People’s cars: they put the world on wheels

Autocar

24 May 2019

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It’s reckoned there are around 1.2 billion cars in use around the world, with around 95 million more built every year.

Model cycles are getting shorter and the choice much wider, with competition in the marketplace hotter than ever.

But it didn’t used to be like that; there was a time when cars remained in production for years and years, notching up big sales in the process. Here we celebrate the cars that gave us independence – the models that put nations on wheels.

Modern production methods mean there are more people cars than ever – mass-produced models tend to be built in massive quantities nowadays. As a result we’ve drawn the line almost 20 years ago, to ensure this didn’t become a top 500 article...
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Ford Model T (1908)

Nicknamed the Tin Lizzie, this was the car that put America on wheels. Over 15 million were made and at one point, half of all the cars in the US were Model Ts thanks to the efficiency of mass production. As production efficiencies grew, the cheaper it became. It was built all the way through to 1927.
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Morris Bullnose (1913)

Officially sold as the Oxford, in recognition of the British city in which it was made, the Bullnose featured a 1.0-litre side-valve engine. By 1925, almost half of the cars sold in the UK were Bullnoses.
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Austin Seven (1922)

There was something for everyone in the Seven range, with an astonishing 326 variants offered over nearly two decades of production. British firm Austin made fewer than 300,000 in total – but most importantly, this was a car that people could afford to buy. Licensed versions of the Seven gave both BMW and Nissan their first cars.
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Ford Model Y (1932)

Produced in numerous countries worldwide, the Model Y was also known as the Ford 8 in the UK, where it dominated the marketplace. It was the first car ever to sell in the UK for just £100 – perhaps £6,500 (US$8,800) today.
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Fiat Topolino (1936)

Fiat's answer to the Austin Seven of the 1920s, the original 500 (nicknamed Topolino, or Mickey Mouse) could seat just two and was powered (if that's the right word) by a tiny side-valve engine. It was also sold as a Simca in France.
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Volkswagen Beetle (1945)

First unveiled before the Second World War, production of this ultimate cult car only properly got going after it. More than 21 million examples of the air-cooled Beetle rolled off the production lines over more than half a century. An all-new Golf-based edition arrived before the old one had even gone.
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Renault 4CV (1946)

Effectively a French Morris Minor, the 4CV was in production for 15 years, offering cheap transport for the masses. A variety of models was offered, but only 1.1 million were made in all.
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Citroën 2CV (1948)

One of the most recognisable shapes ever, this was a true people’s car as it was stripped to the max in a bid to reduce costs. Production lasted over 40 years, with around four million built.
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Morris Minor (1948)

One of the all-time greats, the Minor was the first British car to sell a million. It came in Traveller (estate), Tourer (convertible) and saloon forms, while there were also van and pick-up editions too. Production lasted until 1971.
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Standard Eight (1953)

When it came to basic motoring, few cars were as stripped-out as this British one in a bid to keep costs down in the austere post-war years (food rationing only ended in Britain in 1954). Early cars didn't even feature a boot lid - the rear seats had to be tipped forward to access the luggage bay.
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BMW Isetta (1955)

Developed by Italian supercar maker Iso, this tiny BMW's name was derived from the Italian for 'baby Iso' thanks to its diminutive size. Open and closed cars were offered, some built in Britain.
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Renault Dauphine (1956)

Like the 4CV, the Dauphine was a rear-engined cheap car that offered space and comfort and surprising innovation. However, few of the 2.2 million made have survived, most having rusted away.
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Fiat 500 (1957)

Italy’s take on the economy car; a rear-mounted air-cooled 499cc engine, seating for four and all-round independent suspension. The car became a symbol of Italy's post-war revival, and a stylish one as well.
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Austin Healey Sprite (1958)

Impoverished students everywhere could rejoice with the arrival of this one; a sports car for the masses. Fewer than 50,000 were made, but it was affordable at a time when any car at all was still very much a luxury for the vast majority of people.
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Daf Daffodil (1958)

