Bump bumpah…bwaaampapa, babampapa…

That’s how I spell out the Curb Your Enthusiasm theme song. And I’m totally convinced that Larry David played a very integral part in what I’m about to write to you.

He’s known for toting around Los Angeles in a Toyota Prius, which resembles his nonchalant attitude to the entertainment industry and Hollywood in general (not driving a Jaguar, for instance). And the Prius, maybe partially because it’s played a prominent role in the show, is now the third best-selling car in the world.

That’s right; the fifteen year-old Prius is now mainstream, trailing only the Ford Focus and Toyota’s other leading model, the Corolla, in global sales.

In the first quarter, Toyota was able to unload 247,230 Priuses, which is more than double its efforts from the previous quarter. Sales increased substantially here in the U.S. and also in Japan, where rebates and tax breaks are saving Japanese families $2,500 per car. Also helping sales is the expansion of the Prius model line, which now includes four cars (the Prius hatchback, wagon, plug-in and Prius c).

The 300,800 Corolla’s sold and 18% growth of Toyota’s other models and brands helped the company total 2.49 million sales in the quarter, enough for the global lead and ahead of GM (2.28 million units) and Volkswagen (2.16 million).

Since Toyota began selling the Prius in 1997, 4 million have been sold across the world, easily making it the highest selling hybrid vehicle.

Ol’ Larry was clearly on to something. He is responsible for changing the modern sitcom with Seinfeld and altering a generation’s sense of humor by redefining what can be considered “funny”, so it’s not all that surprising he’s driving a popular car.

If you feel like getting in on this trend and want a new Prius at a WAY better price, head over to CarWoo!.