text: It may not be as fast as a Ferrari or as regal as a Rolls Royce but the most popular type of car in the world is 50 years old this year as the humble hatchback hits its half century. The car shape originally designed to help French farmers transport their sheep to market now accounts for a staggering two in every three cars sold in the UK. And it is just as popular across the world from Munich to Mexico City thanks to its practical design, economy and comfort. The model credited with being the world’s first ever hatchback was the Renault 16 unveiled in April 1965 . The Renault 4: the forerunner to the Renault 16 was first designed to allow French farmers to transport sheep . The model credited with being the world’s first ever hatchback was unveiled to the public with the launch of France’s Renault 16 in April 1965. Now it accounts for a staggering two thirds of all new cars sold in Britain and a majority of those sold in most other markets from Europe to Japan and, increasingly, the US too. In the UK, seven of the top ten sellers last year - including the top five - are classed as hatchbacks. This is defined as a car which has a boot that lifts up from the roof but the outline of the car is no bigger than if it were a standard saloon (so estate cars and 4x4s are not classed as hatchbacks for instance.) Yet when the first one went on sale in 1965, the name hatchback did not even exist. It only came into use in the 70s as an alternative to the American term ‘liftback’ for such cars. The Renault 16 was the first mass produced hatchback in the world. It was described by then Renault president Pierre Dreyfus as a ‘voiture a vivre’ - a car for every aspect of life. Britain’s answer to the pioneering Renault  was the very similar looking, but poorly built, Austin Maxi (pictured) The very popular Austin Mini Metro by Austin Rover was launched in 1980 and then relaunched in 1995 . Like the earlier Renault 4, the boot was hinged to the roof but unlike the R4, the chassis had not been extended to facilitate this. There had been clique luxury cars with a similar boot but the R16 was revolutionary for a mass produced car with a hatch at the back and seats which folded down. And it became the first time cars were called either ‘three door’ or ‘five door.’ The Ford focus the world's best selling nameplate . Not only is the Ford Focus the word's best selling hatchback but also the best selling automobile nameplate in the world. Ford began sales of the Focus to Europe in July 1998 and in North America during 1999. In 2010 Ford decided to reunite both international and North American models by releasing the international Mk3 worldwide. The previous North American version was discontinued, and the new model was launched simultaneously in North America and Europe in early 2011. As of the first half of 2012, the Focus surpassed the Toyota Camri as the world's best-seller . Renault celebrated the car’s 50th anniversary with a retrospective exhibition in Paris this week. It said: “The goal was to design a high-end mid-sized car that would set itself completely apart from the opposition: a family car adapted to every aspect of modern life, boasting the functionality and versatility of an estate while delivering the comfort and elegance of a saloon car.” The car was a critical and commercial success leading to generations of copycat rivals. Better rivals came from Japan - the Nissan Sunny (pictured) along with the Honda Civic and the Toyota Camry . Britain’s answer to it was the very similar looking, but poorly built, Austin Maxi. It was so poor that even the factory workers at the time were reluctant to use their company discount to own one. Better rivals came from Japan - the Nissan Sunny, Honda Civic and the Toyota Camry which became one of the world’s best selling cars of the 70s. The Germans followed with the Opel Kadett, which later became the Vauxhall Astra and the early VW Passat, a forerunner to the massively successful VW Golf. The VW Golf GTI and the Ford Escort XR3i from the golden age of the hatchback as a cult car . Ford brought out its own bestseller, the Fiesta and Fiat launched the Uno. European motorists snapped up hatchbacks by the million. America took longer to get the hatchback bug. Cheap petrol and a love of gas guzzling motors and pick ups meant they were reluctant to change at first. Gradually throughout the 1970s, most major manufacturers began to bring out hatchback versions of existing saloons, like the Ford Escort and Vauxhall Cavalier. The Americans finally followed suit with hatchback versions of their most popular cars including the Mustang and Chevette. Italian manufacturere Fiat launched its hatchback the Uno to challenge European rivals in 1983 . Then in the 80s came the Mini Metro and perhaps the most popular hatchback of all time, the Volkswagen Golf, which is still made to this day. This was also the decade which saw the arrival of the ‘Hot Hatch’ - souped up GTi versions of popular hatchback models including the Golf and Peugeot 205, which became synonymous with yuppies and so-called ‘boy racers.’ Now, hatchbacks are both popular and highly rated. The What Car? Car of the Year for 2015 was a hatchback, the new Skoda Fabia. The Nano: Designed to be the world's cheapest car . Made and Sold in India by Tata the Nano was designed to be the world's cheapest car and released at a price of US$1,600. Tata Motors began development of an affordable car that would appeal to the many Indians who ride motorcycles. The purchase price of the car was brought down by dispensing with most nonessential features. Hatchbacks are incredibly popular in popular in India. The nation's Maruti 800 has sold 2.66 million since 1983. What Car? editor, Jim Holder, said: “At What Car?, we see every day how the popularity of the hatchback both endures and increases. “For a vast majority of buyers the added practicality offered by a hatchback is a necessity, and despite the rise in sales of supposedly more upmarket saloons we see no reason for that trend to change.” Of 2.26 million cars sold in the UK last year, 1.5 million were hatchbacks. Of the top ten best sellers, the top five were hatchbacks - the Fiesta and Focus from Ford, the Corsa and Astra by Vauxhall and the VW Golf. The VW Polo is seventh in the table and the Audi A3 is eighth. The What Car? Car of the Year for 2015 was a hatchback, the new Skoda Fabia (pictured)
target: Car first designed to help French farmers transport their sheep for sale .
  From humble origins the 50-year-old hatchback is popular the world over .
  Accounting for two thirds of cars sold in the UK it dominates most markets .