Tesla (TSLA)

Despite extreme volatility and controversy around its CEO, Tesla delivered staggering returns for early believers as it grew from niche automaker to the world's most valuable car company. Its stock surged over 1,000% in the past five years, beating the second-best automotive stock in this list by 300%. Moreover, its market cap of $1.2 trillion is 50% higher than the average for the other top 5 automakers globally.