Cars that won't die: World's 10 longest-living models revealed with one launched in 1977 still going strong

Daily Mail​

21-05-2025

Some cars feel like they've been around forever. And the reality is, some almost have.
Certain nameplates have existed for more than a lifetime - and there are plenty that have gone almost unchanged mechanically during those extended periods.
The longest living motors have been revealed in a countdown by Autocar, with the one on sale longest unaltered gracing our roads for over six decades.
A number have gone from humble beginnings to being the biggest sellers of all time, while others have had less success but have clung on regardless.
If you add their ages up they come to a grand old 485 years, which shows sticking power is half the battle.
We run down the 10 with the longest on-sale sessions...
10. Mercedes G-Class - 38 years (1979-2017)
Kicking off with one of the most iconic car names out there, the G-Class - a motor produced for warfare but today circulates Mayfair.
The G-Wagon has become synonymous with luxury but was originally developed to be an agile all-terrain vehicle for both military and civilian use.
Mercedes and Steyr-Daimler-Puch created a joint company called Galandefahrzeug-Gesselschaft to make this capable car, and in 1979 the first G-Class was ready.
It remained almost unchanged for 38 years until it received a full makeover in 2017, with the all-new model debuting in 2018 with brand-new underpinnings.
9. Peugeot 504 - 38 years (1968-2006)
This is the car that could be credited with saving Peugeot in the 20th century.
Although French, the 504 was advertised under the motto 'Italian style, French soul' because it was designed in collaboration with Pininfarina.
An extended version of the popular family 404 car, the 504 debuted in September 1968 as an unconventional and robust modern car for the upper middle classes at a moment when passenger car sales were not looking rosy.
It was awarded Car of the Year and became a outright win for Peugeot and car production during a time of social unrest.
In the end over 3.7million models were built until the last car rolled off the production line in Nigeria in December 2005.
8. Hillman Hunter - 39 years (1966-2005)
The Hillman Hunter started out life in 1966.
Produced by the Rootes group, it replaced the Minx and Super Minx, and ended up looking rather like a Ford Cortina Mk2, even though it hit the market first.
Only those of a certain vintage will remember this car, which became one of Britain's best-selling vehicles during its 13 years of production.
The Hunter turned into the Paykan after Iran's national car company bought the rights to produce it from knock-down Rootes kits - and it soon became Iran's national car.
The remainder of Rootes is now owned by Peugeot, with assembly started in 1985, and was replaced by the Samand based on the Peugeot 405.
7. Mini - 41 years (1959-2000)
It's the most iconic British car ever made and had some of the most famous owners (from Twiggy to The Beatles) of all time.
A tiny car that fits four people, the Mini was designed by Alec Issigonis to fill the gap in the market for small, fuel efficient cars during the Suez Crisis.
From racing cars to the big screen, the Mini has done it all while capturing hearts and minds for over 40 years.
The classic Mini stopped production in October 2000, with a red Mini Cooper Sport rolling off the production line at Longbridge, Birmingham.
In the end 5.3 million Minis were made.
6. Citroën 2CV - 42 years (1948-1990)
The 2CV - or Deux Chevaux - is about as French as a baguette.
Legendarily designed pre-war to enable a farmer and family to cross a freshly ploughed field with a basket full of eggs without breaking them, prototypes of the original 2CV were hidden away during the Second World War.
It wasn't until almost 10 years after the design was first penned that it went on sale.
Between 1948 and 1990 nine million were sold when derivatives are factored in, with 5.1 million of the original 2CV being produced.
5. Lada Niva - 45 years and still going (1977-present)
Lada developed the Niva in 1977 and it is still going strong to this day.
Developed as a no-nonsense, capable and rugged off-roader that could tackle Serbian terrain, it shared parts with the Fiat-derived 2101.
It became an instant hit because it was so light and affordable - think of it as the Dacia Duster of its heyday.
Originally a rural car, it's since been marketed to urban drivers with three and five-door 4x4 hatchbacks also sold.
It's been in continuous production since 1977 and has had only had one minor facelift in 2020.
However there's a new model set to arrive in 2025, which will end its 45-year uninterrupted run.
4. Hindustan Ambassador - 49 years (1958-2007)
India's 'king of the roads' was introduced in 1958.
The compact car was immensely popular in the country and was considered a status symbol among the elite.
Based on the Morris Oxford series III, the sedan had boxy shape that won over fans and a 1.5-litre engine with 35hp - impressive for the 1950s.
It was the car of businessmen, politicians, movie stars and the elite, and was remarkably plush inside.
However its popularity declined in the 1990s as international car manufacturers entered the Indian market.
However, Peugeot paid £10million in 2017 to try and coax the Ambassador back to the Indian market.
3. Morgan 4/4 - 64 years (1955-2019)
Morgan is a British success story of heritage coachbuilding, and the 4/4 is its most enduring product.
While the Series 1 4/4 - Morgan's first car with four wheels - was first made in 1936, this Series 2 model with its uninterrupted production run arrived in 1955.
The Series 2 4/4 roadster overcame technological advances and changes in tastes and fashion to remain in production with only minor changes up until 2019.
The entry model in the Morgan range with0 the 1,172cc Ford 100E engine produced 36bhp and recorded a top speed of 75.3mph in 1965.
Still using the same ash wood framework, Morgan continued to bring 1910 traditions to the 4/4 even into the 21st century, and apart from a brief stint with a Fiat-sourced engine in the 1980s, the 4/4 only had very minor tweaks in its 64-year run.
2. Volkswagen Type 2 - 64 years (1949-2013)
Dubbed the most important van in history, the Type 2 came from humble origins compared to the iconic success it went on to have.
The Type 2 was produced to help Germany rebuild after WW2, with its mass market creation credited to Ben Pon, a Dutch VW importer, who saw the opportunity for a small bus to hit the big time.
So what started as a 'Plattenwagen' in the Wolfsburg factory, went on to be dubbed the Kombi, Transporter, Bus, Camper and Kleinbus - and became the most famous camper van of all time as a symbol for the hippie movement of the '60s.
Production continued in Latin America until the early 2010s when VW built its 600 'Last Edition' models exclusively for the Brazilian market.
Worldwide, VW has produced over 10 million Type 2 buses since its inception.
1. Volkswagen Beetle - 65 years (1938-2003)
The Volkswagen Beetle is officially the longest running production car in history.
It's probably the most famous too, known for being the car that put the world on wheels.
Originally intended to mobilise Nazi Germany, it wasn't mass produced until after the end of the Second World War.
Initially just called the Volkswagen - the 'people's car' - the Beetle as it became also went under the nicknames Käfer, Vocho, Coccinelle, Fusca, or Maggiolino.
Although no British or American manufacturer wanted it, with one British official even calling it an 'uneconomic enterprise', once production started in 1945 it was a runaway success with 21.5million first-generation cars sold.
It became the most popular car manufactured off a single platform of all time.
Production eventually ended in Mexico, where it had survived up until 2003. Unsurprisingly, it was new emissions rules that eventually killed off last ones, with a final run of Última Edición limited edition models.
The Bug pioneered cheap personal transport, and flipped the dark Nazi 'KdF-Wagen' (Strength through Joy car) into a light and happy 1960s flower power symbol.
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