Fiat does (very) small cars. And does it (very) well. And there is nothing wrong with it. So get over it and bring more on!

See the next 5 things I don’t understand below…

I also published this article on American website The Truth About Cars. Check it out, there are fascinating comments there as well from people within the industry.

Read more…

Best Selling Cars Blog celebrates its 2nd Year Anniversary!

October 30th, 2012 16 comments

The BSCB crew at the Sydney Motor Show. Dave, Shane, Matt E and good old me.

* See more BSCB stats by clicking on the title! *

Today marks the 2nd year anniversary of Best Selling Cars Blog! I wrote the very first post on here on 30th October 2010 and since then it has been an incredible journey, made even more fascinating by all of you readers. I want to thank in particular everyone who has participated in the building up of this blog by sharing some data, and everyone who keeps coming back for more!

Over the last few months, I have tried to make BSCB’s content richer by adding interviews (Great Wall Australia for example), detailed reports of the Sydney Motor Show, and being interviewed myself. I will continue to create more and better content for you, but please do let me know if there is a particular area of BSCB you would like to see explored further.

Cairo is the city in the world with the most visits to BSCB over the last 12 months

Since BSCB’s last anniversary (see the First Anniversary post here), you have been more and more numerous to come and check out the blog, and I want to thank you very much for it! In fact, for the first time in the history of BSCB, you will be more than 100,000 unique visitors in October alone! That’s a 208% year-on-year increase on October 2011 when you were 32,450 to visit the site.

Over the last year, you were over 750,000 unique visitors coming from 218 countries and territories – literally from everywhere around the globe! – mainly from the USA (130,099 visits), Italy (62,254), France (55,635), India (55,048) and the UK (52,280) but also from Seychelles (59), Burkina Faso (38), Guinea-Bissau and Micronesia (1 visit each)… Cities with most visits to BSCB were Cairo Egypt (15,254 visits), Paris France (15,205), Kuala Lumpur Indonesia (13,370), London UK (12,741) and Milan Italy (11,761).

Matt E proudly displaying the BSCB colours at the Sydney Motor Show

Since its creation, BSCB was mentioned and linked to by over 300 car websites around the world, and I want to thank all these sites for recognising BSCB as one of the most exhaustive free sources of car sales data around the planet. In particular, thanks to The Truth About Cars, L’Automobile Magazine, Autoblog.itAutoWeek, motor-talk.deForum-Auto, Planete Renaultforum.donahimhaber.com, auto.ca.msn.com, assayyarat.com, forums.mg-rover.org, Auto Esportekoreanbeast.com, motor.ru, dusterclub.ru and otofun.net.

Do you want to be part of BSCB’s adventure?

The future is looking great, with my objective over the next 12 months being to start travelling more for BSCB to report to you from places where data is hard to obtain, get in touch with manufacturers there and make the car sales world a little more transparent, through initiatives like The Africa Project. I’m particularly interested in countries like Mongolia, Senegal or Cote d’Ivoire for example.

But for this I need to increase revenue, which brings me to my Call to you readers:
I am looking for a Sales Representative that would be able to get in touch with the main actors of the automotive industry worldwide to increase the advertising spent on BSCB. If you are interested please get in touch by filling your details in the ‘Contact Us’ tab.

So once again, a huge Thank You to all of you – looking forward to the next adventures together!

See more BSCB stats by clicking on ‘Read more’ below!

Read more…

Categories: Uncategorized