The chart-toppers
Annual car sales are more than numbers released to keep investors happy.
They possess a tremendous amount of sociological value, because they provide insight into the state of a country’s economy at a given time and the trends shaping society. They’re influenced by regulations, too, which is why you’ll never see a Ford F-Series at the top of a sales chart in Europe.
Using data from the Best Selling Cars Blog and from our own archives, we’re looking at the best-selling vehicles in the UK and the US between 1965 and 1995, and taking a detour to other countries around the globe to see what they were buying during this period, too.
Do any of your favourites make the cut?
1. 1965, UK: Austin/Morris 1100 (157,679 units)
Right-sized, front-wheel-drive and surprisingly roomy, the Austin/Morris 1100 ended 1965 on top of the United Kingdom’s sales chart with 157,697 sales.
It was exclusively offered as a four-door saloon, and the estate wasn’t released until 1966. The Mini ended the year in third place with 104,477 sales.
2. 1965, US: Chevrolet Impala (1,046,514 units)
Redesigned for the 1965 model year, the Chevrolet Impala became America’s best-seller that year by setting an impressive record.
1,046,514 units found a home that year, marking the first time a nameplate surpassed the one-million mark. The sought-after SS model accounted for 243,114 sales.
3. Meanwhile, in France: Renault 4 (182,000 units)
While many enthusiasts praise the Citroën 2CV as the most emblematic French car of the 1960s, the best-selling model in ’65 was the Renault 4.
About 182,000 examples found a home that year, while 138,000 buyers took home a 2CV. Second and third place went to the Peugeot 404 (164,000) and the Citroën Ami 6 (158,000), respectively. The Ami 6 finished first with a 2000-car lead on the 4 in 1966.
4. 1970, UK: Austin Morris 1100/1300 (132,965 units)
Putting a bigger engine in the ADO16 paid off, and the different variants of the car again led the UK’s sales chart in 1970, three years after they received their last round of significant updates.
Second place went to the Ford Cortina, which entered its third generation that year.
5. 1970, US: Ford Galaxie 500 (318,339 units)
Chevrolet led America’s sales chart for most of the 1960s, but a 67-day United Auto Workers (UAW) strike against parent company General Motors cost it at least 250,000 sales in 1970.
First place consequently went to the Ford Galaxie 500, which was available with a straight-six or a V8.
6. Meanwhile, in Italy: Fiat 500
Fiat’s pocket-sized 500 was Italy’s favourite car in 1970, though accurate production and sales figures are murky at best.
Its reign was nearly over. It led the sales chart again in 1971, but it lost the top spot to the 128 (which offered a front-mounted engine and front-wheel-drive) in 1972.
7. 1975, UK: Ford Cortina (106,787 units)
In 1975, the Ford Cortina was still in its third generation, and it still led the sales chart – 106,787 motorists bought one that year.
Ford’s Escort was right behind it with 103,817 sales, while the Mini finished third with 84,688, an impressive result for a car that was nearly old enough to vote.
8. 1975, US: Oldsmobile Cutlass (324,610 units)
America’s automotive industry was shaken to its core by the 1973 oil crisis, and car makers were forced to downsize their models and their engines in order to survive, while fending off fierce competition from Japanese rivals.
Oldsmobile’s Cutlass emerged from the imbroglio as 1975’s winner with 314,610 sales. At the time, nothing suggested that the firm would disappear completely 29 years later.
9. Meanwhile, in West Germany: Volkswagen Golf (166,869 units)
1975 was the Volkswagen Golf’s first full year on the West German market, and its first year on top of the sales chart. 166,869 units were sold, a figure that gave it a 7.9% share of the new-car market.
For context, the seventh-generation Golf was Germany’s best-selling car in 2019 with 204,550 sales, down slightly from 211,512 in 2018. The eighth-generation model is expected to continue this trend.
10. 1980, UK: Ford Cortina (190,281 units)
Ford secured all three spots on the podium in 1980.
First place went to the Cortina, with 190,281 sales. The Escort and the Fiesta finished second and third, respectively, with 122,357 and 91,661 sales.
1981 brought the same results, but Cortina numbers fell as Escort and Fiesta sales increased.
11. 1980, US: Ford F-Series (537,476 units)
Ford’s F-Series became America’s best-seller in 1976, and it hasn’t stepped down from the top spot since.
