Oddly, it all started with a truck
Car counters, pay attention: Sometime in June (nobody really knows when and where), Toyota made its 200 millionth car.
Starting with the production of the Model G1 truck in August 1935, it took them 76 years and 11 months to reach that milestone. At the end of June, cumulative production in Japan reached 145.21 million vehicles, overseas production reached 55.12 million vehicles – and it’s already 330,000 ahead of the 200 million. This according to a statement by Toyota.
39.08 million made
Toyota’s and arguably the world’s most made car is the Corolla with 39.08 million units officially produced as of the end of June 2012.
Toyota had been the world’s largest automaker, lost the title to GM in 2011, and could regain it this year.
If one still exists today (the G1 truck), it’s probably worth more than a LF-A.
+1 on that comment.
Since -judging from WW2 photos- the Japanese army used many of those, or similar to those trucks, there could still be a hulk rusting away in some forgotten Pacific island.
Ha! I came across a better picture of that truck, the G-1. Looks quite nice, actually.
http://oto.assets.kompas.com/uploads/photo/2012/07/24/899c8212cf3639dc4f146dd14eaf17c1_p.jpg
So which manufacturer has the most vehicles produced in total? And what is that number? (approximately of course since they are always making more)
Without a doubt, 100% definitely GM, although I’ve no idea what that number is. I wouldn’t be surprised if it’s beyond 500 million though. Toyota only relatively recently became a big player, and GM was the undisputed biggest for most of automotive history, and before and since within the top two or possibly three worldwide.
I find it a bit disengenous to call the Corolla the best selling “car” ever. Best selling “nameplate” sure, but there is nothing in common between the first Corolla and the last. The Beetle at least stayed true to the original concept from beginning to end, even if all the parts changed George Washingtons axe style.
The original Ford Falcon was produced from 1960 thru 1991.
Interesting comment. I was going to say the Opel Kadett was sold all over the world for thirty years or so. But according to the Guiness Book of World Records, the title goes to the Toyota Corolla; http://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/world-records/1000/most-produced-car-model.
Do platforms count? Ford’s Panther platform has been around since 1979 and was THE fleet vehicle in North America for nearly that entire time as well as selling hundreds of thousands of LTDs, Grand Marquis and Town Cars.
Caveat: According to Guiness the next is the Beetle. More than “21 million ‘old-style’ VW Beetles had been produced by the time production ceased in 2003. Although the car had been improved and changed countless times in its lifetime, the Beetles rolling off the production line in the early 21st century had a great deal in common with the first Beetles, not least of all their unmistakable rounded bodywork”.
Congratulations to Toyota on a job well done! I’m still enjoying my second corolla, which is in its tenth year of ownership now :)