The Dutch attempt at changing the motoring landscape wasn't entirely successful, but it did leave its mark thanks to its innovative Continuously Variable Transmission (CVT) auto gearbox, as used in the Prius you used last night from Uber.
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Austin/Morris Mini (1959)

Modern regulations mean we'll never see its like again; this is perhaps the all-time packaging great – 80% of its volume was habitable. It was also the first truly classless car.
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Triumph Herald (1959)

A favourite with driving schools thanks to its great visibility and light controls, the Herald was made in convertible, saloon, coupe, estate and van guises along with the sporty Vitesse edition.
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Renault 4 (1961)

Few classic enthusiasts would have a 4 at the top of their wish list, but with eight million built you can't deny its popularity. Renault's first front-wheel drive car, production lasted until 1992.
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Austin/Morris 1100/1300 (1962)

In a production run that spanned more than a decade, over a million of these cars were made. Spacious and comfortable, this was another Issigonis masterpiece, with Mini-like packaging.
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Ford Cortina (1962)

The quintessential Sixties sales rep special in Europe, the Cortina went on to become an icon thanks to massive sales figures and plenty of high-profile motorsport successes, usually by Lotus-tuned examples.
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MG B (1962)

At one point this was the world's best-selling sports car, thanks to a lifespan of almost two decades. Open (Roadster) and closed (GT) editions were offered, the latter in V8 form, briefly.
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Hillman Imp (1963)

One of the few cars that could give the Mini a run for its money dynamically, the Imp was blighted by poor reliability in the early days. The niggles were fixed, but sadly, the reputation stuck.
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Vauxhall Viva (1963)

Rarely a car to quicken the pulse, the Viva was made in three distinct generations, offering cheap and practical transport for the masses. Early cars were very basic; later ones much better. The Viva badge has recently been revived by Vauxhall, which was GM’s British brand until it was sold to France’s PSA in 2017.
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Fiat 850 (1964)

Offered in popular spider and coupé guises, it's the saloon which accounted for most of the 2.2million+ sales over eight years of production. It's largely forgotten now though, even in Italy.
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Ford Mustang (1964)

Nobody could have predicted how popular the Mustang would be. With over a million sold in the first two years, this would be America's fastest-selling car, thanks to a multitude of options and competitive pricing.
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Toyota Corolla (1966)

One of the least exciting cars ever designed, the Corolla has still managed to clock up over 40 million sales thanks to production spanning 11 generations and more than half a century. The latest version actually looks pretty sharp, and drives sharply.
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Fiat 124 (1966)

Although just over two million Fiat 124s were built, it’s claimed that as many as 17 million more were made wearing (Russian) Lada badges. That would make it the second biggest-selling car of all time, after the original VW Beetle.
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Ford Escort (1968)

Ford of Britain used the same formula for its Escort as for the Cortina - a version for everyone, masses of motorsport success and low purchase prices. Sporty editions are now more collectable than ever.
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Jaguar XJ (1968)

Is it a people’s car? Definitely; the XJ brought luxury to the masses, as it offered all the Jaguar attributes of grace, pace and space at a cost far lower than any rivals. So it’s a shame that most have since dissolved.
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Peugeot 504 (1968)

Africa is still full of 504 estates and pick-ups, largely because this tough and practical car was built there until relatively recently. Rarer and more collectible are the coupé and cabrio editions, the latter of which is marvelously handsome.
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Ford Pinto (1970)

An economy car for the masses, the Pinto would go on to gain a bad reputation for safety. Nonetheless, a cool 3.2 million were sold over 10 years.
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Fiat 127 (1971)

Now sadly largely forgotten, the 127 was Car of the Year in 1972. The 127 was built in Spain and South America and on top of the 3.7 million 127s built, there were many more (Spanish) Seat and (Yugoslavian) Zastava examples made too.
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Fiat 126 (1972)

Little more than a rebodied 500 – at least at first – the 126 never really got the juices flowing like its predecessor did, even though it sold in bigger numbers. Almost 4.7 million were made, including Seat and Zastava editions.
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Honda Civic (1972)

