1. Toyota Corolla
Since 1966, when Toyota first launched the Corolla, the car has been an unprecedented success. After nine 'generations' (or revisions), the car remains the most popular car in the world.
Reports indicate that more than 35 million (3.5 crore) Toyota Corollas have been sold to date, and has been voted as the best selling car of all time. According to Wikipedia, a Corolla is sold every 40 seconds.
The Corolla is available in India too and while it might not be selling as hotly as, say, the Swift, those who own one swear by it. In India, the sedan is sold in the luxury car category and priced accordingly, making it out of reach of ordinary Indians.
Image: An employee stands between the Corolla sedans made by Japanese auto manufacturer Toyota at Beijing International Automotive Exhibition in Beijing on April 20, 2008.
2. Ford F Series
The Ford F Series has, by a wide margin, been the American auto giant's biggest success ever. Ford F Series, a pick-up truck, has been the largest selling vehicle in the United States for 23 years.
In 11 generations of changes and improvements, the vehicle has sold more than 29 million (2.9 crore) units in the 50 years of being around.
Image: A New 2006 Ford F-150 pickup truck sits in a showroom at Niles, Illinois.
3. Volkswagen Golf
A bestseller from the time it hit the markets in 1974, the Volkswagen Golf is the world's third best selling car ever.
It has gone through some five revisions and has managed to outsell its more famous cousin, the Volkswagen Beetle.
Volkswagen Golf is said to have sold more than 25 million (2.5 crore) units till date.
Image: A models poses next to a Volkswagen Golf GTI Fahrenheit at the Seoul Motor Show in Goyang, South Korea.
4. Volkswagen Beetle
Volkswagen Beetle, which took the world by a storm since 1945, has sold more than 21.5 million (2.15 crore) units till 2003.
The original 'people's car,' Volkswagen's Beetle, is all set to roll out on Indian roads as the company plans to bring it to the country soon.
Commonly known as the Bug, the Beetle traces its history to 1945 and is one of the most successful models that Volkswagen has produced. Though critics had predicted a complete failure for Beetle because of its peculiar styling, underpowered motor, rough ride, and high noise levels initially compared to modern vehicles, the car went on to make history.
Wikipedia says that the Bug is also the bestselling single design car in history.
Image: A redesigned Volkswagen Beetle is displayed in this undated file photograph.
5. Ford Escort
The Ford Escort made its debut in 1967 as a family car. By the end of 1968, the car was already one of the best selling cars in the United States and the United Kingdom.
From 1967 to 2003, the car sold over 20 million (2 crore) vehicles globally.
Ford continued to broaden the Escort range with the introduction of a four-door saloons, estates, vans. . . Escort was then given a host of revisions to improve appearance, performance and comfort.
When the spruced up Ford Escort debuted in 1981, the US automaker called it the World Car. The car went through a series of improvements till it started to drop off people's radar. In 2003, finally its manufacture was halted.
Image: Curious media persons crawl under the new Ford Escort Sport to get a closer look during a media preview.
6. Honda Civic
The first generation Honda Civic arrived in July 1972 as a shortbacked 2-door, followed by a 3-door hatchback in in November 1972.
The Civic has since then gone through seven more revisions and has turned out to be a huge hit amongst car lovers.
The car has till date sold over 16.5 million (1.65 crore) units. Honda Civic is available in India too and is perhaps the best looking car on India roads currently. Its 1800cc engine that makes 130 bhp at a rather high 6300 rpm, and torque at 17.9 kgm at 4300 rpm is higher than that of the Toyota Corolla.
Image: A Honda Civic car is on display during a promotion in New Delhi.
7. Ford Model T
Ford Model T is a 100 years old. It is this iconic vehicle that put the world on wheels.
October 1, 1908 was when the first Ford Model T was made for sale. It was the first low-priced, mass-produced automobile with standard, interchangeable parts. It had a 20-horsepower, four-cylinder engine with a top speed of about 45 miles per hour. The moving assembly line for the Model T revolutionized manufacturing in 1913.
Henry Ford called the Model T 'the universal car.' On December 18, 1999, the Ford Model T was named 'Car of the Century.'
Since 1908 to 1927, the car sold 16.5 million (1.65 crore) units. Painted black because it was the color that dried the fastest on the assembly lines, Henry Ford told his customers this: �Any customer can have a car painted in any color that he wants so long as it is black.�
Image: Indian car enthusiast Ravi Prakash (L) drives Ford India Ltd Managing Director David Friedman in his 1915 Ford Model T vintage car at the Bangalore Palace Grounds in Bangalore, in June 2003.
8. Nissan Sunny/Sentra/Pulsar
The Nissan Sunny/Sentra/Pulsar/Tsuru was a bestseller from the Nissan stable and still continues to be available as the Sentra.
It began life in 1966 as the Datsun 1000 and soon became a major rage around the globe.
The car has sold more than 16 million (1.6 crore) units having gone through 10 improvements since its debut.
Image: Nissan chief executive Carlos Ghosn shows off the new 2007 Nissan Sentra at the North American International Auto Show at Cobo Hall in Detroit, Michigan. The NAIAS is the world's largest auto show.
9. Volkswagen Passat
The Volkswagen Passat has sold over 15 million (1.5 crore) units since 1973 to make it the 9th best selling car ever.
Volkswagen, Europe's largest car manufacturer, has also debuted in India with the Passat which is loaded with an incredible array of features that are not available in cars that are substantially more expensive.
Each little aspect of the car is thought out and the car is built to standards that are seen only in luxury models. Besides this, the 140 bhp 2.0-litre diesel motor mated to the state-of-the-art DSG gearbox means this is a fantastic car to drive as well. It costs over Rs 24 lakh (Rs 2.4 million) in India.
Image: Volkswagen shows off the new Passat CC to the world automotive media during the press preview days at the North American International Auto show on January 13, 2008 in Detroit, Michigan. The NAIAS is the world's largest auto show.
10. Lada Riva
Lada Riva was a very unlikely bestseller. It has attained almost cult status and is a very a popular car in Russia and Egypt.
In 1966, an agreement between Fiat and the Soviet government was signed to set up a car factory near Moscow. The car to be manufactured here was named the Lada.
The Lada 1200 saloon was first seen in Britain at the 1973 Motor Show and stunned Europe with its low price. Then came various versions and versions of a car that rage amongst buyers.
For the record, the car has sold over 13.5 million (1.35 crore) units till date, although its exports to Europe were stopped in 1997.
Image: The Lada Riva.
on target
