So far, in 2021, over 73 million cars have been produced by the world's manufacturers, and you can watch that growth in car manufacture in real-time, thanks to a live tracker hosted by respected data researchers, Worldometer.

The data on global car production displayed on the Worldometer's counter is based on the latest statistics on worldwide car production issued by the International Organization of Motor Vehicle Manufacturers (OICA). A formula based on the current data available, historical trends, and projections is used to estimate total cars produced in the current year.

The count excludes light commercial vehicles and focuses exclusively on passenger vehicles, including SUVs, which account for 74 per cent of annual production. Global production topped the 70 million mark for the first time in 2016 when 72,105,435 new cars and SUVs rolled off the global production lines. Of those, 33.9 per cent came from China, a country quickly emerging as the number one carmaker in the world.

There is an estimate that there are currently one billion cars on the road worldwide, with half of those cars registered in China and the United States. With an estimated 17 million vehicles on its roads, Australia is a minnow when it comes to vehicle ownership.