Best-Selling British Cars of the 1960s

Written by John O'Cean.

​Here are some of the top-selling British cars of the 1960s 

Mini

Ford Cortina

Morris Minor

Triumph Herald

• The iconic Mini, produced by the British Motor Corporation (BMC) and later by British Leyland, was a tremendous success in the 1960s. Its compact size, innovative design, and affordable price made it a favorite among urban drivers. The Mini's popularity was further boosted by its appearances in movies like "The Italian Job."
• Ford Cortina - Although not exclusively British, the Ford Cortina was assembled in the UK and became one of the best-selling cars of the 1960s. It was a family-friendly saloon car that offered a blend of comfort, affordability, and practicality. The Cortina's success continued well into the 1970s.
• The Morris Minor was a popular compact car produced by the British Motor Corporation. Its distinctive design, reliability, and practicality appealed to a wide range of customers. The Minor was available in various body styles, including saloon, estate, and convertible, making it versatile for different needs.
• The Triumph Herald was a compact car produced by the Triumph Motor Company. It featured a stylish design and offered a range of body styles, including saloon, convertible, and estate. The Herald's affordable price and good performance contributed to its popularity during the 1960s.

Austin/Morris 1100 & 1300

Vauxhall Viva

Ford Corsair

Hillman Imp

• The Austin 1100/1300 - also known as the ADO16 - was a compact family car produced by BMC. It was a practical and spacious car that provided good fuel economy. The 1100/1300 models were well-received and sold in large numbers.
• The Vauxhall Viva was a small family car produced by Vauxhall Motors. It offered a combination of affordability, reliability, and practicality. The Viva became popular due to its compact size and suitability for urban driving.​
• The Ford Consul Corsair (later known simply as the Ford Corsair), manufactured by Ford UK, is a midsized car that was introduced at the London Motor Show in October 1963 and available as either a saloon or estate from 1964 until 1970. Also, a convertible version was built by Crayford, which is now very rare and highly sought-after as a classic.
• The Hillman Imp is a small economy car that was made by the Rootes Group and its successor Chrysler Europe from 1963 until 1976. Revealed on 3 May 1963 after much advance publicity, it was the first British mass-produced car with the engine block and cylinder head cast in aluminium. Being a direct competitor to the BMC's Mini, it used a space-saving rear-engine, rear-wheel-drive layout to allow as much luggage and passenger capacity as possible in both the rear and the front of the car. It used a unique opening rear hatch to allow luggage to be put into the back seat rest.

Hillman Super Minx

Ford Anglia

Vauxhall Victor

Ford Escort

• The Hillman Super Minx is a family car which was produced by Hillman from 1961 to 1967. It was a slightly larger version of the Hillman Minx, from the period when the long-running Minx nameplate was applied to the "Audax" series of designs.
  
• The Ford Anglia is a small family car that was designed and manufactured by Ford UK. It is related to the Ford Prefect and the later Ford Popular. The Anglia name was applied to various models between 1939 and 1967. In total, 1,594,486 Anglias were produced. It was replaced by the Ford Escort.
  
• Vauxhall Victor FB - the cleanly styled FB announced 14 September 1960 ran until 1964 with a substantial improvement regarding rust protection. It was widely exported, although sales in the US ended after 1961 when Pontiac, Oldsmobile and Buick came up with home-grown compact models of their own, with the all-new GM "Y" platform (North America). Consequently, the FB only achieved sales of 328,000 vehicles by the time it was replaced in 1964. The body styling owed nothing to any US GM influence, the flat front and turtle-deck rear resembling some older US Fords. Mechanically, the main change was the option of a 4-speed all-synchromesh transmission with floor change but the previously used 3-speed all-synchro column change unit was still fitted as standard. 
  
• The Ford Escort is a small family car that was manufactured by Ford of Europe from 1968 until 2000. In total there were six generations. The Escort was frequently the best selling car in Britain during the 1980s and 1990s. A total of more than 4.1 million Escorts of all generations were sold there over a period of 33 years.