Car sales collapsed at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic and remained depressed through most of last year. Among the causes were financial uncertainty and the inability of people to go to dealerships. The situation improved late last year, as American car sales began to normalize. The sales of some models, in particular, rose above their levels of a year ago. Additionally, car sales in general also got a boost because of historically low-interest rates, held down by the Federal Reserve, which allowed manufacturers to offer attractive car loan terms.
Car manufacturers ship vehicles to their dealers based on supply and on what the dealers believe they can sell by model. At the manufacturer’s end, factory output is an issue. At the dealer end, it is an educated guess about what the people in a market want.
Based on this manufacturer/dealer balance, the number of days a car typically sits on the dealer lot averages 48.9 days. Several cars are on lots for a much shorter time, due to either manufacturer factory limitations or huge consumer demand at the dealer level.
The car most in-demand in the United States last month, which makes it the fastest-selling car in America, is the Chevy Corvette, the flagship vehicle of the largest division of GM, as well as the only two-seat sports car that has been made continuously for over six decades (since 1953). The Corvette’s days-on-sell is 13.1 according to iSeeCars.
The Corvette has a base price of $59,900. The 2021 version carries the “Stingray” designation, which Chevy has used off and on over the years. The convertible version of the Corvette sells for as much as $90,125. The car runs on a 495 horsepower engine and can go 0 to 60 in 2.9 seconds.
iSeeCars Executive Analyst Karl Brauer commented about the fastest-selling cars in general, which are those with the fewest days on the lot: “While the fastest-selling new cars span many price points from $24,278 to $102,537, the average for these 20 vehicles is $43,829, which is well above the $36,836 average price of all new cars.”
The 20 Fastest-Selling Cars in America
| Vehicle | Average Days to Sell |
|---|---|
| Chevrolet Corvette | 13.1 |
| Lexus IS 350 | 14.5 |
| Lexus RX 450h | 15.2 |
| Cadillac Escalade | 16.6 |
| Kia Telluride | 17.0 |
| Toyota RAV4 Hybrid | 19.5 |
| Toyota Tacoma | 20.2 |
| BMW X7 | 20.3 |
| Mercedes-Benz GLS | 20.5 |
| Toyota Sienna | 21.5 |
| Toyota Land Cruiser | 22.0 |
| Cadillac Escalade ESV | 22.2 |
| Hyundai Palisade | 23.4 |
| Toyota C-HR | 23.6 |
| GMC Yukon XL | 24.1 |
| Toyota Tundra | 24.8 |
| Lexus IS 300 | 24.9 |
| Lexus GX 460 | 25.1 |
| Toyota RAV4 | 25.1 |
| Genesis GV80 | 25.6 |
Click here to see the 25 cars disappearing the fastest.
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