Finland: 1956-2023 Historical Data now available
The Lada 1200 is the best-selling vehicle in Finland in 1974, only 3 years after Lada’s arrival.
* See the 42 Finland Historical posts at the end of the article *
Thanks to Vesa Leinonen we have doubled our coverage of the Finland market with 20 additional articles now spanning over 65 years to go back to 1956. All-brands rankings are available from 1956 onwards and Top 50 models from 1970. Due to rationing restrictions in the aftermath of World War II, the Finnish market’s early influences were markedly Soviet and Eastern European, with Russian brand Moskvitsh simply topping the overall brands ranking in 1956, 1957 and from 1959 to 1962, making Finland one of the few Western countries where the brand was imported, let alone was the best-seller. Meanwhile Pobeda ranked #2 in 1956, Wartburg ranked 5th from 1960 to 1962 and Volga peaked at #7 in 1958.
Moskvitsh is the best-selling brand in Finland in 1956, 1957 and from 1959 to 1962.
1971 sees the arrival of Lada, rapidly climbing the ladder to become an immediate blockbuster. Its unique model at the time, the Lada 1200 climbs on the annual podium for its first full year of sales in 1972 and takes the overall lead in 1974, the start of an implacable domination over the following decade. The Lada 1200-2107 ends up as Finland’s best-seller for 10 out of 11 years from 1974 to 1984 (only exception in 1980). It remained on the annual podium until 1991 and inside the Top 10 until 1993. The Lada Samara was also an instant hit at #7 in 1987 for its first full year in market, then peaking at #6 in 1989.
There was also a distinctive Italian flavour to the Finnish market in the seventies, with Fiat becoming the best-selling carmaker in the country in 1971, 1972 and 1974 and the Fiat 600 best-selling model in 1971.
The Corolla, best-seller in Finland in 1973, pushes Toyota to its first #1 that year.
The Cherry helps Datsun to its first-ever annual win in Finland in 1979.
Finland is also one of the first successful forays into European markets for Japanese manufacturers. Datsun is the first to arrive in 1962, followed by Toyota and Suzuki in 1963, Isuzu in 1964, Honda in 1965, Mazda in 1966, Daihatsu in 1968, Mitsubishi in 1970 and Suzuki and Subaru in 1982. Datsun is the first Japanese brand to break into the annual Finnish Top 10, ranking #6 in 1965, the same year both Toyota and Isuzu break into the Top 20 for the first time. In 1966, Toyota (#7) joins Datsun (#6) in the Top 10 and in 1967 Toyota becomes the first Japanese marque to break into the annual Top 5. It then lands on podium for the first time in 1970 at #3, goes on to place #2 in 1971 and historically takes the overall brands lead in 1973 (with the Corolla #1 model that same year), only 10 years after first landing in the country.
Datsun climbs onto the podium for the first time in 1975 and manages its first annual win in 1979, then holds onto the title of best-selling brand in Finland for 6 consecutive years until 1985 when Toyota reclaims command. In 1980, Datsun is #1 and Toyota #2, making it two Japanese brands in the annual Top 2 for the first time. This feat would repeat in 1983 and 1984 when Datsun is renamed Nissan, then from 1985 to 1988 and in 1991 with Toyota above Nissan. With Mazda up to #6 in 1983, there are three Japanese brands in the Finnish Top 6 for the first time. It would remain so for five consecutive years until 1987, then again in 1990 and 1991.
The Toyota Corolla is #1 in Finland without interruption between 1985 and 1993…
… and then from 2002 to 2007.
In the eighties, Japanese nameplates invade the Finnish models ranking also: in 1982, there are four Japanese nameplates in the Top 6: the Datsun Cherry (#2), Toyota Corolla (#4), Mazda 323 (#5) and Datsun Sunny (#6). In 1983 the Japanese do one better, placing four nameplates in the Top 5: the Nissan Sunny (#2), Toyota Corolla (#3), Nissan Cherry (#4) and Mazda 323 (#5). Then in 1984 it’s five in the Top 7: Sunny (#2), Corolla (#3), 323 (#5), Cherry (#6) and Mazda 626 (#7). In 1987 and 1988 the Top 2 best-sellers are Japanese: Corolla and Sunny, this would repeat in 1991. Finally 1991 is the last year 4 Japanese nameplates manage to rank inside the annual Top 5: Corolla (#1), Sunny (#2), Carina (#4) and Primera (#5).
Korean carmakers took a lot longer to impress the Finnish: after landing in 1986 with just one sale, Hyundai ranks #27 in 1990 and #18 in 1992 but is back down to 0.1% share in 1998 and zero sales in 1999. The Hyundai Pony is the first Korean nameplate to break into the Finnish Top 50 (#46) in 1991, repeating this feat each year until 1994.
The Opel Astra is #1 from 1994 to 1996 and 1999 to 2001.
The VW Golf has to wait until 1994 to score its first podium and 2008 for its first win.
