Ian told me you dont read the newspaper... just go on avd...
This is one of those topics that gives a different answer depending on how you measure it.
The best-selling 'single model' is NOT the Volkswagen Beetle, much as we might want it. It is the Toyota Corolla, with 35,000,000 sales over nine
generations since 1966. Second is the Ford F-series, with 32,000,000 over eleven generations since 1948.
Third is the VW Golf, with 26,000,000 in five generations (the 6th went on sale recently) since 1974. The Golf overtook the Beetle in 2002.
Fourth is the Beetle, with 21,529,464 from 1938 to 2003. Now people have often said that the Corolla, Ford F-series and Golf have been redesigned a
number of times and aren't the same car, while the Beetle has had the 'same body and design' since 1938. Unfortunately that isn't true. The
Superbug was a major redesign, with different body, suspension and name, and it was sold alongside the torsion bar Beetle. If you count the Superbug
as a 'Beetle', then you have to count the Golf 1-6 as the same car too. Nowadays people only count 'nameplates', whether or not the vehicle has
been redesigned. See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_bestselling_vehicle_nameplates
In any case, the Ford Escort has now passed 20,000,000 and will pass the Beetle in the next year or two. The Fiat 124 isn't far behind, and even the
VW Passat has now passed 15,000,000.
The good news is that VW does not count other cars built on the Golf platform, such as Jettas, as Golfs even though they are actually Golfs with
boots. You could add 26,000,000 Golfs and 6,600,000 Jettas to get 32,600,000 'VW Golfs' - getting close to top spot again.
But the "beetle" has a very unmistakable and unique body shape, so I think most people would clasify it as the same design.
When Corolla went front wheel drive they needed to retart the count. I assume escorts are front wheel drive now too. Apart from that, they used the
same Escort nameplate on different cars at the same time in different markets. Are they counting them as one? Are the F-series a car or a truck. Is it
one model? big difference between a F100 and F250-350 (I parked next to a 6L turbo V8 diesel the other week. Strange sounds)
To me the difference is that you can ask any kid or grandmother what a 1938 beetle is or a 2003 beetle is and they will be able to tell you that its
the same car, struts or otherwise. Not so many people will be able to match up an original corolla, escort or F series to the latest model.
Dead right Amazeer, Air-cooled, rear drive, beetle shape with some updates, for65 years! Ricers have complete configuration change with same nameplate, piffle!!
| Quote: |
| Originally
posted by rose |
as neither a camry or a hibrid is a car 
hmmm try and dig it up, but im pretty sure iv got an old docco on the
production number of the beetle and then the golf.... from memory the golf has much exceeded the production numbers of our humble beetle...... meh
ignorance bliss i say..... long live the beetle!!! "air-cooled power, water is for pussies"
sorry, I thought you were refering to the porsche story at first. had to look twice. 