537,475 units were sold during the 1980 model year, but keep in mind the F-Series nameplate encompasses a wide range of models that in 1980 included the F-150, the F-250 and the F-350.
Most sales were attributed to the F-150, which is largely aimed at private users rather than at commercial buyers, but it’s a bit like if Ford lumped the Focus and the Fiesta under, say, the F-Hatch nameplate.
12. Meanwhile, in France: Renault 5 (299,712 units)
In France, the Renault 5 finished 1980 in first place. On one hand, seeing it at the top isn’t surprising, because it became the nation’s best-seller in 1974 and it held on to that spot through the 1970s.
On the other hand, it was eight years old, and it competed against more modern cars, so its lead is impressive.
The addition of a more practical four-door model helped lure buyers into showrooms. Renault marketed the car in America with far less impressive results. 25,365 examples were sold in America in 1980. By then, it was known as the Le Car, and it was the only car left in the firm’s range.
13. 1985, UK: Ford Escort (157,269 units)
Ford’s Escort comfortably led the sales chart in 1985 with 157,269.
Second place went to the Vauxhall Cavalier (134,335) and the Fiesta finished third (124,143), while the Mini dropped off the top 10 list entirely, which largely explains the numerous limited-edition models released in the 1980s.
14. 1985, US: Ford F-Series (562,507 units)
The Ford F-Series predictably finished 1985 in first place, and the best-selling saloon in the United States was the Chevrolet Cavalier, with 422,927 sales recorded.
410,978 buyers took home America’s version of the Ford Escort (which was different from the variant sold in Europe) that year.
15. Meanwhile, in Sweden: Volvo 700 (36,899 units)
Released in 1982, the Volvo 700 series bumped the 200 from the top spot in 1985 with 36,899 sales.
While that might sound like a rounding error at best, keep in mind that the Swedish car market was (and still is) relatively small. 263,033 new cars were sold in 1985, meaning the 700 secured about 14% of the market.
It took three years for the 700 to reach the top because the more affordable 740 variant wasn’t introduced until 1984, and an estate version of the 740 and the 760 wasn’t launched until 1985.
16. 1990, UK: Ford Fiesta (151,475 units)
The Ford Fiesta finally reached the top of the UK’s sales chart in 1990.
It was redesigned from the ground up in 1989, and the range finally included a four-door model. 151,475 units were sold in 1990.
Second and third place went to the Escort and the Vauxhall Cavalier, respectively.
17. 1990, US: Ford F-Series (495,977 units)
Ford’s F-Series showed no signs of losing its lead in the American sales race. 495,977 units were sold in 1990, a figure that placed it ahead of its main rival, the Chevrolet C/K.
Ford also led the saloon chart with the Taurus, but the Honda Accord came in a close second and shockingly overtook it in 1991.
18. Meanwhile, in Brazil: Volkswagen Gol (104,271 units)
Developed and manufactured locally, the Volkswagen Gol led the Brazilian new-car market by a wide margin in 1990.
The Fiat Uno earned a distant second with 63,646 sales, though it later became one of Brazil’s endurance champions. It remained in production with only minor changes until December 2013.
Volkswagen also sold the Gol in the United States, where it was known as the Fox. It wasn’t nearly as popular as in its home country of Brazil, but it regularly outsold the second-generation Golf.
19. 1995, UK: Ford Escort (137,760 units)
The Ford Escort was back on top in 1995 with 137,760 sales. The smaller Fiesta wasn’t far behind: 129,574 units found a home in the United Kingdom that year.
Third place went to the Mondeo (118,040 sales), so Ford captured a healthy chunk of the market. Rover’s 200 came in seventh, with 68,141 sales.
20. 1995, US: Ford F-Series (691,452 units)
No points were awarded for predicting America’s best-selling vehicle in 1995. It was the Ford F-Series, followed by the Chevrolet C/K.
Interestingly, third place went to the Ford Explorer, a body-on-frame SUV related to the smaller Ranger truck and aimed at the Jeep Cherokee. It finished ahead of perennially popular saloons, like the Taurus, and signalled the American market’s shift towards SUVs.
21. Meanwhile, in Australia: Ford Falcon (81,366 units)
Ford earned first place in Australia, too. Its locally built, rear-wheel-drive Falcon secured 12.7% of the local market with 81,366 sales, beating its arch nemesis, the Holden Commodore, by fewer than 1000 units.
The Commodore became Australia’s best-seller in 1996, and it held on to the top spot until 2011.