What was the most popular car ever produced

WHAT?

What was the most popular car ever produced? This question was posted on the front page of a Motor Magazine a couple of months ago. It stuck in my mind, but despite many hours of contemplation I never seemed to come to a reliable answer.

Please note the question was... "The most popular", not the largest production or the highest sales figures... Simply what car for reasons possibly unknown, attracted the highest level of interest in the motoring world perhaps creating thoughts of wishful ownership, coupled with such comments "One day I will get one of those".. Some may say the E Type Jaguar that took the motoring world by storm from the moments it hit the commercial car market.

Others may well choose the original Mustang. How about the VW Beetle...Not quite in the Jaguar or Mustang league but popular to the extent that they were produced for over forty eight years, selling all over the world. Moving on from the sheer utility means of transport how about the Corvette a car than thousands of American drivers... (And others)...have dreamed of owning.

Then we have the European market with the Porsche range of desirable vehicles, or the Alfa Romeo, Mercedes (Take your pick) or the ever desirable and of course popular BMW. I for one have nursed a fantasy of one day driving out of the garage in a new or even almost new Rolls Royce... However should such a choice still come under the heading of the most popular? ..Sad to say I think not.

For something or even someone to be popular can mean a variety of things. Good to look at from all angles...Reliable and easy to take care of? (I was also going to say practical but decided that my Rolls Royce, by any stretch of the imagination could never fit that requirement!)

I would also suggest that the term popular must apply to whatever time period that is selected.

The Model T Ford in company with the Model A was certainly popular in their time as indicated by the recorded sales. If by popular we include an attractive price then I would include the Renault 4CV that sold successfully for forty five years despite the fact that it was, by any standards a strange vehicle with takeout seats that could be used in the garden on a summers day!!. Then we have the Mini first seen back in 1959 and still around today with tasteful modifications that still seem to be popular. OK so it's not quite the original that was seen in the equally original movie "The Italian Job" but it still carries the Mini image! (I have never heard of any one referring to the current vehicle as my German BMW Mini!)

Another original Ford product the Cadillac was/is still popular with many motoring owners especially when they are mature drivers. To my mind always an attractive car built for a special market. The very name seems to have special attraction indicating an ever popular image of the American motor industry at its best. Another car that regretfully is no longer with us but is known all over the world as a popular sports car was the M.G. I traveled extensively over the years but have never been in any country where the name MG is not known. Only a few months ago I spent three weeks in Turkey where I saw several open top MG's being driven much to my surprise. (I also saw a couple of nice Corvettes that I suspect originated from the American presence in that country.) The only car that I am aware of that used the word Popular in its model range was the British Ford that first saw the light of day in 1938 then after the war returned as the bottom of the line Ford Popular that sold successfully for another five years.

Was it popular? Well remembering the waiting list after the war for any new car both here and elsewhere I guess the answer has to be yes. Here you could wait three months in Britain up to a year.

My eventual conclusion re an answer to the question of "The Most Popular", is simple...It's the one you are going to buy next when the appeal of you last popular car has faded away and it's on its way to another home. Expensive or no so expensive makes little difference; as if and when a Roller ever finds its home in my garage it will be my most popular car regardless of what my wife may say!!