Mazda Marks Production Of 3 Million Mazda3 Compacts

Mazda announced today they have reached a production milestone of three million Mazda3 units as of April 26, 2011. The car is built in three factories (Japan, China, Thailand) and sold in roughly 90 countries and regions. In North America alone, over 1.1 million Mazda3s have been sold, becoming the fastest-selling model in Mazda’s current lineup of passenger vehicles.

Mazda has explained the success of this car through three factors: its distinctive design, its functionality, and its responsive handling. The wide range of models has also been a successful factor. Pricing has also been very competitive in the U.S starting at just over $16,000. The high performance Mazdaspeed3, has also been favorable to auto enthusiasts around the world.

It is quite an achievement for Mazda, considering it took nearly 22 years to hit 900,000 MX-5 Miatas. The Mazda3 three tripled that number in less than eight years.

Mazda’s senior managing executive officer, Hirotaka Kanazawa said, “Its sustained global success has seen it grow into Mazda’s mainstay model, and it now comprises a third of all Mazda vehicle sales.”

Hit the jump to see a list of the top 10 Best Selling Cars of All Time

The Top 10 Best Selling Cars of All Time include:

1 Toyota Corolla (1966- Present) 32 million units

2 Ford F-Series (1948-Present) 30.0 million units

3 VW Golf (1974-Present) 25.0 million units

4 VW Beetle (1938-1979) 2.3 million units

5 Ford Escort (1967- 2003) 20 million units

6 Honda Civic (1972-Present) 17.7 million units

7 Ford Model T (1908-1927) 16.5 million units

8 Honda Accord (1976- Present) 15.8 million units

9 VW Passat (1973- Present) 14.1 million units

10 Chevy Impala (1958- Present) 14 million units

[Source: WYO Tech]