Can you guess the best-selling models from every major car company? Part 3 of our series covers Renault to Volvo
How sharp is your car knowledge? Do you think you could name the best-selling cars from brands such as Renault, Toyota and Volkswagen?
Correctly identifying the most popular nameplate of all time for every major manufacturer is a more difficult quiz than you might have first expected.
Many are somewhat surprising. That’s because their best seller might have been available well before you were born, removed from the UK market decades ago or possibly never sold in Britain before.
To put your automotive mind to the ultimate test, we’ve tracked the best-selling nameplates that have lasted the test of time for generations from the 40 most recognisable manufacturers that still have UK showrooms today.
While some are small-volume boutique luxury car brands – like Rolls-Royce – others are serious volume sellers, with Skoda, Tesla and Vauxhall making appearances in this, the third and final instalment in our three-part series.
It includes the car companies stating with the letters R through to V – and this list includes the biggest volume selling passenger model of all time.
Let us know in the comments how many best sellers you named correctly…
Renault
Best seller: Clio (1991-present)
Examples sold: Over 16.1 million
The Clio is Renault’s best-selling nameplate, having accrued over 16 million orders since its inauguration as the replacement for the 5 supermini
Va va voom! Renault’s best-selling car is one that Britons have loved for over 30 years – the Clio.
A combination of low pricing, practical small packaging, a variety of powertrains, some French styling pizzazz and wonderfully imaginative advertising has made Renault supermini a sales hit. Across the world, it has sold over 16.1 million examples, which is no small feat.
The all-new sixth-generation Clio has only recently been unveiled. And despite This is Money having already driven it on European roads, it doesn’t arrive here until 2027.
Rolls-Royce
Best seller: Silver Shadow (1965-1980)
Examples sold: 29,030
The Rolls-Royce Silver Shadow was an evergreen model sold by the luxury British car firm from 1965 and 1980 and as such has amassed the highest volume of registrations of all Rollers. Pictured: Silver Shadow IIs parked outside the Peninsula Hotel in Hong Kong
The Silver Shadow was loved by diplomats and celebs alike. Michael Caine is pictured here with his Silver Shadow, which was his first ever motor. It sold at auction in 2023 for £120k
No Rolls-Royce purchase has ever been an affordable one, so sales volumes by model are always going to be relatively low. Though the most popular of all Roller racked up almost 30k units.
The evergreen Silver Shadow was available for a 15-year stint and proved popular among diplomats and celebrities alike.
Could it be gazumped by current models coming off the Goodwood production line? The Ghost limo and Cullinan SUV might have something to say about it.
Seat
Best seller: Ibiza (1984-present)
Examples sold: over 6.5 million
The Ibizas popularity across European market has seen it become a sales hit – and standout as Seat’s most popular model of all time
When the Ibiza arrived in 1984 backed by input from the likes of ItalDesign, Karmann and even Porsche, it became an instant sales hit across European markets.
But sales really started to blossom under VE ownership and the arrival of the Mk2 Ibiza in 1993.
Since then, the Spanish brand hasn’t looked back. And even with the success of its bigger Leon hatchback, the Ibiza stands out as the best seller.
Skoda
Best seller: Octavia (1998-present)
Examples sold: over 7.5 million
Testament to how practical, reliable and – in some cases – fast the Octavia can be, Skoda’s best-seller is loved by taxi firms and police forces alike
Popular among coppers and taxi drivers, the Octavia has been a fixture on our roads for almost 40 years. It’s without question the finest example of the impact VW’s ownership of Skoda has on sales.
While the Czech company had commonly been the butt of automotive-themed jokes, that all changed in 1991 when Volkswagen Group acquired the brand. The Octavia emerged some seven years later and has typically shared platforms with the Golf but on a slightly extended chassis to provide more cabin and luggage space.
Seven and a half million or so have found owners in total.
Smart
Best seller: Fortwo (1998-2024)
Examples sold: 2.1 million
The Fortwo is the model most people associate with Smart as a brand. The Daimler-owned car maker has sold 2.1 million worldwide
One of the most compact cars to become a global volume seller, the Fortwo is arguably the vehicle most people associate with Daimler brand, Smart.
The brand has recently pivoted to selling only EV models, which essentially ended the 26-year lifecycle of this city-friendly motor.
However, the new #2 is set to become its spiritual successor when it debuts late in 2026.
Subaru
Best seller: Legacy (1988-present)
Examples sold: over 5 million
Given its popularity with more sensible motorists in Britain – and thousands of drivers in the US – the Legacy is easily Subaru’s most-sold model
Despite Subaru’s undeniable connection to rallying, its not the Impreza that’s sold in biggest numbers.
Instead, it is – fittingly, given its name – the Legacy that has sold in greatest volumes. It has underpinned the Japanese brand for the better part of four decades and is loved by caravanners – and Americans. As such, Subaru sells around 200k units globally per year.