From 1985 onwards and for over two decades the title of most popular model in Finland is a fight between the Toyota Corolla, #1 in from 1985 to 1993, 1997, 1998 and from 2002 to 2007, and the Opel Astra, leader from 1994 to 1996 and from 1999 to 2001. Used to the top spots nowadays, the VW Golf however did take a very long time to convince Finnish customers: launched in 1974, it had to wait until 1987 to finally break into the annual Top 10, and 1994 to leap onto its first podium. It snaps its first crown in 2008 and holds onto it for 3 years before passing it on to the Skoda Octavia in 2011, then resurfacing at #1 in 2013. In 2012 the Nissan Qashqai takes the lead and would repeat this feat in 2018, with the Skoda Octavia reclaiming the pole position from 2014 to 2017 and in 2019. The Toyota Corolla would them reclaim the throne in 2020, 2021 and 2022. The Tesla Model Y takes control in 2023.
The links to all Finland Historical Data articles are below.
Finland 1956: Russian Moskvitsh and Pobeda dominate
Finland 1957: Moskvitsh and Skoda add up to 49.9% share
Finland 1958: Volkswagen interrupts Moskvitsh reign
Finland 1959-1962: Moskvitsh reigns, Skoda and Volkswagen follow
Finland 1963-1964: Ford, Volkswagen and Fiat on top
Finland 1965-1967: Volkswagen best-seller, Datsun and Toyota in Top 10
Finland 1968-1969: Ford reclaims lead, VW, Fiat and Toyota follow
Finland 1970: Ford Cortina best-seller above VW Beetle and Fiat 600
Finland 1971: Fiat 600 and Toyota Corolla on top, Moskvitsh Elite #5
Finland 1972: VW Beetle best-seller, Lada 1200 on podium
Finland 1973: Toyota and Corolla triumph
Finland 1974: Lada 1200 new best-seller
Finland 1975-1978: Saab #1 for the fist time, Lada 1200 most popular
Finland 1979: Datsun most popular marque for the first time
Finland 1980: Datsun and Cherry best-sellers
Finland 1981-1982: Lada 2105 takes control, Datsun #1 brand
Finland 1983-1984: Datsun, now Nissan stays #1, Toyota #2
Finland 1985-1988: Toyota and Nissan on top, Corolla best-seller
Finland 1989-1990: Toyota and Opel dominate, Corolla #1
Finland 1991: Toyota and Nissan top weakest market since 1979
Finland 1992-1993: Corolla and Astra lead weakest market in 25 years
Finland 1994-1996: Opel and Astra take control
Finland 1997: Volkswagen best-seller for 1st time in 30 years, Corolla #1
Finland 1998: Opel reclaims lead, Toyota Corolla #1, Avensis #3
Finland 1999-2000: Opel Astra and Ford Focus on top
Finland 2001: Opel Astra best-seller
Finland 2002-2003: Toyota Corolla reclaims leadership
Finland 2004-2006: Toyota Corolla keeps the lead
Finland 2007: Toyota Corolla resists, Skoda Octavia up to #2
Finland 2008-2009: VW Golf takes command
Finland 2010: VW Golf best-seller, Opel Astra up 166%
Finland 2011: Skoda Octavia new best-seller
Finland 2012: Nissan Qashqai #1 for the first time
Finland 2013: VW Golf back in charge
Finland 2014: Skoda Octavia overtakes VW Golf to pole position
Finland 2015: Skoda Octavia remains #1, VW Golf down 27%
Finland 2016: Skoda Octavia on top, Opel Astra up 180%
Finland 2017: Toyota passes VW, Skoda Octavia remains #1 model
Finland 2018: Nissan Qashqai outpaces Skoda Octavia to sign second ever win
Finland 2019: Skoda Octavia claims 5th win in past 6 years in weakest market since 2015
Finland 2020: Toyota Corolla secures first win in 13 years in market down -16.1%
Finland 2021: Toyota places Corolla and Yaris atop market up 1.5%
Finland 2022: Podium 100% Toyota (Corolla, Yaris, RAV4) in weakest market in 27 years
This Post Has 3 Comments
Finland had this treaty of cooperation with the former Soviet Union until the early 1990’s which would account for the substantial number of Russian vehicles being sold there. Price was the primary factor as to why they sold well but it’s also that they’re suited for the Finnish climate & roads, especially in Lapland. When I visited Helsinki & Turku in 2000 I was amazed by the substantial number of Ladas on the roads but there were also a few East
German Wartburgs in Helsinki alone. Denmark is the only other Nordic country where Ladas & other East European cars are commonplace, Denmark’s high taxation rate on new motor vehicles being a factor.
Fascinating, I remember as a kid (a long time ago admittedly) we used to buy a lot of Moskviches, Skodas and Ladas in Britain, why?, because they were cheap, we still buy a lot of Skodas, the difference now is Skodas are very good and good value for money, love the historical data articles, thank you.
Glad you like it Ian! 🙂
cheers
Matt