Junk Mail has been in the classifieds advertising game for the past 21 years and our motoring section has always been one of the more popular sections. Tens of thousands of people have bought and sold vehicles by making use of our services since 1992 and continue to do so every single day. Some of you may have been wondering which car brands are the most popular on Junk Mail. Well, today I’m listing the top 4 car brands on our website, have a look below.
#4 Ford
The Ford car company was founded by Henry Ford in 1903 and is still headquartered in Detroit in the United States. It’s a well-known fact that Ford lead the way in the expansion and refinement of the assembly line concept. This concept is still used in vehicle manufacture globally today. When Ford started manufacturing cars they were priced at half the price of competitors’ cars, so they became very popular very quickly. By 1916 55% of the cars on the road were Ford Model-T’s. By 1915 the company had already produced 1 million cars. Ford is also the first motoring manufacturer who introduced an engine with a removable cylinder head (in 1908), the first manufacturer to build a car with safety glass in the windshield (in 1930) and the first manufacturer to build a car with a V8 engine (in 1932). The company was also the only American car manufacturing company to survive the great depression of 1929-1932.
By 1996 Ford had manufactured it’s 250 millionth car. Today Ford is the largest family owned business in the world, the fifth largest car manufacturer in the world and the second largest car manufacturer in the United States. The first Ford vehicle arrived in South Africa in 1904 and you can still view this Model A Ford at Heidelberg Transport Museum. Since then cars like the Ford Escort, the Ford Laser, the Ford Sierra, the Ford Sapphire and the Ford Fiesta have become some of the more popular car models in South Africa. It comes as no surprise that Ford is a such a popular brand on Junk Mail since it has been a trusted vehicle brand in our country for many years.
#3 BMW
BMW (or Bayerische Motoren Werke) was founded in 1916 and is headquartered in Munich, Germany. The company started out making aircraft engines and in 1919 a plane that was fitted with a BMW engine set a world altitude record. After the First World War the company switched to motorcycle production (due to restrictions placed on Germany by the treaty of Versailles). Their first motorcycle (the R32) was built in 1923 and their first car (the Dixi 3/15) was built in 1928. BMW went back to engine manufacturing during the Second World War. It’s also a well-know fact that they manufactured some of the world’s first engines during this time. After the war they survived by repairing US Army automobiles and making parts for farming machinery and bicycles.
Over the years BMW has grown into a force in the global motoring market. Last year BMW manufactured more than 1.5 million vehicles and more than 125,000 motorcycles. Today the company employs more than 105,000 people globally. The company also owns Rolls Royce and Mini. BMW vehicles have been assembled in South Africa since 1968. Besides South Africa, the company also has subsidiaries in Egypt, the United States, Japan, China, India and Canada. BMW has gained a reputation for reliable, sturdy and well-built luxury vehicles and that’s a few of the reasons why it’s the third most most popular car brand on Junk Mail.
#2 Toyota
The Toyota Motor Corporation was founded in 1937 in Japan by Kiichiro Toyoda. It actually started out as a division of Toyoda Automatic Loom Works (a company owned by Kiichiro’s dad who manufactured looms and other textile manufacturing equipment like sewing machines). The corporation’s first car (the Toyota A1) and first truck (the Toyota G1) were produced in 1935. During the Second World War Toyota manufactured trucks for the Japanese Imperial Army. After the war Toyota almost went bankrupt, but the company was rescued thanks to a loan that it obtained from a consortium of banks.
By 1957 Toyota was exporting its first car to the United States, by 1961 the first Toyota vehicles were exported to South Africa, by 1963 the first Toyota was built outside Japan (in Melbourne, Australia) and by the end of the 1960’s the company had established a global presence and had exported its 1 million vehicle. Since then Toyota has grown from strength to strength. By 1981 Toyota had become the market leader in South Africa, by 2009 the corporation was producing more than 70 different vehicle models, by 2010 the company was employing more than 325,00 people globally and by 2011 Toyota was the 11th biggest company in the world. In 2012 Toyota manufactured more than 9.9 million vehicles.
A recent study found that over eighty percent of the Toyota cars that were sold over 20 years ago are still functional and on the road. Toyota is definitely one of the most reliable car brands out there and it’s one of the reasons why it’s such a popular car brand on Junk Mail and in South Africa.
#1 Volkswagen
Volkswagen (the top car brand on Junk Mail) was founded in 1937 by the Nazi Trade Union. The idea for the people’s car or “Volkswagen” came from Adolf Hitler (who asked German engineer Ferdinand Porsche to design a car that would be able to carry 2 adults and 3 children). The VW Beetle was born and the first car made it off the VW assembly line in 1938. The VW Beetle was in production until 2003 and more than 21 million VW Beetles were manufactured globally during this time. The Beetle is not the only VW car that’s on the list of most sold cars of all time though: the VW Passat and the VW Golf is also on that list.
After the Second World War Major Ivan Hirst took control of Volkswagen. The Allies placed an order for 20,000 VW Beetles to help with the post war effort, which rescued the company temporarily. By 1946 the company was producing 1,000 cars a month, by 1949 the VW Beetle was being exhibited and sold in the United States, by 1961 VW expanded their range by four car models and by 1974 the first VW Golf model was introduced. The company expanded greatly throughout the 1980’s, 1990’s and onward. Today Volkswagen is the 2nd biggest car manufacturer in the world (behind General Motors) and has assembly plants / factories in Germany, Mexico, Slovakia, China, India, Indonesia, Russia, Brazil, Argentina, Portugal, Spain, Poland, Czech Republic, Bosnia & Herzegovina and South Africa.
As of 2012 the Volkswagen Group (which makes vehicles under the Audi, Bentley, Bugatti, Lamborghini, Porsche, SEAT and Škoda brands) employs more than 549,000 people globally. Volkswagen has been in South Africa since 1951 and it’s no wonder that it’s the most popular car brand on Junk Mail and one of the top selling car brands in South Africa. The company currently employs more than 6,000 people in our country.
Well, there you have it, the top 4 car brands on Junk Mail. Which one of these brands is your favorite and why? Which other car brands do you prefer over and above these 4? Leave a comment and let us know. Feedback is appreciated and welcome here.
If you’ve enjoyed reading this article, feel free to share it with your friends on Facebook and Twitter. Remember: Sharing is Caring.
Watch this space for regular updates in the Fun Corner and Motoring category on the Junk Mail Blog.
