CloseHello everyone. I have an assignment for my History of Design class that is a very dear subject to all of us, cars. When I saw this was an option I jumped at the idea. I have to compile a list of the 40 most influential cars from 1900 to present. As I looked up information I figures I could count on the members of RT to give me some opinions on the subject.
Thanks to all in advance 
- ford model t
- vw käfer
- porsche 356
- ford mustang
- jaguar e-type
- lamborghini countach
- toyota landcruiser
- landrover defender
- mercedes 300sl
- jeep willy or cj-6
just a few that came to mind
The Ford Model T and the VW Beetle are among the most influential because they brought automotive transportation to ordinary people which in turn transformed the 20th Century. The original Benz motorcar should also be included on any list of influential automobiles. Technological advances should also be considered, the first V8, first automatic transmission, etc.
"Don't worry about avoiding temptation, as you grow older it will avoid you" Churchill
in no particular order:
Ford Model T
Tucker Sedan (A car ahead of its time in terms of safety and design)
VW Beetle
A/C Cobra
Austin Healey
49 Mercury Coupe (A long standing favorite of the "Lead Sled" classic)
48 Cadillac (Car that started the "tailfin" era in design)
Ford Mustang (The first Pony car)
Aston Martin DB5
Ford F-Series Pick-Up Truck (A long standing icon of the Pick-Up truck world)
Porsche 911
Bugatti Type 57 Atlanique
Bugatti Veyron
Toyota Prius
Lamborghini Countach
Plymouth Road Runner
Mercedes 300SL
Land Rover Range Rover
Jeep
67-69 Chevy Camaro
Ford GT40
Ferrari 250 GTO
Ferrari F40
Nissan 240Z
Nissan Skyline
Toyota Camry (Benchmark car for decades now.)
Dodge Caravan / Plymouth Voyager (Started the minivan category)
Ford Explorer (Started the SUV category)
Corvette Stingray
McLaren F1
Apr 10, 2011 6:31:19 PM
Ford Model T - mass production
Ford GT40 - racing success from engineering
Ford F-series, trucking in North America (cultural+economic)
Porsche 911 - I had a dream....
Porsche 944 - most copied entry level sports car design ever!
Porsche 959 - technology leap forward, brakes, suspension, AWD...
Porsche 930 - first production Turbo car
Mercedes-benz EVER S-Class generation - new technologies, Mercedes is responsible for traction control, ABS, power steering, active headlights, etc.. TECHNOLOGICAL ADVANCES
Jaguar E-Type - out of world performance
Mercedes SL300 - out of world performance
VW Bettle - mass production simplicity
Mini - mass production simplicity
Audi Quattro - first AWD system, huge to the world.
Citroen DS - new way of looking at comfort (air suspension)
indeed shifting is ancient technology - so is a fuel burning engine.. I happen to like both :)
Joost:
In light of modern developments; Lohner Porsche? Very early hybrid car, see here
I spent about 40 minutes last night typing my list, including reasons for some of them, only to have my list disappear into the ether when I punched the post button! 
The Lohner Porsche was on my list, right after the original Benz (which was however from before the 1900 start date specified).
fritz
Oh wow I'm sorry to hear that fritz, thank you so much for the effort anyways.
Its due thursday so I'll try to compile it later tonight or tomorrow. I'll post the final list here when I'm done.
I also had to compile the list of the 40 most influential pieces of film and 40 of the most important (since there are so many) works of architecture. I have those lists done and I could post the final paper here when i'm done if anyone is interested in seeing it.
I certainly agree with most of the lists above but would like to add the Ford Cortina, certainly as far as the UK is concerned. This was the UK's most popular car of the 1970's and was produced between 1962 - 82. All variants of the Cortina sold over one million, with each successive model proving more popular than its predecessor.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ford_Cortina
"Things turn out best for people who make the best of the way things turn out."
Enmanuel:
I also had to compile the list of the 40 most influential pieces of film and 40 of the most important (since there are so many) works of architecture. I have those lists done and I could post the final paper here when i'm done if anyone is interested in seeing it.
I'd be very interested in reading your paper if you post it here later. 
I made another attempt at drawing up a list of influential cars.
It's no great surprise that sports cars are over-represented 
:
Benz the original (but pre-1900)
Lohner Porsche the electric car others are emulating 100 years later
Ford Model T made motoring for the masses possible
Lancia Lambda (1923) the first unibody car
Bugatti Type 57
Cord 810
Citroen Traction Avant
VW Beetle the original
Willys Jeep
Land Rover the 1948 original
Jowett Javelin
Jaguar XK120/140/150
Panhard Dyna aluminium body
Triumph TR Series affordable sports cars
Mercedes Benz 300SL
VW Microbus
Citroen DS
Lotus Elite FRP unibody, super light sports coupe
Issigonis Mini
Porsche 911 50 years of form following function, with development triumphing over design after the first few 
Jaguar E-Type
AC Cobra
Lamborghini 350GT Feruccio L. built a better Ferrari than Enzo F.
Lamborghini Miura
Corvette Stingray best US attempt to build an Euro-style sports car
Ford Mustang Iacocca’s original
Renault R16 first hatchback family car
Jensen Interceptor FF 4WD, antilock brakes
Rover 2000
NSU Ro80 Wankel engine
Range Rover
Fiat 128
Alfa Romeo Alfasud
VW Golf
Audi quattro
Porsche 928
Renault Espace first minivan
Porsche 959
McLaren F1
Couldn’t really come up with any obvious candidates after that.
PS: I'm inclined to add JohnH's Ford Cortina. It was quite a car until it lost its way in its last incarnation, and the Sierra that followed it never had the same appeal.
--
fritz
VW Golf GTi Mk 1 ......... ground zero for the modern hot hatch.
Audi 100 ........ first main stream production car designed with a low drag coefficient as a priority.
Fiat Tipo ......... first car to use platform engineering, a process that is now common place amongst mass manufacturers.
About Rennteam | Help | Terms of use | Privacy Policy | Support | Contact | Imprint | Archive
Powered by
Community
and
you are being very helpful 
