If you’re reading this blog, you probably own, lease, or make loan payments on a motor vehicle. The concept of a motorized vehicle goes back at least to Leonardo da Vinci’s 15th-century models and designs. Unfortunately, Leonardo’s imagination far outpaced the technology of his time. The path to the present, ubiquitous motor vehicle-centric world has taken many twists and turns. Who deserves the most credit or blame for this? Karl Benz? George Selden? Gottlieb Daimler? Or would you tag Henry Ford and his assembly line? That’s hard to say, but if you’d like more information, visit this Library of Congress page for a brief summary that includes additional links.
Most Popular Motor Vehicle
There are several ways to answer this question. Perhaps the most obvious way is to count the total number of vehicles produced. This post focuses on commercial motor vehicles that you’ll find on highways and driveways. So, I’m going to ignore things like tractors (sorry, John Deere), buses, and military vehicles—also, no boats, planes, trains, lawnmowers, skidoos, etc. Like answering who created the modern motor vehicle, this question is more difficult to answer than you might think. The Ford Model-T was the first mass-produced motor vehicle. It was the first to sell 1 million units, 5 million, 10 million, and 15 million. During its 20-year production run (1908-1927), a total of 16.5 million Model Ts were sold. By some estimates, nearly 9 out of 10 cars on the road in 1914 were Model-Ts. Just to be clear, that’s not in the US, but in the world! Admittedly, there weren’t many cars out there, but 90% market share is an amazing figure.
Other Contenders
The Model T’s dominance lasted for nearly 50 years. While the exact date is subject to debate, at some point in the 1970s, the VW Beetle surpassed the famous Ford. By the time VW stopped making Beetles, more than 21.5 million had been produced, making it the first car to surpass 20 million units. Not to be outdone, the Fiat-based Soviet Lada also eclipsed 15 million units. Manufactured for export into client states, more than 17 million units of the ‘classic’ model were built.
Controversial Winner?
As amazing as those sales figures are, the current acknowledged all-time best-seller is the Toyota Corolla. First produced in 1966, the Corolla became the world’s best-selling car in 1974. More than two dozen production plants in over 20 countries have produced variants of the Corolla. According to Toyota, the 50 millionth Corolla rolled off the assembly line in 2021. Over the brand’s 60-year life, 12 generations of motor vehicles have been designated as Corollas. Therein lies the rub. Unlike the Volkswagen Beetle, which is easily recognizable, the original rear-wheel-drive Corolla shares little more than a nameplate with the current model. So, does Corolla deserve the crown or does the Beetle?
Where’s the Map?
That’s all well and good, but this a Map Monday post, which means we need a map. Given the unsettled nature of these answers and my general desire to do less work, I’m altering my interpretation of the question. Instead of examining historical cumulative sales, let’s focus on current sales (as of 2024). Additionally, to reduce my effort, I’m going to limit my answer to the US. Within these limitations, there is a clear winner, well, sort of. Based on motor vehicle registrations, the Toyota RAV4 sold 475,193 units. The 42-year-reigning champion, the Ford F-150, registered 460,915 units. So, what’s the controversy? According to Ford, the F-150 is only one aspect of the F-series motor vehicle model. Accounting for sales of the other aspects (-250, -350, -350, and 600), the model reached 765,649 units. Regardless of how you count them, there are a lot of these motor vehicles on the road.
Finally the Map
This week, our feature map highlights the best-selling motor vehicle in each US state for 2024. It comes courtesy of the Visual Capitalist.
For what it’s worth, I’ve owned two Corollas but never an F-Series truck.
As always thanks for reading.
Armen
Note to pay the bills
If you’re interested in a PG-rated James Bond-like thriller in a high fantasy setting, check out a summary of the Warders series here or find links to purchase books here.
As an aside please consider signing up for my FREE author newsletter. It will contain opportunities to preview new books, announcements, and contests related to my novels. It will not overwhelm your inbox – I’m thinking once a month or less depending on news.
If you have subscribed, but haven’t received a newsletter, please check your spam folder. Moving the newsletter to your inbox should fix the issue.