Toyota Corolla * See the Top 20 best-selling models by clicking on 'Read more' at end of post! * After a decade off, the Toyota Corolla is back atop the world models ranking in 2005 with 1,185,000 units produced, nearly double its 1997 score... In 2nd place but over 400,000…
VW Golf * See the Top 120 best-selling models by clicking on 'Read more' at end of post! * Thanks to a tip from Florian, we now have access to the 120 best-sellers in the entire world, data sourced on Interautonews and AutoWorld. We were expecting the Toyota Corolla to…
Opel Corsa * See the Top 30 best-selling models by clicking on 'Read more' at end of post! * Contrary to common belief, the Toyota Corolla has not been the best-selling car in the world each year since 1975. I do not have any official data for the 1975-96 period…
1992 US spec Toyota Corolla * See the 1997 Top 28 best-selling models by clicking on 'Read more' at end of post! * The Toyota Corolla should be the best selling car in the world over the period with at least 900,000 units produced each year. The only official data…
The Toyota Corolla confirms its steady increase over the last 15 years with very high production numbers in the early nineties: 980,000 units produced in 1990 and 960,000 in 1991. The VW Golf takes the 2nd spot in 1991 at 820,000 units, 120,000 of which are the 3rd generation launched…
1983 Toyota Corolla After an interruption by the Ford Escort in 1983, the Toyota Corolla is estimated to have resumed its domination over world car sales for the remainder of the eighties. Two generations of the Corolla are on sale over the period: the fifth generation (or E80) launched in May…
The Ford Escort is the most popular nameplate worldwide in 1983. According to information shared by the Irish SIMI, the Ford Escort topples the Toyota Corolla to become the best-selling car in the world in 1983. Note the Escort is sold under two different bodies in Europe and the USA,…
The Toyota Corolla is estimated to top the worldwide ranking over the period. In 1981 and 1982, the Toyota Corolla is estimated to be the best-selling vehicle in the world for the second and third consecutive year. If you have detailed worldwide sales figures for these two years please contact…
1980 Toyota Corolla The oldest official world models ranking I could access dates back from 1980. It shows how clearly the Toyota Corolla dominates world sales. With almost 775,000 units sold around the world that year, it has an advance of more than 250,000 units over the #2, the Renault…
1975 Toyota Corolla After becoming the world's best-seller for the first time in 1974, the Toyota Corolla keeps this title for 3 consecutive years up until 1977, while the VW Beetle continues to drop and the VW Golf, launched in 1974, climbs up the ladder. Originally launched in 1966, the…
Japanese VW Golf The VW Golf, originally launched in 1974, managed to pass the Toyota Corolla to become the best-selling model in the entire world in 1978... A title it lost straight after in 1979 when the Corolla reclaimed the world crown by far. To-date. there is only one additional…
Toyota Corolla * See more detail by clicking on the title! * While going through old issues of Wheels magazine I came across an article that hinted at the best-selling models in the world in 1974. This is the oldest official information about the world best-sellers I could get my…
1966 VW Beetle First presented in 1938 but produced from 1945 onwards, the VW Type 1, or 'Beetle' is the most recognised car in the world. Its total production took 10 years to reach the first million (in 1955), but then its sales boomed, helped by clever advertising and iconic status…