Since Karl Benz invented and patented his motor vehicle in 1886, cars have been changing and improving all the time. In 135 years we’ve seen all kinds of cars. Some extraordinary designs like the 1963 Corvette Stingray, some questionable choices like the Fiat Multipla, and some cars that stood the test of time like the Ferrari Testarossa, but every few decades we saw a truly groundbreaking car. These cars made the industry what it is today.
These cars were extraordinarily influential. Some even changed the automotive landscape. There are some honorable mentions like Miata, Mini Cooper, Mustang and Plymouth Voyager that helped change this landscape, but even those legends did not have the influence of those ten cars that changed cars forever and we are grateful for that. These are the 10 most influential cars of all time.
10
Mercedes 35 hp – first “modern” automobile
Via: Mercedes
While the motor car was the first car, the Mercedes 35 PS was the first car that looked like a modern car. It had a large inline-4 engine that made 35 horsepower and the top speed was 53 mph which made it faster than the new Citroën Ami! These numbers are very impressive as it was built in 1901.
Via: Mercedes-Benz
Conceived as a racing car, the Mercedes 35 PS shaped the automobile into what we know today. Most of the motorized vehicles of the time were nothing more than motorized stagecoaches. But the design of the 35 hp was very radical for the time. It had real seats, a low center of gravity, and an overall car-like shape. After its many racing successes, this car was further developed for road use and was groundbreaking for the modern automobile.
9
Ford Model T – First production car
Via: Ford Motor Company
At the beginning of the 20th century, Henry Ford began his journey into automobile production with the Model A. So the Ford Model T was not the first Ford. It was also not the first production car. Oldsmobile Curved Dash beat Mr. Ford, but the Model T was affordable and available. The moving assembly line used in the manufacture of the car means that it can be produced more quickly and in large numbers. So much so that, starting in 1913, Ford was able to produce a new Model T in 90 minutes.
Via: Ford Motor Company
Money was another major influencer of Model T. Not only was it affordable, but Henry Ford revolutionized the nation and created the middle class by raising the wages of his employees. So you could afford to drive a Model T. You could buy a brand new car for the low price of $ 269. Ford manufactured more than 15 million Model Ts, and at one point more than half of the cars registered were Model Ts.
8th
Volkswagen Beetle – people’s car
Via: Volkswagen
The VW Beetle is so iconic that we had to make a separate list of the most iconic Beetle models. The Volkswagen Beetle was not only an icon for two very different ideologies and times, it also had a major impact on the entire automotive market. While it didn’t have many premieres, impressive stats, or anything special, it was successful.
Via: Volkswagen
The Beetle was in production until 2003. It’s the longest-running and most-produced car on a single platform. As a successful world car, the Beetle lays down the basic rules for anyone brave enough to follow its tire tracks: good fuel consumption, affordability, inexpensive and readily available spare parts, and reliability. It was the first real people’s car.
7th
Mercedes-Benz 300SL – first super sports car
Via: Mercedes
Supercars are exciting. We love talking about them. They are fast and special machines that attract attention like nothing else. 300SL pioneered supercars and influenced Ferraris, Lamborghinis, McLarens and many more. But what makes the Mercedes-Benz 300SL so special? Well, Car and Driver once said: “This is the best production sports car in the world. No exceptions, no qualifications. It scores in all critical points.”
Via: Mercedes-Benz
It was eye-catching like all supercars, it certainly had exotic design features as the 300SL was the first car with gullwing doors. It had a very luxurious and comfortable interior. The performance? How much do you want? Before dominating the streets, this bad boy was dominating the tracks all over the world.
6th
Pontiac GTO – First muscle car
Via: netcarshow
Muscle cars are the pride of American auto culture. The idea of cramming a big, thundering V8 under the hood of a small car isn’t exactly new, Oldsmobile beat everyone in the 1949 Rocket V8, but the Pontiac GTO was the car to start the horsepower war on American roads .
Via: netcarshow
While the Pontiac GTO was just a humble trim set when it came out, it changed the Detroit automotive landscape. Those who followed in the GTO’s footsteps quickly rose to greatness, and those who couldn’t just disappeared. What began with this car was the golden age of the American automobile and we are grateful.
5
Lamborghini Miura – first mid-engined super sports car
Lamborghini
Lamborghini Miura was the car that Lamborghini honored. While many consider it the original supercar, the Mercedes-Benz 300SL beat it by almost a decade. And it’s not bad. What Miura has done for Lamborghini and the exotic auto market is nothing short of extraordinary, and that’s because Lamborghini dared to push the envelope.
Via: Lamborghini
Mid-engined cars were a rarity back then. It was considered a sin to put the engine behind the driver. But Lamborghini did just that. And because of their courage, they became legendary. The Miura is still the blueprint for almost every supercar that followed in its footsteps.
4th
McLaren F1 – First hypercar
Gooding & Company
McLaren F1 was the next big leap in performance cars. It is one of the most special cars ever made and great care has been taken in every aspect of its manufacture. The chassis took an extremely long time to make, and the engine bay had real gold to cool it down. This is the fastest production car in the world, and of course it has been vacuumed. Increases in performance are achieved today with forced induction and / or hybrid systems. But McLaren F1 had a naturally aspirated BMW V12.
As a performance icon, McLaren F1 pioneered hypercars. Exceptional engineering effort has been put into every aspect of the car to improve its performance. It broke many records, pushed the limits and inspired so many great cars. To this day, the F1 is the fastest naturally aspirated engine in the world.
3rd
Toyota Prius – first viable hybrid
Via: Toyota
The Toyota Prius wasn’t the first hybrid. Some of the earliest cars used electric motors to make up for the lack of torque in early gasoline-powered vehicles. Aside from them, there was the Honda Insight. But it was the humble Prius that started the hybrid revolution.
Via: Toyota
Today, PHEVs and other great hybrid systems are used in commercial vehicles and automobiles. Hybrids are also gaining ground in racing. Formula 1 has been using turbo hybrids since 2014 and will continue to do so for the foreseeable future. Hybrid cars are slowly becoming the norm, and all thanks to the groundbreaking Toyota Prius.
2
Nissan Qashqai – First crossover
Via: Nissan
Love them or hate them, the crossovers are the most popular cars of our time. And the Nissan Qashqai is the frontier for crossover SUV invasion. While there were transitions like the Golf Country, Infiniti FX45, and Pontiac Aztec before the Qashqai, it was the Qashqai that opened Pandora’s box.
Via: Nissan
When Nissan replaced the Almera with the Qashqai, all hell broke loose and everyone started releasing crossovers on the left, right, and center. They started selling and selling them. Before Qashqai, crossovers were considered quirky little cars that couldn’t do a job well enough. But Qashqai has changed public perception, and for better or worse, crossovers are dominating the market.
1
Tesla Model S – First mainstream electric vehicle
Via: Tesla
Elon Musk changed the face of the automobile almost overnight with Tesla’s innovative electric vehicles. While electric cars were nothing new, what the Tesla Model S achieved was never achieved before, as it was the first electric car that really threatened cars that relied on internal combustion engines.
Via: Tesla
But more importantly, Tesla pioneered the infrastructure needed for the electric future. By and large, this is extremely important because the way forward is electric. Tesla is reinventing the wheel and their preferred weapon is the Model S.
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About the author
Emre Bugra Cetin
(41 articles published)
Emre is a photographer, writer, and researcher. He’s always liked the mechanical side of the automotive world and got bitten by racing fever later in his life. He spent his earlier days in the field but later switched to online journalism. Today he writes for the HotCars and expresses his love for the mechanical art known as automobiles.
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