15 Vehicles With the Longest Running Nameplates

The automotive landscape is constantly changing, with makes and models coming and going all the time. But there are a few nameplates that continue to be renewed generation after generation. Here are 15 of the longest-running nameplates in the U.S.

Honda Accord

In 1976, Honda introduced a compact car that was larger than the Civic but still economical. The company chose the name “Accord” because its goal with the model was to achieve harmony between society, people, and the automobile amid the 1970s oil crisis. The first-gen Accord was offered as a hatchback, with a sedan model added in 1979. Many different body styles have been offered since then, including coupes, wagons, and the crossover-like Crosstour, but the Accord is at its best as a midsize sedan.

BMW 3 Series

It’s hard to imagine a time when there wasn’t a BMW 3 Series, but before 1975 the acclaimed luxury sport sedan didn’t exist. The E21-generation 3 Series was the successor to the popular 2002. It was larger but initially not any more powerful because of stringent emissions regulations. A six-cylinder engine was eventually offered in Europe, but the U.S. had to wait for 1982 and the second generation to get the inline-six the 3 Series is known for today. The model comes in many flavors, including the performance-oriented M3.

Volkswagen Golf

Sold in the U.S. as the Volkswagen Rabbit until 1985, the Mark 1 Golf arrived in 1974 as a replacement for the venerable Beetle. The Golf was fundamentally very different from the model it was intended to replace, being a front-wheel-drive hatchback with a water-cooled inline-four engine. But the car proved to be a hit, selling 1.5 million first-gen units in the U.S. The formula hasn’t changed much seven generations later, though the model is now offered as a wagon and with all-wheel drive through the Golf R.

Honda Civic

The Honda Civic arrived in 1973, just in time for the oil crisis. Like its big brother, the Accord, the Civic offered economical transportation at a time when high gas prices and choking emissions restrictions made other options less attractive. Since then, the Civic has become a compact segment staple, offering a good blend of fuel economy, handling, and value.

Nissan Z Car

The Z car helped put Nissan (then Datsun) on the map when it arrived for the 1970 model year. It also helped elevate Japanese cars as a whole — they were widely considered second-rate up until that point. The Z had a six-year gap in production between the 300ZX and 350Z models, though production of the Z32-generation 300ZX continued in Japan until 2000. The Z car’s mission changed over the years, but the basic formula of a rear-drive, six-cylinder two-door carries on today.

Jaguar XJ

The Jaguar XJ wasn’t the first large sedan with a leaping cat on the hood, but it’s the one that has lived the longest. The model was introduced in 1968 with an all-six-cylinder engine lineup, though a V-12 “Double-Six” model was added later to revive the Daimler marque. Queen Elizabeth II has owned several XJ-based Daimlers. Today, the XJ quietly competes with the Mercedes-Benz S-Class and BMW 7 Series, offered with supercharged V-6 or V-8 power.

Toyota Corolla

The Corolla ties with the XJ, having been introduced in 1968. Following the naming convention started by the Toyota Crown, the Corolla is named after an ancient headdress. The model began life as a tiny rear-wheel-drive coupe but is best known today in the U.S. as a front-drive C-segment sedan. Not only is the Corolla an old nameplate, but Toyota claims it’s also the best-selling nameplate ever.

Ford Mustang

With more than 50 years under its belt, the Ford Mustang can safely claim to be one of the oldest continuous nameplates in America. First introduced at the 1964/1965 New York World’s Fair, the Mustang was available as a 2+2 coupe or convertible initially. A fastback model was added later, along with higher-performance variants like the GT, Mach 1, and Boss 302. The Mustang is now in its fifth generation, with no signs of slowing down anytime soon.

Porsche 911

The Porsche 911 arrived in 1963 as a replacement for the 356. The original car made the mold for all models that followed, with its streamlined coupe body, rear-engine layout, and flat-six-cylinder engine. Today, 911s are no longer air-cooled, and they come in turbocharged and all-wheel-drive flavors, but the lineage is still very easy to see.

Mercedes-Benz SL

Mercedes‘ SL nameplate dates all the way back to 1954 with the famous gullwing-doored 300SL coupe. The letter designation stood for “Sport Leicht,” or sport lightweight, referring to the car’s aluminum body and tubular space frame. A roadster version came in 1957, and from that point on all SL models were convertibles. Today, the SL can be had with a twin-turbo V-6 all the way up to a 621-hp twin-turbo V-12.

Chevrolet Corvette

The Corvette, which debuted in 1953, has the SL beat by only a year. The first-generation model, or C1, was offered only as a convertible with an inline-six or V-8 engine. A coupe model didn’t come until a decade later with the C2-generation 1963 split-window Corvette. Seven generations later the Corvette is still going strong, with up to 650 hp available in the 2015 Corvette Z06 supercar.

Toyota Land Cruiser

Though the Land Cruiser didn’t enter the U.S. market until 1960, it’s been in production since 1951. Much like the modern Jeep Wrangler, the Land Cruiser evolved from a military vehicle, which is where it gets its extremely rugged reputation. Over the years, the Land Cruiser has grown significantly, becoming more luxurious but still boasting impressive off-road capability. The now-departed FJ Cruiser was a tribute to the Land Cruisers of old. Toyota recently reissued a limited number of 1980s-designed FJ70 Land Cruisers in Japan.

Volkswagen Beetle

This one makes it onto the list on a technicality. The VW Beetle first arrived in the U.S. in 1949 as the Type 1. The car traces its history back to Nazi Germany, where it was first nicknamed the “Beetle.” However, Volkswagen didn’t use the Beetle name officially until the 1960s. The first Beetles were small and slow, but they were reliable thanks to their relative simplicity. Beetle sales ceased in the U.S. in 1977, but production continued elsewhere in the world until 2003. The front-drive New Beetle arrived in 1998, and its successor carries the iconic shape into the 21st century.

Ford F-Series

Ford‘s F-Series pickup family dates back to 1948, with the F-1, F-2, and F-3 models. Before the F-Series, Ford trucks were based on existing car platforms. By the second generation, the F-Series adopted the naming convention we’re familiar with today. Today, the F-Series is by far Ford’s best-selling product line, with more than 763,000 units sold in 2014 — not far off the cumulative number of cars Ford sold last year.

Chevrolet Suburban

The Suburban is undisputed as the oldest surviving nameplate in the U.S., dating back to 1935. The first Suburbans were essentially station wagons built on truck frames. In 1955, the Suburban name was also used on a GMC truck called the two-door Suburban Carrier. The Suburban is now in its 12th generation and is among the largest passenger vehicles on the road.