It started out as basic transport for the masses, but the Civic has become a luxurious and relatively costly small hatch. Now in tenth-generation form, over 18 million Civics have been sold.
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Renault 5 (1972)

Another smash hit for Renault, around 5.5 million were made in just a dozen years. Most were utilitarian runabouts, but there were fabulously sporty editions too, including the mid-engined Turbo 2. The model was sold in modest numbers in America, where it was named 'Le Car.'
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Volkswagen Golf (1974)

Replacing the Beetle would never be easy, but VW pulled it off thanks to a great Giugiaro design. With great packaging, a wide engine choice but spartan kit levels, the car was a smash. It is consistently the best-selling family hatchback across Europe to this day.
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Volkswagen Polo (1975)

Following on from the Passat, Golf and Scirocco, the Polo proved another hit for VW thanks to its strong build quality and unburstable engines. The Polo started out as the Audi 50 but was rebadged a VW when Audi decided to move upmarket.
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Ford Fiesta (1976)

Signed off by and named by Henry Ford II in an apparent nod to Ford's new Spanish factory, Ford's first attempt at a car with a tranvserse engine and front-wheel drive proved to be a smash hit, especially once the sporty editions started to arrive. An all-new seventh-generation model hit the showrooms in 2017. Sales to date are around 17 million.
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Vauxhall Astra (1979)

Ford had the Escort and Vauxhall countered it with this, also sold as the Opel Kadett across Europe. Now virtually extinct, the only editions worth saving are the early GTEs, built to take on the Ford Escort XR3i.
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Toyota Camry (1982)

Although the car never really took off in the UK, thanks to massive American sales the Camry is one of the world's best-selling models with more than 10 million examples sold so far.
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Fiat Uno (1983)

With more than nine million sold, the Uno proved to be a worthy successor to the ancient 127. Car of the Year in 1984, the Uno set a trend for cars with a small footprint but a high roof line.
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Opel Corsa (1983)

A driving school favourite across Europe, the Corsa replaced the Kadett, or Vauxhall Chevette in the UK. The first Corsas were sold as Novas by Vauxhall in the UK; in Australia the car carried Holden badges.
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Peugeot 205 (1983)

Surely the car of the 1980s, the 205 still looks great even now, and survives in massive numbers across France. Designed by Pininfarina, the 205 was in production for nearly 15 years. Production totalled over 5.2 million cars.
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Ford Taurus (1986)

With over seven million sold, the Taurus has been big news for Ford; for a time it was also badged as the Mercury Sable. A seventh-generation edition was unveiled in 2016, specifically for the Chinese market. The model is being discontinued now, a victim of the SUV trend.
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Peugeot 405 (1987)

With production hovering around the five million mark, the 405 is still being built in Egypt and Iran. It’s also been produced in Malaysia, Taiwan, Poland, Indonesia and Zimbabwe among others.
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Mazda MX-5/Miata (1989)

It’s the modern-day Frogeye Sprite, but much more sophisticated. However, the MX-5 (known as Miata in America) proves that you don’t need lots of power or luxury to have enormous fun. More than a million MX-5s have been built across the four generations so far.
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Renault Clio (1992)

Although the original Clio was popular, it was the second-generation model of 1998 that went stellar, with almost 5.4 million made in factories across France and South America.
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Fiat Punto (1993)

It's easy to forget the importance of many of Fiat's small cars; the Punto has racked up around nine million sales so far across three generations. But with the current model now a dozen years old, it’s hopelessly outclassed by newer rivals.
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Ford Focus (1998)

One of the most familiar shapes on the roads today, the Focus was pretty daring when unveiled almost two decades ago. It was a huge leap forward over the horribly outdated Escort, featuring sophisticated suspension that gave the car great handling - and Ford was rewarded with big sales.
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Peugeot 206 (1998)

With more than nine million sold, the 206 is Peugeot’s biggest-selling car ever. It’s been produced in a variety of countries such as Chile, Indonesia and China, and it's still being churned out in Iran.

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