The best-selling cars in Europe - the ranking of the last 50 years

2024 could be the year of the definitive consecration of the Dacia Sandero as the king of Europe, if it manages to retain the title of best-selling car on the Old Continent that it confirmed in July.

The Romanian compact car, which convinces European motorists with its attractive price/performance ratio and its engines, including LPG, with low mileage costs, is preparing to oust the Tesla Model Y from the continental throne it held in 2023.

But what was Europe's best-selling car in 2022 and which car dominated the market ten or twenty years ago? And has the Volkswagen Golf really been the undisputed master of the sales charts for the last fifty years? To find out, follow us in this dive into the past that traces the history of Europe's best-selling cars from 1973 to 2024.

1973: Fiat 127 stops the Volkswagen Beetle

Let's start at the very beginning more than fifty years ago, from 1973 that marked the Fiat 127's ascent to the European throne, the first car to interrupt the reign of the Volkswagen Beetle that had lasted for many years, albeit at a time when sales statistics were still in their infancy.

Fiat 127

Stellantis

The Italian hatchback managed to hold the top spot for six years before leaving it to its direct rival of the time. The Renault 5 took the top step of the European podium in 1979 and held it uninterruptedly until 1982.

Renault 5

Renault

1983: Volkswagen Golf domination begins

1983 saw the beginning of one of the longest periods of dominance at the top of the sales charts with the Volkswagen Golf adding up the last registrations of the first series and the newly marketed second generation.

Volkswagen Golf 2

Volkswagen

Volkswagen Golf 3

The Golf remained number one for a full fourteen years, buoyed by sales of the third generation, only to be displaced for a single year in 1997 by the Fiat Punto at the top of the European sales charts.

Fiat Punto

Stellantis

That of the Italian hatchback was only an interlude, however, as in 1998 the Volkswagen Golf IV returned to the top and stayed there for five consecutive years.

Volkswagen Golf 4

Volkswagen

2003: Peugeot, Opel and fourteen years of the Golf

2003 saw the start of a series of short reigns, with the Peugeot 206 dominating that year, the Volkswagen Golf coming first in 2004, the Opel Astra taking the top spot in 2005-2006 and the Peugeot 207 taking the title of best seller in 2007.

Peugeot 206

Stellantis

Volkswagen Golf 5

Volkswagen

Opel Astra

Stellantis

Peugeot 207

2008 was the year of Volkswagen Golf's comeback in style, and for another fourteen years, the sixth, seventh and eighth generation of the German compact car dominated.

Volkswagen Golf 6

Volkswagen Golf 7

Volkswagen Golf 8

Volkswagen

To find a new protagonist we have to wait until 2022 when the Peugeot 208 is crowned king of Europe.

Peugeot 208

Stellantis

2023: Tesla Model Y, then Dacia Sandero

The French car's reign is short-lived, however, because 2023 is the year of the Tesla Model Y, the American electric SUV that for the first time puts a battery-powered car on the top step of European registrations.

Tesla Model Y

Tesla

---

---

In the first seven months of 2024, the Dacia Sandero is the best-selling car in Europe with 167,247 registrations up to July. The Romanian compact car has a lead of around 28,000 cars over the second-placed Volkswagen Golf and almost 37,000 over the third-placed Volkswagen T-Roc. In short, there is every indication that Dacia will win at the end of the year.

Dacia Sandero

Dacia

Best-selling cars in Europe between 1973 and 2024

More of the best-selling cars in Europe:

Best-selling cars in Europe in 2024 ranked

These are the world's best-selling cars: The definitive rankings for 2023

[Motor1.com processing of BestSellingCarsBlog data].

We want your opinion!

What would you like to see on Motor1.com?

Take our 3 minute survey.

- The Motor1.com Team