The Complete List of Cars Made In 1951

The year 1951 sits at a turning point for the automotive world: manufacturers were shifting from wartime output to civilian models, blending practical engineering with emerging design trends across Europe, North America and beyond. This list highlights that transition and the variety of approaches taken by different makers.

There are 50 Cars Made in 1951, ranging from Alfa Romeo 1900 to Volvo PV444. For each entry you’ll find below Manufacturer,Country,Production (units) so you can compare who built them, where they came from, and how many were produced.

How accurate are the production totals listed here?

Production figures come from factory records, contemporary trade reports and specialist registries; many are exact but some rare-model numbers are best estimates when records are incomplete. Notes indicate source type or uncertainty where applicable, so treat unusually low counts as approximate.

Can I sort or compare models by country or output?

Yes — the Manufacturer,Country,Production (units) columns are formatted for sorting or filtering, so in a spreadsheet you can group by country to compare national output or sort by production to see which models were most common in 1951.

Cars Made in 1951

Images and Descriptions

Chevrolet Styleline Deluxe

America’s best-selling car in 1951. This mainstream family vehicle offered reliable performance and classic post-war styling in sedan, coupe, and convertible forms, making it a ubiquitous sight on US roads.

Ford Custom Victoria

Ford’s stylish answer to the Chevrolet Bel Air hardtop. Introduced mid-year, the Victoria featured a pillarless design that simulated a convertible look, proving immensely popular and setting a new trend in American automotive style.

Plymouth Cranbrook

Chrysler’s dependable, no-frills family car. The Cranbrook was known for its solid engineering and conservative styling, appealing to practical buyers who valued durability over flashy features. It was a mainstay of the low-priced field.

Studebaker Champion

Famous for its futuristic “bullet-nose” spinner grille designed by Raymond Loewy’s firm. The Champion was a standout design in an otherwise conservative market and was one of the first cars available with an automatic transmission from an independent maker.

Hudson Hornet

A legend on the racetrack, the 1951 Hornet debuted with a powerful 145 hp inline-six engine. Its exclusive “step-down” monobilt frame provided a lower center of gravity, giving it superior handling that dominated early NASCAR.

Nash Rambler

A pioneering American compact car. The Rambler was initially sold only as a well-equipped convertible, marketed as a fun, economical second car. It featured fixed side window frames for safety, a unique design for a convertible.

Cadillac Series 62

The epitome of American luxury and a symbol of post-war prosperity. The 1951 Series 62 featured iconic tailfins, a powerful 160 hp V8 engine, and was available with the smooth Hydra-Matic automatic transmission.

Volkswagen Beetle

The humble “people’s car” was rapidly expanding its reach across Europe. Known for its air-cooled rear engine, simple mechanics, and incredible reliability, the Beetle offered affordable and practical transportation for the masses.

Jaguar XK120

A breathtakingly beautiful sports car and one of the fastest production vehicles in the world. Its powerful 3.4-liter twin-cam inline-six engine and 120 mph top speed made it a global sensation and a dominant force in racing.

Porsche 356

The car that built the Porsche legend. In 1951, production moved from Austria to Zuffenhausen, Germany. These early, lightweight “split-window” coupes and cabriolets were praised for their nimble handling and superb build quality.

Mercedes-Benz 220 (W187)

Introduced at the 1951 Frankfurt Auto Show, the 220 was a modern six-cylinder luxury sedan that signaled Mercedes-Benz’s return to the premium market. It combined traditional quality with modern styling and performance.

Lancia Aurelia B20 GT

A technical masterpiece and perhaps the first true grand touring car. The Aurelia B20 GT coupe featured the world’s first production V6 engine, a transaxle for balanced handling, and elegant Pinin Farina styling.

Citroën 2CV

The famously utilitarian “Deux Chevaux” was designed to be cheap, simple, and capable of crossing a rough field without breaking eggs. Its soft suspension and air-cooled twin engine made it a quirky but beloved icon of French motoring.

