MM Retro Write-Up: The Ten Most Influential Vehicles in Automotive History.
#16
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Yes, Steve is correct on the RAV-4....Camry platform it is. Should have remembered that. Sorry, JDR76, I'll stand corrected on that one. (I've been writing about cars for so long that is sometimes gets difficult now to remember everything, and I sometimes make typos).
#17
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Actually, many of today's 21st-century hybrids and electrics can probably be traced, in one form or another, to the very significant Prius, which was introduced at the very start of the century. Steve may (?) have a point with the Tesla Model S, although the Model 3 is outselling it by an enormous margin. If you really pressed me to add one more to make it an MM dozen, I'd have to maybe go with the Chris-Bangle (E65-68) BMW 7-series, which was produced from 2001-2008. At the time, I absolutely despised them, for several reasons.....among them the Bangle-Butt trunk-lids, thinner sheet metal, and the I-Drive screen. But that dash-screen, like it or not (and Audi's similar MMI screen a little later) completely changed the way that future dash and controls were designed in most vehicles, and we still see the effects today.
#18
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Good list. Mini is highly over looked in automotive history the car became the inspiration for every FWD platform we have today. On the original RAV4 it was a mix between Camry and Corolla the engine and drivetrain first seen on the Camry and Celica All-Trac.
#19
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Thanks.
The Mini did indeed influence most of the later FWD designs, although some of them, like GM's 1966 Toronado/Eldorado, and some Renault designs, still went with Longitudinal engines, or, like Subaru, with horizontal flat-engines. The Subaru flat-engines, BTW, with their output-shafts in the rear, are one reason why their AWD drive systems are so simple and effective, and easier to repair. They don't have to use added hardware to re-route the torque backwards, which, all else equal, means fewer parts, lower weight, simpler mechanics, and the "Symmetrical" left-to-right balance that Subaru likes to use in their ads, along with the low center of gravy of the flat-cylinder engines.
#22
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Give me a break. All the great innovation comes from America. . Best selling vehicle is the F series
#24
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Porsche 911
Toyota Corolla
i agree with Chrysler Minivan. Same with Tesla S
Last edited by Toys4RJill; 01-13-22 at 06:34 PM.
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#26
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Ford's pickup trucks go back to 1917, when the first one was done off the Model T's frame. The F-series has sold very well over the years, but, aside from maybe the Twin-I-Beam independent front suspension introduced in 1964, and the conversion to an aluminum body a few years ago (IMO, at least), the F-Series did not really add very much to the state of truck design.
The Navigator, initially, sold mainly to celebrities and NFL/NBA athletes. It was a status-symbol more than a real advance in truck/SUV engineering. The latest Navigator, with its handsome styling and vastly-improved interior, is more of an advance than past-generations were. But it is certainly not worthy, IMO, of being on the Top Ten All-Time List..
Same with the Escalade. Until the very latest new version (which, like the latest Navigator, is at least a significant advancement), it was little more than a converted Bling-Truck than anything else...and the original one wasn't even that...it had a cheap interior for something in that class.
Lincoln Navigator was very influential
Same with the Escalade. Until the very latest new version (which, like the latest Navigator, is at least a significant advancement), it was little more than a converted Bling-Truck than anything else...and the original one wasn't even that...it had a cheap interior for something in that class.
Last edited by mmarshall; 01-13-22 at 06:48 PM.
#27
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You're not choosing cars based on how "good" they were lol, its about what cars had the most significant impact on the industry as a whole...which were influential.
Another one that deserves to be on the list is the Ford Taurus.
Another one that deserves to be on the list is the Ford Taurus.
#28
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I agree. But Taurus is totally defunct now. I think some modern relevance should be sort of considered as well. Both sales, popularity as well as engineering should sort of all be considered or weighed.
#29
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All good.
I would argue that no other car company has had the effect on the industry as Tesla since Henry's achievements...
Now that '64 GTO... OMG!