One of those near-annual buyers is Bill Nunn, 65, a project manager from London, who revealed to the Daily Mail earlier this year that he’s purchased 26 new Subarus in the last 30 years.
Suzuki
Best seller: Wagon R (1993-present)
Examples sold: over 7.5 million
The Suzuki Wagon R’s impressive sales haul is predominantly driven by its domestic market and the love for compact ‘kei cars’
Seven and a half million units is a sizable sales performance for any car. But for Suzuki’s Wagon R, it’s massive popularity is a stark contrast to its dinky dimensions.
It’s without question the best-selling Japanese ‘kei’ car – a ultra-small vehicle segment that’s immensely popular in Suzuki’s native country, where having a cheap, small motor is ideal for city life. But 2008, the marque had shifted three million examples.
Its Tardis-like appeal means there’s plenty of room inside for families, though without clogging up the streets.
Tesla
Best seller: Model 3 (2017-present)
Examples sold: 2 million
Despite the huge popularity of the Model Y, Tesla’s best-selling car globally to date in the most affordable derivative, the Model 3
While the Model S has been on sale longest, and the Model Y is now the brand’s most popular car – and was 2023’s best-selling passenger model across all fuel types – the Model 3 is Elon Musk’s most-bought derivative of all.
It arrived with such fanfare than before deliveries began in 2017, Tesla had booked 500,000 pre-orders.
It has been updated and upgraded ever since and – importantly – remains Tesla’s most affordable product. It last received a significant facelift in 2024.
Toyota
Best seller: Corolla (1966-present)
Examples sold: Over 51 million
Toyota’s Corolla is the world’s best selling automobile of all time. Over 51 million have been delivered
To put the volume of Corolla sales into perspective, every driving licence holder in Germany could have one
The latest iteration of the Corolla produced for the European market is built in the UK at the Burnaston factory in Derbyshire
It probably shouldn’t be a huge shock to learn that the most popular model of all time is produced by the world’s largest car maker by sale volumes. And that is the case, with Toyota’s Corolla taking the crown.
More than 51 million have been sold globally since 1966. To put that into perspective, that’s the equivalent of every driving licence holder in Germany owning a Corolla.
The dependable Corolla is still today the most selected option in many countries, and its lifecycle dating back to the year England last won a World Cup has helped it put a tight grip on the title of the world’s best seller.
Vauxhall/Opel
Best seller: Corsa (1982-present)
Examples sold: Over 20 million
The Corsa, which dates back to 1982 (originally as the Nova in the UK), is Vauxhall-Opel’s biggest hitter
‘You’ve been Nova-taken.’ Well, the Nova hasn’t when it comes to sales.
Launched in Britain as the Vauxhall-badged Nova in 1982, the supermini debuted the Corsa name across Europe. From 1993, the UK followed suit and adopted the same nameplate – and it hasn’t looked back since.
Sales really soared with the arrival of the second-generation Corsa B, but Vauxhall/Opel has done a cracking job of keeping one of its smallest cars relevant through the years by revolutionising its styling while always making it one of the most affordable options on the market.
While its biggest European rival, the Ford Fiesta, was shelved in 2023 to make way for a new range of battery vehicles, Vauxhall has opted to electrify the Corsa to extends its availability.
Volkswagen
Best seller: Golf (1974-present)
Examples sold: Over 36 million
Now in its8th generation, the Golf has amassed an incredible 36 million sales and counting
The first seven generations of Volkswagen Golf parked side-by-side showing the characteristic shoulder line
With the legendary VW Beetle ticking up 21.5 million sales, it’s hard to imagine there’s another staple in Volkswagen’s line-up that exceeds that volume – but there is… the Golf
The family hatchback, famed for its GTi variants, originally went on sale in 1974.
By 2013, the German car giant confirmed it had hit the 30 million mark. And now it’s gone beyond 36 million as Golf retains its position as Europe’s C-segment choice. With some 2,000 produced a day, Golf numbers will continue climbing until the nameplate is discontinued – though VW recently confirmed it will continue using its established badges even when it transitions to EVs.
Volvo
Best seller: XC60 (2008-present)
Examples sold: 2.7 million
Earlier this year, the Volvo XC60 (right) surpassed the 240 estate’s (left) deliveries, with 2.7 million bought around the world since it arrived in 2008
Only up until very recently, Volvo’s most-sold product in its history was the 240 estate. But the Swedish brand confirmed in July that it has officially been overtaken… by and SUV.
The XC60 has been delivered to 2.7 million customers worldwide – a huge feat for the company’s first compact crossover.
Announcing the XC60’s sales success, Susanne Hägglund, head of global offer at Volvo Cars said: ‘Growing up in Sweden in the 1980s, the Volvo 240 was the iconic family car – you could spot one in almost every driveway. Today the XC60 has taken over that position in two ways. Not only as the family favourite, but also becoming our all-time top-seller, which in itself is the ultimate proof point of a successful car.’
