Together these ten nameplates account for roughly 298 million cars. The Corolla alone contributes 50 million — Toyota's 2021 milestone figure, which works out to one car delivered every 35 seconds since 1966.

But first place comes with a catch. Those 50 million Corollas are spread across twelve generations that share almost nothing: the 1966 original was rear-wheel drive on a 2,286 mm wheelbase, while today's hybrid sits on a 2,640 mm wheelbase and a mechanically unrelated platform. The Beetle at number eight, by contrast, sold 21,529,464 units — a count exact to the last car — as essentially one design built for 65 years. Calling the Beetle the true best-seller is a defensible position.

Two more counterintuitive facts: the Ford Model T's 16.5 million units held the world record from 1915 until 1972 — 45 years after production ended — and today it does not even make the top ten. And only two entries here are not cars or hatchbacks: the Ford F-Series and the Toyota Hilux, both pickups. The F-Series racked up 43 million with the overwhelming majority sold in a single market, North America.