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The Dodge Challenger has always been a popular car, but will it beat the Ford Mustang for the best-selling sports car of 2021? This year, things have been challenging for all manufacturers, and the Mustang has seen a slump in sales. However, Dodge has not been immune to such issues and has seen solid sales numbers.

The Dodge Challenger is the best selling compact car so far this year

The Dodge Challenger Might Beat the Ford Mustang for Best Selling Sports Car
The Dodge Challenger is having a good year for sales | Joel Lerner/Xinhua via Getty Images

CarSalesBase has sales numbers for the Dodge Challenger for the first three quarters of 2021. Sports cars, such as the Challenger, Ford Mustang, and Chevrolet Camaro, are up one percent overall. CarSalesBase lists these vehicles in the “compact sports car” category. Cars like the Chevrolet Corvette, Porsche 911, and BMW 8-series fall into the “large sports car” category.

In 2021 so far, the Dodge Challenger has sold 44,142 units. That is up 15% over 2020, where it sold 38,350 units in the same amount of time. 73% of deliveries in the U.S. were one of the sports cars previously mentioned, the Mustang, Challenger, Camaro, and Corvette. The first three are locked in a battle for the title of the best-selling sports car.

In the last few years, the Ford Mustang has been in the top spot. The Challenger beat the Camaro in 2018 and is coming for the Mustang now. If the sales continue in the same direction, the Dodge can be a top seller.

2021 has been the year of the Dodge Challenger

In Q3 of 2021 alone, the Dodge Challenger has seen 14,000 units sold to the Mustang’s 9,100 units. If Dodge can continue to dominate sales for the final part of the year, it will be the first time Dodge manages to have the best-selling sports car in the U.S.

In the large sports car segment, the Chevrolet Corvette has only sold 24,748 units so far. That is still 54.8% of the entire segment, followed only by the Porsche 911 with 6,729 units sold. Chevy has been working hard on getting Corvettes produced and delivered. The sales numbers reflect that, but it has a long way to go.

It isn’t clear why the sports cars are divided into “compact sports car” and “large sports car” in such a way. Even then, the Challenger will be bigger than the Porsche 911, and that is classified as a large sports car. Is the Challenger even a sports car?

The Ford Mustang is holding onto the “best selling sports car” title for now

According to Ford’s European sales numbers, the Mustang isn’t selling quite as well this year. The Ford Mustang has sold 2,707 units so far this year in Europe. Compared to the new-to-market Mustang Mach-E, which has sold 15,602 units this year. The semiconductor chip shortage has had a significant impact on production but is the era of the Ford Mustang coming to an end?

The funny part is, there isn’t much new about the Dodge Challenger. It seems to be having some late-stage surge in popularity because it hasn’t been redesigned in years. That doesn’t seem to matter to buyers, though. Keep up the good work, Dodge.

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Amanda Cline

Amanda Cline is an avid fan of Formula 1 and joined MotorBiscuit in 2021. A Southwest Floridian, she easily and often finds automotive events to attend in the Tampa, Orlando, and Miami areas.
Amanda is a graduate of the University of Central Florida, where she earned a Bachelor’s in English Literature and a Master’s in Technical Communication. Combining her editorial and digital media expertise, Amanda served as a content creator for FanSided and now provides our readers with a variety of automotive subject matter like pickup trucks and SUVs, including valuable consumer advice.

Amanda closely follows many F1 drivers, including Lewis Hamilton, George Russell, and the Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS F1 Team. Her all-time favorite author is Shel Silverstein.