Fiat 500C “Topolino”

The updated “Topolino” (little mouse) was Italy’s quintessential city car. This tiny, affordable vehicle provided essential post-war transportation, featuring an updated body and overhead-valve engine for better performance.

MG TD

The quintessential British sports car for the American market. The TD blended classic pre-war styling with modern updates like rack-and-pinion steering and independent front suspension, offering a fun, open-air driving experience.

Oldsmobile Super 88

A pioneer of the muscle car formula, the Super 88 combined Oldsmobile’s lighter body with its powerful “Rocket” V8 engine. It delivered impressive performance that made it a favorite among driving enthusiasts.

Buick Roadmaster

Buick’s flagship model was a large, luxurious car known for its smooth “Dynaflow” automatic transmission and powerful “Fireball” straight-eight engine. Its four “VentiPorts” on the fenders denoted its top-tier status.

Lincoln Cosmopolitan

Ford Motor Company’s premier luxury car. The Cosmopolitan was a large, modern sedan with slab-sided styling and a smooth V8 engine. It was a direct competitor to Cadillac and Chrysler’s Imperial.

Chrysler New Yorker

A premium American sedan that introduced Chrysler’s legendary 180 hp FirePower Hemi V8 engine in 1951. This powerful, technologically advanced engine set a new performance benchmark in the luxury car field.

Kaiser Special

A uniquely styled sedan from independent automaker Kaiser-Frazer. The 1951 models featured a dramatic redesign with a low beltline and large glass area, giving it the nickname “Anatomical.”

Holden 48-215 (FX)

Australia’s first domestically mass-produced car. Designed for rugged local conditions, the simple and durable 48-215 was an enormous success, providing reliable transportation and becoming a symbol of national identity.

Austin A40 Devon

A hugely popular and conventional small family saloon. The A40 was a major export success for Britain’s post-war recovery, prized for its reliability and economy. It was a common sight in the UK and across the Commonwealth.

Morris Minor

A masterpiece of design by Alec Issigonis. The Morris Minor was celebrated for its superb handling, precise steering, and surprisingly spacious interior. It became one of Britain’s most beloved and iconic cars.

Peugeot 203

The car that ensured Peugeot’s post-war survival. The 203 was a modern, reliable, and economical family car with unibody construction and an efficient overhead-valve engine. It was available in several body styles.

Renault 4CV

France’s answer to the Volkswagen Beetle. This small, affordable, rear-engined “people’s car” was instrumental in getting post-war France back on the road. Its practicality and low running costs made it a huge success.

Simca 9 Aronde

Launched in 1951, the Aronde was Simca’s first all-new design and a major success. This modern unibody saloon was stylish, economical, and performed well, becoming one of France’s most popular family cars of the decade.

Alfa Romeo 1900

Marketed as “the family car that wins races,” the 1900 was Alfa Romeo’s first assembly line-produced car. Its lively twin-cam four-cylinder engine and excellent handling made it a true sports sedan.

Ferrari 212 Inter

An exclusive V12-powered grand tourer for the world’s elite. Each 212 Inter was a hand-built masterpiece, featuring custom coachwork from top Italian design houses like Ghia, Vignale, and Touring.

Volvo PV444

A robust and popular family car that established Volvo’s reputation for safety and durability. Its American-inspired fastback styling and unibody construction were advanced for its time, and it was a huge success in Sweden.

Saab 92

Reflecting Saab’s aircraft heritage, the 92 was an incredibly aerodynamic car. It featured front-wheel drive, a two-stroke engine, and a strong safety-focused design. All early models were painted the same dark green.

Rover P4 75

Known affectionately as the “Auntie” Rover, the P4 was a high-quality, conservative saloon for the professional class. It was famous for its refined interior, solid construction, and unusual central “Cyclops” fog lamp.

