The Best-Selling Car The Year You Got Your Drivers License

On The Road

As most car folks know, the Ford F-series has been the best-selling vehicle in the United States for decades. But take away trucks and SUVs and what’s been the best-selling car in the country each year since 1978? That's what we're here to find out.

1978: Oldsmobile Cutlass

This isn't the boat-sized Cutlass you may be imagining. In 1978, Oldsmobile made the Cutlass a little smaller, but sales continued to be big—with 520,279 sold that year.

1978 Oldsmobile Cutlass MercurySable99, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons

1979: Oldsmobile Cutlass

Oldsmobile sold a few less Cutlasses than the year before, but at 518,160 units, the car still topped the best seller list in 1979.

1979 Oldsmobile Cutlass Kevauto, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons

1980: Oldsmobile Cutlass

It was a new decade but the top of the best-seller list in America looked exactly as it had at the end of the previous decade. Oldsmobile sold 469,573 Cutlasses in 1980.

1980 Oldsmobile Cutlass Free Photo Fun, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons

1981: Oldsmobile Cutlass

1981 saw the inauguration of a new President, but not of a new best-selling car of the year. There were 454,188 Cutlasses sold that year. However, 1981 would mark the end of the Cutlasses reign atop the car world in the United States.

1981 Oldsmobile Cutlass Greg Gjerdingen, USA, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons

1982: Ford Escort

This compact Ford escorted the Cutlass out of the top spot in 1982 with 337,667 units sold.

1982 Ford Escort Vauxford, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons

1983: Oldsmobile Cutlass Supreme

The Cutlass once again reigned supreme (pun totally intended) with 331,179 cars sold. Although, we hope they enjoyed it, because—spoiler alert—it would be the last time Oldsmobile ever found itself in the top spot.

1983 Oldsmobile Cutlass Supreme Greg Gjerdingen, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons

1984: Chevrolet Cavalier

14 years after the Cleveland Cavaliers entered the NBA, the Chevrolet Cavalier entered the top spot on the list of best-selling cars in America. They sold 383,752 cars that year.

Chevrolet Cavalier dave_7, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons

1985: Chevrolet Cavalier

The Cavalier remained on top for a second year in a row, upping their sales number by about 40,000 to 422,927.

1993 Chevrolet Cavalier BlueCrabRedCrab, CC0, Wikimedia Commons

1986: Chevrolet Celebrity

Chevrolet remained number one in 1986 but instead of the Cavalier, they took the top spot with the Celebrity—a midsize car that debuted four years earlier in 1982. They sold 408,946 units.

1986 Chevrolet Celebrity Mr.choppers, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons

1987: Ford Escort

Not only did the Escort sell 392,360 units and return to its place atop the list, but in second place that year was the Ford Taurus. 1987 was a good year for the Ford Motor Company.

Ford Escort 1987 RL GNZLZ, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons

1988: Ford Escort

Ford again took the top two spots on the list with the Taurus sitting behind the Escort and its 381,330 sales.

1988 Ford Escort Niels de Wit, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons

1989: Honda Accord

The third generation Honda Accord and its three body styles (sedan, hatchback, and coupe) sold 362,707 units in 1989.

Honda Accord 1989 order_242, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons

1990: Honda Accord

The Accord became a mid-sized vehicle in 1990 and with the bigger size, came bigger sales: 417,179 units (the Taurus came in second).

1990 Honda Accord Charlie, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons

1991: Honda Accord

A little drop in sales to 399,297 units wasn't enough to keep the Accord from holding on to its top spot on the list.

1991 Honda Accord MercurySable99, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons

1992: Ford Taurus

Always the bridesmaid, the Taurus finally became the bride—although there are some who argue that fleet sales helped pad the 409,751 numbers. Either way, the Taurus stood above the rest in 1992.

1992 Ford Taurus order_242, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons

1993: Ford Taurus

Proving it wasn't a fluke, 360,448 Taurus sales kept it in first place.

1993 Ford Taurus order_242, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons

1994: Ford Taurus

Sales were back up and with 397,037 units sold, Taurus held on to the number one spot ahead of the Honda Accord.

1994 Ford Taurus Frank Deanrdo, Flickr

1995: Ford Taurus

Sales dropped to 366,266, but the Taurus didn't fall out of first place.

1995 Ford Taurus Cutlass, CC0, Wikimedia Commons

1996: Ford Taurus

1996 saw Ford make a big design change to the Taurus. And while the ovoid redesign doesn't get much love today, sales took a nice bounce up to 401,049.

1996 Ford Taurus TuRbO_J, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons

1997: Toyota Camry

If you were wondering when the Camry would finally take over the top spot, here it is. The year was 1997 and the number of units sold was 397,156.

1997 Toyota Camry order_242, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons

1998: Toyota Camry

Camry kept its number one spot on the list and sold more cars than the previous year: 429,575.

1998 Toyota Camry peterolthof, Flickr

1999: Toyota Camry

With 448,162 units sold, the Camry sold more cars then any other best-seller since the Cutlass in 1981.

1999 Toyota Camry Mic, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons

2000: Toyota Camry

Honda and Ford continued to look up at Toyota and Camry's 422,961 units sold.

2000 Toyota Camry crash71100, Flickr

2001: Honda Accord

With 414,718 cars sold, the Honda Accord worked its way back ahead of the Camry in 2001.

2001 Honda Accord James B. Bleeker, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons

2002: Toyota Camry

After taking a one-year break from the top spot, the Camry was back with 434,135 sales.

2002 Toyota Camry Rutger van der Maar, Flickr

2003-2023: Toyota Camry

If you thought the Ford Taurus' streak of five years in a row in the '90s was impressive, we are about to blow your car-loving mind. After taking back the best-selling crown in America in 2002, the Camry has held onto its place atop the list for going on 20 years now. While we won't go year by year, we will give you the sales numbers...

2003 Toyota Camry Stephen Michael Barnett, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons

2003-2008: Toyota Camry

2003: 413,296, 2004: 426,990, 2005: 431,703, 2006: 448,445, 2007: 473,108, 2008: 436,617

2006 Toyota Camry Jeremy, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons

2009-2014: Toyota Camry

You'll notice that Camry sales fell below 400,000 for the first time in years in 2009. But they climbed back up above that number for a few years, starting in 2012.

2009: 356,824, 2010: 327,804, 2011: 308,510, 2012: 404,886, 2013: 408,484, 2014: 428,606

2012 Toyota Camry order_242, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons

2015-2020: Toyota Camry

Sales were already on the decline but the 2020 Pandemic made for an even steeper drop in 2020.

2015: 429,355, 2016: 388,618, 2017: 387,081, 2018: 343,439, 2019: 336,978, 2020: 294,348

2015 Toyota Camry TuRbO_J, Flickr

2021-2023: Toyota Camry

Sales perked up a tad in 2021, but have dropped back down to below 300,000 levels the last couple years and Toyota saw their lowest numbers ever in 2023.

2021: 313,795, 2022: 295,201, 2023: 290,649

2023 Toyota Camry Captainmorlypogi1959, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons