Toys4RJill

Both are worthy mentions. The Corolla was first but 6 years and outsells the Civic 3-1 all time. 60 million vs 18 million. Both are in the 11th gen.

mmarshall

Thanks. I thought the 1984 Chrysler Minivans were probably the best suggestion brought up by other CL members. Though VW had previously done the rear-engined/air-cooled minivan in 1949, Chevrolet had done the Corvair-based rear-engined/air-cooled Greenbriar minivan in the 1960s, and Ford and Dodge had each done conventional front-engined/rear-drive minivans in the same decade, Chrysler was the first to come up with the modern FWD minivan as we knew it, which pretty much doomed most conventional station wagons to also-ran status. But, of course, in doing so, they used the same transverse-engine layout that had been introduced in 1959 with the Mini.

Toys4RJill

Very trueMM. But the Chrysler minivans created “minivan”. Not sure if they are still as influential as they once were. But they sell a ton

SW17LS

Influential for sure. They created an entire era of minivans that totally changed how families transported themselves.

Toys4RJill

I think the Chrysler vans are Top 10 all time most influential. Undeniable.

SW17LS

Not to mention they single-handedly saved one of the big 3 US Automakers.

Toys4RJill

Now I’m in the mood to reminisce.

this is a work of art. If you’re an enthusiast for cars, this is so interesting for 1984.

tex2670

I would say without the groundbreaking that the Model S made, the Model 3 would not have had the same success. Look at how many car companies scrambled to try to replicate what Tesla did with the Model S, before the Model 3 even came out.

swajames

The Mini was both. It pioneered the use of transversely mounted FWD, probably the most common current configuration today. It is rightfully on the list.

Toys4RJill

i never knew that.

mmarshall

The original 1964 Mustang? Sold like free beer, but IMO nothing really new. Just a standard compact Ford Falcon frame/platform with an (admittedly) great-looking sport-oriented body and interior. Seducing to look at and sit in (and priced low in base trim), but, under the skin, the same vehicle as the in-line-six and small-block V8 Falcons. That would change, of course, when the big-block and street-racer Shelby-Mustangs came along a couple of years later.

Corolla? Again, IMO, popular, but nothing really new or innovative. An extremely-well-built (once they dealt with the rust-problem), dead-reliable subcompact with a tried/conventional layout. You could drive and commute in it until the wheels fell off.....or rusted away.


Jeep ******? Maybe....you could toss a coin on that one. There's no question it served the military well and helped win World War II, and that it probably introduced the concept of the off-road SUV as we knew it and it were to later become. But, until the 1980s or so, SUVs (Broncos, Blazers, etc...) were mostly a niche-market in the U.S., except for the relatively few who bought Jeep Wagoneers (mostly in the Snow Belt, with Jeep's 4WD), until the 4-door Cherokee came out in 1984, which really was a hit.

Land Rover Defender? Again, the original ones in 1948 were, IMO, not really that innovative. The British, as our Allies, had been quite impressed wth our WWII Jeep, although they had a few military vehicles of their own. After the war, they took the basic Jeep frame, gave it a steel (or fabric)-enclosed body, redid the fenders, added a few courtesies inside for passengers (still very primitive by today's standards), installed a British Rover engine, and Presto.....your first Land Rover. Toyota followed, some years later, with the first primitive Land Cruisers. Actually, the first Range Rover, in 1970, arguably the first attempt at a true luxury-based SUV, was probably more innovative than the original ones in the late 40s.

Toys4RJill

Interesting input MM. I don’t know as much about these cars, at least their past like you do.

Here is an interesting list. You have a few from your list on there

Hotcars


your thoughts? Nobody has said Mercedes. Or Lambo.

looks at what car is number 2.

Hoovey689

iTrader: (16)

If the key word is 'INFLUENTIAL' You get the Model T, VW Beetle, Mini Cooper, GTO, and Prius right.

I'm adding:
Chrysler Airflow - First car with an aerodynamic body and revolutionary tubular steel
****** Jeep - First massed-produced civilian four-wheel drive car
Toyota Corolla - Best selling vehicle ever
Porsche 911 - The benchmark of sportscars
Tesla Model S - First mainstream EV

Additionally I'd say the Chrysler Minivan is also influential though it's outside my top 10.

mmarshall

Also, Jill......the 1964 Plymouth Barracuda ponycar actually beat the Mustang to market by a very short period (I don't remember exactly how long......maybe by a couple of weeks), but it could not realistically compete with the Mustang, and sold in far lower numbers, because it looked too much like the Valiant compact it was derived from. It had an enormous rear-window (one of the largest single-pieces of glass ever designed for automotive use), and a humongous cargo area in back with the fold-down rear seat, but was otherwise simply too much of a reskinned Valiant for the public. Chrysler didn't fool the public quite as easily with the Barracuda as Ford did with the Mustang, because Ford did a far better job of hiding the Mustang's origins.

I owned a 1964 Barracuda, for about a year, right out of high school, before my big Buick in college...but I haven't done a write-up on it yet. Might get around to it sometime.

Toys4RJill

You are late to the party. But Nice list and corespondent commentary