I’ve read that there have been over a million Chevrolet Corvettes sold. I have a book that says the MGB sold over half a million. So, is the MGB (1962-1980) the second most popular sports car? What about the Porsche 911 series, which has been in production since 1964/65?
Is the Corvette indeed the largest-selling sports car? If not, what is? And what is the second largest-selling one?
Mazda Miata passed the half million mark in 1999, and you find claims that it is the world’s “best selling sports car”, etc. One supposes they are basing this on yearly sales figures, but if it remains popular enough to stay in production for many more years, it should close on the Corvette.
You will also have to define what you mean by a “sports car”. How many Ford Mustangs have been made?
Stupid question: what’s an MGB?
miata != sports car
Mustang <> sports car
This argument ≠ sensible or appropriate for GQ.
Rest assured that I don’t think so either, I was just making the point that we have to define the term fairly carefully before we can answer the question. I think the Miata DOES qualify, however, though I’m willing to entertain some definition that excludes it. And the Miata is way over a half million seller at this point.
There has been a butt ton of Mazda RX-7s over the years (especially between 79 and 89). The Nissan Z has been around for a long time too, although I don’t think it ever saw the numbers the RX-7 did or the Miata does.
…and no, a Mustang is NOT a sports car. Its a “Pony” car.
“Mazda Miata – An MGB tha Works!” 
Right, I was thinking about the Miata. L.A. is crawling with them. (L.A. is crawling with lots of sports cars. The Miata seems to be the most popular based on casual observation, followed by the Porsche 911 series and the Boxster.) The Miata resembles the MGB very vaguely. It seems to have about the same dimensions. I heard that when the Miata was being designed, Mazda engineers tried to get the exhaust note to sound like an MG’s.
What is a sports car? Hm. It’s one of those things that if I think about it I have a hard time defining it (especially before coffee), but I know one when I see one. Dictionary.com defines a sports car as “An automobile equipped for racing, especially an aerodynamically shaped one-passenger or two-passenger vehicle having a low center of gravity and steering and suspension designed for precise control at high speeds.” That seems a little narrow, since a 911 has four seats (although the rear seats are child-sized – I have had four adults in a 911).
I agree with you, but for me it’s “I calls 'em likes I sees 'em.” To me, a sports car is a Porsche, MGB, Miata, Ferrari, Alpine, Lotus, Corvette, BMW M3, Fiat, Alfa Romeo Spyder, etc. A Mustang seems to me to be more of a small GT. But then, what’s a Porsche 928? I think of it as a sports car, but it’s really more of a GT as well.
So is the Corvette still the largest-selling sports car? Is the Miata now second? Is the MGB third? How many 911s/Carerras have been sold?
amarone: I was thinking of the Fiat roadsters, or perhaps the X1/9.
Watch Fletch if you have any doubts.
OK. It was just that your list gave specific models when the manufacturer doesn’t make just sports cars (BMW M3, Alfa Spyder), but said just “Fiat”, like “Ferrari”.
Maybe Porsches will need to be categorized, now they are making SUVs.
Off to IMHO.
Vroooom!
My vote goes to the Z car. I don’t have a cite, but I always thought it was the second best selling car of all time (behind VW Beetle). I think it surpassed a million units (and Corvette) in the early 90’s? Sold from 1970 - 1996; maybe sales of the 2003 350z will help the model regain/maintain 1st…
I owned an RX-7 Special Edition and my wife is driving a Miata, now. I hope somehow to be able to have an RX-8 in the future.
[ul]:o [sup]Sorry, I spaced out for a moment there.[/sup][/ul]
Is that considered one car? I’m pretty sure that officially the newest Porsche Carerra is still a 911 (something like “911-996” – FWIW, the first ones in 1964 were "909"s, but Peugeot made them change it – and the Corvette has always been called a “Corvette”). But is the 350Z the “same” car as the 240Z, in the same way that the “911” is still a 911 and a “Corvette” is still a Corvette?
I’ll second this.
Johnny I think you have a point. I guess the ‘Z Series’ is a bit too generic to be considered one sports car… Interesting though- is the original 70’s celica-supra still the same car as the MKIV (90’s) Toyota Supra? Maybe not so much the same since the model was split into two. Is the 70’s Rx-7 considered the same car as the 90’s prescription? How about the new Rx-8?