Best ever Top Selling Cars

10. Chevy Impala (1958 –)

 Sales: 14 million

 Classification: General Motors (NYSE: GM)

 Cost: $25,760 (most recent)

 Breed: mid-priced V6 coupe

9. Passat (1973 –)

  

 Sales: 15.5 million
 Classification: Volkswagen
 Cost: $19,995 (most recent)
 Breed: mid-priced 5 cylinder 4 door

8. Model T (1908 – 1927)

 Sales: 16.5 million
 Classification: Ford
 Cost: $260 (1920s)
 Breed: first mass-production sedan

7. Accord (1976 –)

 Sales: 17.5 million
 Classification: Honda
 Cost: $21,380 (most recent)
 Breed: inexpensive 4 cylinder mid-sized sedan

6. Civic (1972 –)

 Sales: 18.5 million
 Classification: Honda (NYSE: HMC)
 Cost: $15,605 (most recent)
 Breed: inexpensive 4-cylinder sedan

5. Escort (1968 – 2000)

 Sales: 20 million
 Classification: Ford
 Cost: $11,950 (2000)
 Breed: inexpensive 4-cylinder 2-door/4-door

4. Beetle (1933 –)

 Sales: 23.5 million through 2011
 Classification: Volkswagen
 Cost: $19,795 (most recent)
 Breed: inexpensive rear-engine 4-cylinder

3. Golf (1974 –)

 Sales: 27.5 million
 Classification: Volkswagen
 Cost: $17,995 (most recent)
 Breed: inexpensive 4-cylinder sedan

2. F-Series (1948 –)

 Sales: 35 million
 Classification: Ford (NYSE: F)
 Cost: $22,990 (most recent)
 Breed: Pickup

1. Corolla (1966 –)

 Sales: 37.5 million
 Classification: Toyota (NYSE: TM)
 Cost: $16,130 (most recent)
 Breed: inexpensive 4-cylinder sedan

2012 European Car of the Year Finalists Publicized

Earlier this week we saw the Hyundai Elantra and Range Rover Evoque awarded the relevant North American Car and Truck of the Year awards for 2012. However, organizers of the foe European Car of the Year also announced this week the finalists for their equally-prestigious award.

Last year for the European rivalry we saw the all-electric Nissan Leaf take top honors from a field of no less than 41 contenders. This time ‘round presently 35 candidates were eligible for the 2012 European Car Of The Year award, and now that list has been pruned behind to seven.

The seven cars, in no scrupulous categorize, are the Range Rover Evoque, Citroen DS5, Volkswagen Up, Fiat Panda, Toyota Yaris, Ford Focus and the Opel Ampera. These seven cars punch out a worthy field that included the likes of the Audi A6, Lexus GS 350, Mercedes-Benz M-Class and even the Porsche 911, the winner of Motor Authority's own 2012 Best Car to buy competition.

To be eligible, all of the contenders must be new vehicles accessible now or before year’s end in five or more European markets. They also each must have the outlook of at least 5,000 yearly sales. The voting process is presided over by a panel of 59 judges representing 23 European countries and mostly finished up of journalists and other members of the auto industry.

A single winner will be completed known on March 5, the eve of the 2012 Geneva Motor Show. In the meantime, hit the follow page to see the imaginative list of 2012 European Car of The Year contenders.

Automobile Industry

The automotive industry designs, develops, manufactures, markets, and sells the world's motor vehicles. In 2008, more than 70 million motor vehicles, including cars and commercial vehicles were produced worldwide.

In 2007, a total of 71.9 million new automobiles were sold worldwide: 22.9 million in Europe, 21.4 million in Asia-Pacific, 19.4 million in USA and Canada, 4.4 million in Latin America, 2.4 million in the Middle East and 1.4 million in Africa. The markets in North America and Japan were stagnant, while those in South America and other parts of Asia grew strongly. Of the major markets, China, Russia, Brazil and India saw the most rapid growth.

About 250 million vehicles are in use in the United States. Around the world, there were about 806 million cars and light trucks on the road in 2007; they burn over 260 billion gallons of gasoline and diesel fuel yearly.

The numbers are increasing rapidly, especially in China and India. In the opinion of some, urban transport systems based around the car have proved unsustainable, consuming excessive energy, affecting the health of populations, and delivering a declining level of service despite increasing investments. Many of these negative impacts fall disproportionately on those social groups who are also least likely to own and drive cars. The sustainable transport movement focuses on solutions to these problems.

In 2008, with rapidly rising oil prices, industries such as the automotive industry, are experiencing a combination of pricing pressures from raw material costs and changes in consumer buying habits. The industry is also facing increasing external competition from the public transport sector, as consumers re-evaluate their private vehicle usage. Roughly half of the US's fifty-one light vehicle plants are projected to permanently close in the coming years, with the loss of another 200,000 jobs in the sector, on top of the 560,000 jobs lost this decade. Combined with robust growth in China, in 2009, this resulted in China becoming the largest automobile producer and market in the world. China 2009 sales had increased to 13.6 million, a significant increase from one million of domestic car sales in 2000.



Ford Everest

The Ford Everest is a midsize SUV produced by Ford since 2003. Everest is a 5-door wagon variant of the Ford Ranger four-door utility. The Everest is known as the Ford Endeavour in the Indian market.

Hyundai Genesis

The Hyundai Genesis is a luxury rear-wheel drive full-size car, introduced initially as a concept car in the 2007 New York International Auto Show. Hyundai has introduced the vehicle worldwide, known internally as the BH model, and markets the Genesis as a "premium sports sedan,". The Genesis is currently not offered in Europe. A coupe version based on the BH platform was introduced at the 2008 New York International Auto Show and arrived at US dealerships in February, 2009 as a 2010 model.

Hyundai Chairman and CEO Chung Mong-koo calls the Genesis Hyundai's first entry into the European dominated luxury arena. According to Hyundai Vice Chairman Kim Dong-jin, the name Genesis is an indication that the vehicle is the first of many premium cars the company will introduce. The Genesis sedan is a luxury sedan that was designed to compete with the BMW 5 Series, Mercedes E-Class, Infiniti M, and Lexus GS. Hyundai targeted 55,000 sales of the Genesis in 2008 (35,000 in Korea and another 20,000 overseas) and 45,000 in 2009, with sales goals of 50,000 per year in the United States.