Just as fashions change throughout the years, so does our taste in cars. It might not tell you a lot about your personality, but it is pretty likely your parents had one of these best-selling car when you were a little one.
And it’s not just our consumer taste that changes, but also the science behind the car. From the ’60s onwards, cars became more affordable, safer, and seemingly less extravagant. The ’60s were fast, the ’70s were futuristic, the ’80s were large, and the ’90s were compact. In doubt?
Using statistics from the US, here are the most popular car models for each year.
1998-2000 Toyota Camry
The Toyota Camry is still a best-selling car. It is reliable, comfortingly ordinary, and will not empty out your pocket. It has been one of the most popular cars for over two decades.
1997 Chrysler Town & Country
The Chrysler Town & Country started to make family minivans look cool. They are extremely spacious, come in some bright colors, and function well on the road. For a family van, it’s one of the best.
1996 Honda Civic
The Civic has been a hit car for years. It was the first to combine automatic and manual controls over the gears. This made it a smooth ride. In addition, its sturdy build meant that maintenance costs were low.
1995 Saturn S-Series
It is not an exciting-looking car. Nevertheless, at least with Saturn cars, you know what you’re getting. A practical, no-frills vehicle with a decent price tag.
1994 Toyota Supra
The Supra is another car that has experienced a resurgence in popularity due to its appearance in ‘The Fast and Furious’ film franchise. It was popular in the mid-1990s but then fell out of production in 2002. However, they have now made a beautiful modern version.
1993 Jeep Grand Cherokee
The Jeep can still be seen on our roads. Instead of buying off-road style cars for going on adventures, it became stylish to use them as family wagons. Spacious, safe, and fun, the Grand Cherokee is still a favorite.
1992 Hummer H1
The 1990s was really when the US began its love affair with large four-wheelers. When the Hummer first came out, consumers were obsessed with it despite the high price tag.
1991 Ford Tauru
Once Ford released the second generation Taurus, it became the best-selling car manufacturer in the US for six years. This car was a hit because of its practicality and affordability.
1990 Nissan 300ZX
The Nissan 300ZX must have been a technological fascination. It was the first car with computer controls inside it. Hilariously, instead of the catchy name 300ZX, it was sold in Japan as the Fairlady Z.
1989 Honda Accord
From speed to utility, the Honda Accord became the new popular car. Honda sold a staggering 1.2 million of them from 1989-1991.
1988 Pontiac Firebird
This flaming ride was all over television screens in the ’80s. Owners would remove the tops of the car to have an open roof. It was an extremely funky-looking vehicle.
1987 Ford Escort
Ford revamped their Escort model. They got rid of the soft edges and put in those slightly futurist ’80s sharp corners. Even though it seemed innovative then, this model did not age very well
1986 Chevrolet Celebrity
The success of the Chevrolet Celebrity was short-lived. It was the larger, more boxy version of the Cavalier. However, its style was not liked enough to last more than four years of production.
1984-1985: Chevrolet Cavalier
Chevrolet sold a lot of these Cavaliers. They were clever because they did not only offer the hatchback, but also offered a coupe, a sedan, a wagon, and a convertible version of the car.
1983 Oldsmobile Cutlass
The Oldsmobile Cutlass was so successful that it became the most popular car again in 1983. In fact, it outsold every other car in the US.
1982 Ford Escort
The name of the Ford Escort was pretty controversial back then. Even though 1982 was a year of recession, the Escort was bought by over 337,000 Americans.
1976-1981 Oldsmobile Cutlass
It is strange to think that the Oldsmobiles produced by General Motors disappeared into oblivion. The Cutlass was one of the most popular cars in the 1970s.
1975 Cadillac Coupe de Ville
No one can deny how cool the Cadillac Coupe de Ville is. It was essentially an uber comfortable car that also looked stylish. The car seating was similar to a sofa.
1974 Chevrolet Impala
Chevrolet was putting out the winners in the ’60s and ’70s. The Impala was a spacious ride and had brake disc sensors. They were slowly making cars a bit safer to ride.
1973 Chevrolet Monte Carlo
The Chevrolet Monte Carlo had many new features that cars before it lacked. It had radial-ply tires, Pliacell shock absorbers, and high caster steering. It was one of Chevrolet’s best-selling cars.
1972 VW Beetle
The VW Beetle is a cutie of a car. It’s another one of Volkswagen’s signature cars. Its charming shape remains extremely popular with consumers.
1971 Chrysler New Yorker
It seems there was a return to a more classical style with the Chrysler New Yorker. This was exceptionally long and spacious. It was made for cruising rather than speeding.
1970 Dodge Challenger
This fast car was made popular again by ‘The Fast and Furious’ film franchise. It’s well remembered as a daring and powerful little car.
1969 Plymouth Roadrunner
The Plymouth Roadrunner was the cheaper option but still had a roaring engine. If you wanted speed, but not an empty pocket, this was the car you bought.
1968 Chevy El Camino
The 1968 El Camino model by Chevrolet was longer than the previous model. Owners could also choose whether they wanted a vinyl bench or bucket seats inside. Pretty groovy!
1967 Chevy Camaro
When the Camaro was released, it was advertised as “a small, vicious animal that eats Mustangs.” Alongside its solid marketing campaign, the chevy Camaro also had a sizable engine.
1966 Volkswagen Type 2 amper bus
The Volkswagen bus is undeniably a revolutionary car. People could now go around on holiday in a vehicle, but still look cool. It was the favorite vehicle of the ’60s counterculture in the US.
1965 Chevrolet Impala
The Chevrolet Impala was extremely popular. In both its production years of 1965 and 1966, it sold more than one million units in the US.
1964 Ford Mustang
The Ford Mustang is famous to this day. The iconic car was cheap and cheerful. It has made such a name for itself that the car is still in demand!
1963 Buick Riviera
In 1963, fast cars started to become more common on the scene. The Buick Rivera was very fashionable, fast, and even had real wood bucket seats.
1962 Lincoln Continental
This was one of the first big cars on the road. It was extremely comfortable and an easy ride. Unfortunately, it was also the car model that President John F. Kennedy (1917-1963) assassinated in.
1961 Jaguar E-Type
The sleek Jaguar E-Type was style on wheels. As you can see by its different look, it represented a change in tastes in the consumer market. Surprisingly, it was much more affordable than Jaguars are today.
1960 AMC/Rambler Ambassador
The Rambler Ambassador proved to be the only car that made a profit in the aftermath of the 1958 recession. It was one of the first cars to provide the kinds of seat belts we are familiar with today.