Five of the Best-selling Cars of All Time

carl-turnley-corollaHow does a car become so popular that people want to buy it again and again? It needs a reputation of being reliable year after year.

Just a few cars have been able to pull this off. Here are five of the best-selling cars of all time along with facts about what makes them so great.

Toyota Corolla

How Many Sold: Over 43 million

What Makes It Great:

A practical, economical car, the Corolla was launched in 1966. Since then, it’s become the best-selling auto of all time. No matter how many millions of Corollas are already on the road, buyers still show up for new models.

Options run from bare-bones staples to advanced safety and comfort features.

Ford F-Series

How Many Sold: Over 40 million

What Makes It Great: The F-150 and its larger cousins are true workhorses that last and hold their value. The only pickup on the list, this model has grown from a simple work truck to a more stylish, luxurious ride.

Today’s F-Series appeals to everyone from families to handymen to corporations.

Volkswagen Beetle

How Many Sold: Over 23 million

What Makes It Great:

The odd little car with the bug-eyed headlights and the engine in the rear spoke for a generation of young Americans in the sixties. It stood out from the other cars and was a perfect fit for the times.

A relaunch and design changes removed some of the quirkiness. Still, it retains a loyal following.

Lada Riva

How Many Sold: Over 19 Million

What Makes It Great:

The boxy, sturdy design tells the story: this is a tough little car. It lacks charm and comfort, but it’s a reliable and affordable means of transportation.

Also known as the VAZ 2101, this car was last produced in 2012 but is still a common sight on the road.

Honda Accord

How Many Sold: Over 17 million

What Makes It Great:

This mid-sized sedan popped up in the mid-seventies and has been in production ever since. This is a popular family car with remarkable economy, safety and reliability.

Redesigns have taken the vehicle from basic to sleek and back again several times, but it’s remained a top seller for decades.

Top Cars Arriving in the New Year

carl-turnley-2019carIn time for the start of 2019, a number of auto manufacturers are getting ready to introduce their new lineups. In the mix, will be a number of new models in addition to upgrades of popular models and a few that are being resurrected from the past.

The popularity of the crossover and SUV inventories will see a number of new models for the New Year. Subaru plans on introducing the larger Ascent SUV. The vehicle is designed to include three rows of seats. Fuel economy conscious consumers can expect a number of new hybrids that include the Honda Insight, the Jaguar I-Pace and the Lexus UX. Tesla will offer the all-electric Model X.

Upgraded vehicles include the RDX by Acura. The Ford Ranger boasts an all-new design as does the Chevrolet Silverado 1500, the GMC Sierra 1500 and the Ram 1500. Ford brought about a few changes in the company’s latest Mustang.

The Mustang GT coupes feature the Performance Package Two. The PP2 includes “MagneRide” adaptive dampers. The anti-roll bars on the front and rear of the vehicles are designed to be up to 67 percent stronger. The springs on the front and the rear are also reportedly up to 20 percent stiffer. The changes enable the GT to take corners better and provide more stability on the back roads.

Powerful muscle car fans will love the Ford Mustang Bullitt. The impressive engine in the Bullitt delivers 480 horsepower without forced induction. The sound alone of the engine revving provides an adrenaline rush. Add the blast from the exhaust and you have an exceptional muscle car that performs.

Jeep has long been synonymous with making quality off-road vehicles. However, for 2019, the company introduces the Grand Cherokee Trackhawk. The vehicle shows us a totally different side to the Jeep name. The SUV features a 6.2 supercharged V8 engine capable of delivering more than 700 horses. The new Jeep goes from zero to 60mph in a mere 3.3 seconds. On a quarter-mile track, the Trackhawk easily accomplished the task in 11.6 seconds.

Although many believe that turbocharged four-cylinder engines are somewhat run of the mill, the engine in the new Mazda MX-5 Miata models is definitely different. The engine’s design reminds some of the capabilities of an Alfa Romeo or a Lotus-Ford twin cam. As such, drivers get a vehicle that is responsive and smooth.

Making History: five cars en route to classic status

The last decade has been something of a golden age for cars. And it will likely go down as the final evolution in the era of the largely mechanical and driver-intensive vehicles as cars are slowly taken over by technology, eventually becoming fully autonomous.

There can be little doubt that many of the final driver-based vehicles will ultimately end up with classic car status. With the massive improvements in per-displacement power production, stability control and aerodynamic design, the last 10 years have been a golden age of car production, featuring many of the most powerful and best-performing vehicles that have ever graced the roadways.

Here are a few rides that are likely to stand head-and-shoulders above even this stiff competitive cohort.

The Dodge Viper SRT

The Dodge Viper is perhaps the longest-running production of a single, easily recognizable sports car in American automotive history. Unveiled in 1991, the Viper of that year introduced the world to the rawest and most unwieldy street car that any American manufacturer had ever produced. And all the way to the end of its production run in 2017, the Viper maintained a strong adherence to its own lineage, with the final model bearing a strong resemblance to its 26-year-old forebear.

Right up to its last iteration, the Viper earned the reputation as an automotive rodeo bull, a vehicle powerful enough to kick any competitor into the dust but a danger to any driver not skilled enough to wrangle it. Between the neck-snapping power, wild handling and venomous aesthetics, the Viper is all but assured classic status.

The Dodge Challenger

With throwback styling that strongly nods to Mopar’s heyday in the ‘60s, the Dodge Challenger is as handsome as it is thrilling. A true driver’s car, the Challenger suffers from less of the wild-stallion-like feral road handling of its Viper cousin. And it can take a cart full of groceries back home with four adults riding along.

Yet, in its upper-echelon forms, the Challenger ranks among the most powerful production cars ever churned out of Detroit. It’s not hyperbolic to call the Challenger the archetype of modern American muscle. And this means its eventual classic status is a good bet.

The Honda S2000

The S2000 is an often-overlooked convertible that, while having a sleek and competent design, just doesn’t tend to visually reach the heartstrings the way that more exotic cars can. But the S2000 remains one of the greatest driver’s cars ever built. With its screaming 9,000 rpm redline, the S2000 accelerated, handled and sounded like a Ferrari but was priced like an Accord. You can bet on its presence at the auto auctions of the 2050s.