For the first time in 50 years Britain’s best-selling car won’t be a Ford

Virgin Radio

14 Dec 2021, 09:03

The Vauxhall Corsa is set to replace the Ford Fiesta at the top of this year’s charts, but where does your car rank in the best-seller list?

For the second year in a row, car sales have been understandably poor due to the pandemic and people consequently working from home. Whilst 2021 has been a slight improvement on 2020, a worldwide shortage of semiconductor chips has also hit vehicle production.

The big news is that, for the first time in half-a-century, Ford won’t be Britain’s most popular car in terms of sales, with the Vauxhall Corsa set to overtake it. The Corsa was the runner-up in the best-selling cars of 2020, but has now leapt to pole position. 

You have to go all the way back to 1971 for the last time a different make of car was Britain’s best-seller. Back then, the Austin Morris 1100/1300 took out the top spot. Since that year, it had been Ford all the way, with motors including the Cortina, Escort, Focus and Fiesta all taking turns to be most popular with buyers.

This year though, 38,306 Corsas have been sold so far, compared to 27,000 Fiestas, according to Auto Express.

When summing up the year’s sales, Auto Express said: “The usually dominant Ford Fiesta has had a very poor year by its own high standards, dropping to eighth overall. Meanwhile, Volkswagen will be celebrating its Polo and Golf, taking third and fourth.”

The top ten throws up a few surprises, with the Mercedes A-Class coming in second place, but where does your car rank in the list? Find out here: 

The UK's best-selling cars for 2021 so far:

1. Vauxhall Corsa - 38,306

2. Mercedes A-Class - 29,510

3. Volkswagen Polo - 29,478

4. Volkswagen Golf - 28,666

5. Nissan Qashqai - 27,800

6. Kia Sportage - 27,297

7. MINI - 27,167

8. Ford Fiesta - 27,000

9. Ford Puma - 26,870

10. BMW 3 Series - 26,115