Aston Martin DB2

A stunningly beautiful grand tourer that defined the post-war Aston Martin brand. It featured a sophisticated twin-cam inline-six engine designed by W.O. Bentley and elegant fastback coupe bodywork.

Mercedes-Benz 300 (W186)

The “Adenauer” limousine was Germany’s flagship luxury car, symbolizing the nation’s economic recovery. This large, hand-built saloon was favored by heads of state, including its namesake, Chancellor Konrad Adenauer.

Opel Kapitän

General Motors’ German offering in the large family car segment. The Kapitän was a solid, reliable six-cylinder sedan with American-influenced styling, popular with middle-class German buyers.

Chevrolet Fleetline

The fastback companion to the Styleline. The Fleetline offered a sleeker, more streamlined profile that appealed to buyers seeking a sportier look, though its popularity was waning in favor of notchback designs.

Pontiac Chieftain

Pontiac’s mainstream model, recognizable by its “Silver Streak” chrome trim. The Chieftain offered a choice of six or eight-cylinder engines and was seen as a solid step up from a Chevrolet.

Chrysler Imperial

Chrysler’s top-of-the-line model, designed to compete with Cadillac. In 1951, it received the powerful new 180 hp Hemi V8, making it one of the best-performing luxury cars in America.

Jaguar Mark VII

A large and luxurious high-performance saloon powered by the same 160 hp XK engine as the XK120. The Mark VII combined stately British elegance with sports car performance, making it a formidable vehicle.

Riley RME

A classic British sporting saloon. The RME featured traditional styling but was powered by Riley’s sophisticated 1.5-litre “big four” engine with twin camshafts, offering spirited performance for its class.

Hillman Minx Mark V

A quintessential British family car from the Rootes Group. The Minx was a sturdy, reliable, and popular choice for buyers looking for practical and economical transportation with a touch of style.

Allard K2

A brutish, minimalist sports car that combined a lightweight British chassis with powerful American V8 engines, typically from Ford or Cadillac. It was designed for enthusiasts who prioritized raw performance above all else.

Bristol 401

An exclusive, high-quality touring saloon with aerodynamic bodywork influenced by Italian designs. Built by an aircraft manufacturer, it featured superb engineering and a smooth BMW-derived six-cylinder engine.

Henry J Corsair

An economical compact car from Kaiser-Frazer, designed to be affordable for the average American. It was also sold through Sears, Roebuck and Co. department stores under the “Allstate” brand name.

Packard 200

The entry-level Packard for 1951, part of a controversial redesign that moved the brand downmarket. It offered Packard prestige at a lower price point but lacked the grand presence of its senior siblings.

Jowett Javelin

A technically advanced British saloon featuring a lightweight unibody, aerodynamic styling, and a unique flat-four engine. Its excellent handling and performance made it a standout in its class, though the company was short-lived.

Sunbeam-Talbot 90

A sporting saloon with a strong reputation in international rallying. The Mk II version, produced in 1951, featured an enlarged 2.2-litre engine, giving it improved performance for both road and competition use.

Tatra T600 Tatraplan

A fascinating and advanced car from behind the Iron Curtain. The Tatraplan continued Tatra’s legacy of aerodynamic, rear-engined designs with its distinctive streamlined body and air-cooled flat-four engine.

GAZ-12 ZIM

A large, six-passenger limousine produced for mid-level Soviet officials. Stylistically influenced by American cars of the era, the ZIM filled the gap between the mainstream Pobeda and the top-level ZIS-110.

Ford Taunus G93A

Known as the “Buckel” (hunchback), this was Ford of Germany’s primary passenger car. The design dated back to before the war, but it remained a popular, simple, and reliable choice for German consumers.

Panhard Dyna X

A quirky and lightweight small French car. The Dyna X was notable for its extensive use of aluminum, advanced engineering, and an efficient air-cooled two-cylinder engine, offering excellent fuel economy.

Cars Made in Other Years