The Five Oldest Car Models Still in Production

classic car poster
Pssst. Car trivia buffs: can you name the five oldest cars still in production? Here's our list. See how many you can guess.

What are the five oldest car models still in production? How many old cars can you name from the list below? Do you own one of these enduring car favorites that never seem to go out of style?

You may find it easier to name the car models that have come and gone. The Edsel comes to mind, the Yugo is another. But the popular cars that never go out of production are the cars that have stood the test of time. When you buy one, you know you’re buying quality.

Five Oldest Car Models

Here are the top five examples of these old standards, the five oldest car models still in production, today:

  1. Chevrolet Corvette – 1953

The Chevrolet Corvette first arrived on the scene as a convertible, and with its low, sleek lines, sales of “America’s Sports Car” were through the roof, the minute the car hit the showrooms. This car model, at the time of this writing, is in its eighth generation.

2020 Chevrolet Corvette, one of the five oldest car models still in production.Don DeBold, CC BY 2.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0>, via Wikimedia Commons
2020 Chevrolet Corvette C8 Stingray, Don DeBold, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
  1. Toyota Land Cruiser – 1951

You might say that the Toyota LandCruiser owes its existence to communism and the Cold War. The Korean War was the beginning of the standoff between Western-style democracy and Soviet-style communism. US troops still based in Japan after WWII needed a military utility vehicle that would serve them during their offensive in Korea. This capable vehicle, with its proven ability to stand up to the toughest conditions, is still going strong in its eighth generation.

2017 Toyota Land Cruiser, one of the five oldest car models still in production. EurovisionNim, CC BY-SA 4.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0>, via Wikimedia Commons
2017 Toyota Land Cruiser, EurovisionNim, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
  1. Volkswagen Transporter – 1950

When Ben Pon of Holland drew his first sketch of the Transporter in 1947, he couldn’t have known that the vehicle would become the best-selling van of all time, with more than 12 million of them sold throughout the world. Back then, placing the driver at the front, and the engine at the rear, was a novel idea. With 70 years and many worthy variations on a theme, the Volkswagen Transporter is now in its sixth generation.

2017 Volkswagen Transporter, one of the five oldest car models still in production. Vauxford, CC BY-SA 4.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0>, via Wikimedia Commons
2017 Volkswagen Transporter, Vauxford, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
  1. Ford F-Series – 1947

The Ford F-Series, the first pick-up truck, represented a new era in truck production. Ford promoted this new line of trucks as the “Bonus Built Line” due to the wide range of models on offer, with endless variations of cab and chassis combos. The trucks had another innovation: a one-piece windshield. Until today the biggest seller on the US car market, annual sales in North America exceed one million units. The Ford F-Series is unbelievably, in its 13th generation!

1950 Ford F-3, one of the five oldest car models still in production. Gordonrox24, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
1950 Ford F-3, Gordonrox24, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
  1. Chevrolet Suburban – 1935

Today in its twelfth generation, the Chevy Suburban started out as a two-door station wagon, capable of seating up to eight passengers (or a decent-sized load). The Suburban may have held a lot of people or a heavy load, but it stuck to its original two-door design throughout its first 6 iterations, gaining two more doors (for a total of four) only with its seventh generation release in 1973. Now able to carry up to nine occupants, the Chevy Suburban earned a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, due to its appearance in almost 2000 movies.

2015 Chevy Suburban, one of the five oldest car models still in production. Kevauto, CC BY-SA 4.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0>, via Wikimedia Commons
2015 Chevy Suburban, Kevauto, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Share:

Facebook
Twitter
Pinterest
LinkedIn

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Table of Contents