Ground breaking cars

[Moppie]

What are the worlds greatest ground breaking cars?

I'm talking about cars that changed the world, not just a country.

Cars like the model t that showed mass production could work, or the NSX that proved the Japanese could really build super cars, or the corvette that proved Americans could build proper sports cars.


My favourite would be the Honda Civic, the first truly practical, efficient small hatch back built for the global market. It set a template the rest of the world copied, GT, RS, Si, SiR and Type R models set benchmarks for performance.

[MagicRat]

Originally Posted by Moppie

Cars like the model t that showed mass production could work,

I hate to nit-pick, (but I will anyways )

The Model T refined the assembly-line concept for auto production. Mass production had already been proven in many other industries, such as firearms, textiles, etc.

Mass production in automobiles was generally considered to be initiated with the Curved-Dash Oldsmobile (1897-1903), well before the introduction of the Model T.

Other significant cars, in no particular order:

Cadillac pioneered the use of uniform interchangeable parts, before 1908. This adapted a concept proven in the firearms industry where precision manufacturing greatly reduced the expansive, time-consuming task of hand-fitting many parts, thus manufacturing became faster, cheaper and more efficient.

Citroen Traction Avant, (1934-1957) was one of the earliest front wheel drive cars and the first mass produced unit-body car. This car was lower, lighter and better-performing than many others due to this innovative design.

VW Beetle...... as we all know, inexpensive,simple, utilitarian, efficient design brought basic transportation to the masses.

Austin Mini 1960 - similar benefits as the Beetle, combined with front wheel drive in an even smaller and more nimble package. The innovator of the now-ubiquitous transverse-engine FWD "2-box" layout.

VW Rabbit/Golf 1974 - All the virtues of a Mini in a larger, more useful package - great performance and utility in a car made popular around the world.

Ford Thunderbird - 1955, and especially 1958 onwards - Pioneered the concept of the affordable personal luxury car, a market segment that captivated the North American market for the next 30+ years.

Ford Mustang - 1964 - pioneered the youth oriented (alleged) sporty car for millions of north Americans, and helped develop a significant market segment.

Chevrolet Corvair1960-69 - Inadvertently allowed Ralph Nader and others to develop the consumer awareness movement and mandatory government safety regulations.

Willys Jeep, and Land Rover - Pioneered 4wd light trucks for the masses.

Rolls Royce Silver Ghost 1906-21 - This is the car that set RR at the top of the automotive world (in price and prestige, and for a while, engineering)

Old Ferraris - Placed Ferrari at the top of the automotive world, with a name synonymous with extreme performance and engineering.... for a price.

Carl Benz 1889 - Demonstratively the first automobile............ while the 1769 Cugnot was the first truck/tractor

Edsel 1958-60 - synonymous with industrial/marketing failure, the wrong car at the wrong time.

Datsun 240Z, 1970- Demonstrated the Japanese auto industry's abilities and ambitions to mass produce truly attractive, desirable, quality cars.

Austin 7, 1922-39 - Similar to the Model T - introduced truly inexpensive cars for the masses in the UK and some other countries

Citroen DS 1955-75 - An astonishing achievement in modern aerodynamics, ride, handling, brakes and technology - a car so far ahead of its time it still looks and performs like much newer cars - even after 56 years.

[Moppie]

Nice List!

Totally agree on the Austin 7, possibly the first globally mass produced car as we know a car to be (i.e 3 pedals, steering wheel, 4 doors etc).
Also possibly the first car to be badge engineered, as the first BMW's and the first Datsun's were Austin 7's built under license.

I've always been a 240Z fan, when you consider what else was in the market in 1970, then look at a 240Z, there is a huge gap in performance, technology, build quality and sophistication.
Possibly did to Sports cars in the 70s, what the WRX did in the 90s.


Have to disagree on the VW Golf though, the Civic beat it into production (1973) and has always been the better handling, more efficient, and usually cheaper car.
We get lots of both on the roads here, and the Civic is by far and away the most popular. While the cheapest new, it is the most expensive second hand.

Originally Posted by MagicRat

I hate to nit-pick, (but I will anyways )

The Model T refined the assembly-line concept for auto production. Mass production had already been proven in many other industries, such as firearms, textiles, etc.

I think the industrial revolution proved mass production worked, I was referring to Automotive mass production. And the Model T was the first car to be mass produced globally, using the ideas pioneered by the industrial revolution.


Didn't Caddilac build the first car with what we now know as the typical lay out?
3 pedals for accelerator, brake and clutch, a steering wheel, separate parking brake etc?

[drunken monkey]

Lotus Elise

To remind people what you could do with 118bhp in a car that only weighed 725kg.
Did more than Audi ever did in showing what you could do with (extruded) aluminium.

[Moppie]

Originally Posted by drunken monkey

Lotus Elise

To remind people what you could do with 118bhp in a car that only weighed 725kg.
Did more than Audi ever did in showing what you could do with (extruded) aluminium.

Ahh, yes for Chassis design.
I've worked on a few, and they are really something very different to anythnig else I've seen before or since.
They also extremely strong.

As for lightweight with minimal hp, I think Lotus proved that philosophy several years earlier with the Lotus 7