TELL ME! What is your list of most influential cars? If you like you can use this form down below, so that we can compare notes! Just copy the text and you are good to go! pre 1910s: 1910s: 1920s: 1930s: 1940s: 1950s: 1960s: 1970s: 1980s: 1990s: 2000s: 2010s: 2020s: ALL TIME:
Austin 7! It established what became the standard layout of pedals & other controls, making it where people could easily switch from driving one brand of car to another. Even the Jeep was the brainchild of the Bantam Motor Company. Their main product had been licensed Austin 7's. Undoubtedly, the Austin 7 influenced the Jeep. Yes, the Austin 7's pedal & control layout was influenced by Cadillac, but Cadillac wasn't mass market.
Honestly, Ed, I think the fact that there's nothing special about the VW Beetle is PRECISELY what made them special in the 60's. Its practical utilitarian design, easy repair and maintenance, its affordablilty, the marketing boasting about its practicality, all of these things were found endearing by the public in the 60s. Its influence can arguably be boiled down to the fact that it came in at the right time.
1901 oldsmobile curved dashed as it was the first mass produced car, it was the first to have a dedicated supplychain, and it was during this cars production it got songs written about.
In the 1900 / 1910 there was Oldsmobile Curved Dash (R - 6C etc) like "mass model" car, but there was also the 1903 Rambler model C, the Maxwell, Buick C, 1903 Ford A etc.
In my opinion there are : Oldsmobile Curved Dash, Ford model T, Citroen A 1919, Citroen Traction Avant 1934, the VW Beetle, Fiat 600 and Citroen 2CV, MINI, Mustang, Alfasud (for the features not for the sales numbers), VW Golf, the minivans and the Tesla Cybertruck
Nice list Ed, I could argue with one or two over a beer, but your reasoning in the video swayed me. Thanks for all the entertainment and information through this channel.
I would take the Austin Mini as the car of the 1960ies. While not as widespread as the VW Beetle, it introduced a series of designs which continued during the following decades up until now. All compact cars of today can trace their general concept back to the Austin Mini.
1916 Cadillac Type 53. My reason for this choice is that I believe it to be the first car with the pedals layed out in the order we all know. Also had the gear lever and handbrake between the front seats.
I would say the Model T. It was the first car to be mass produced in an assembly line, allowed the average working person to be able to afford one, and had a bed configuration option that defined the difference between a car and a truck.
Nice video and great topic for the discussion! My list is a bit different: Before 1900 - Benz Motorwagen 1900s - Mercedes Simplex 1910s - Ford T 1920s - Austin 7 1930s - Citroen Traction Avant (but thanks for Tatra 77) 1940s - Willis MB Jeep 1950s - Fiat 500/600 1960s - Fiat 124 (or Lincoln Continental) 1970s - Volkswagen Golf 1980s - Dodge Caravan 1990s - Toyota RAV4 2000s - Toyota Prius 2010s - Tesla Model S 2020s - No idea
Also a good list....and it includes my all-time favorite for the most influential car, the Traction Avant. Tesla Model S is also a good choice (by both you and EAR). Tesla essentially showed the world, that EVs didn't have to be those tiny, almost-masochistic "I am suffering for the climate"-cars, but could also be big and bold, and look like something, Audi or Mercedes could release.
The most influential car as far as basic concepts is concerned was Wilhelm Maybach‘s first Mercedes from 1900/01 which made clear that the classic FR layout , motor in front and traction on the rear axle would be the future for car concept. Within months many car producer’s followed like Peugeot, Panhard , Fiat, Renault and upto 1903 all new cars had abolished the horse carriage concept with people sitting up on the engine vis-à-vis or dos-à-dos or so on …
This is a good way of doing things. Overall, I can think of a number of possibilities. Benz. Model A / T.. Austin 7. Beetle. Mini. Citroen 2CV/DS. Dodge mini van. Tesla. And I am likely forgetting something. I overlooked the Jeep.which is a mega influencer on today's SUV centric society. For me, the 1970's would just be Japan , without a specific model - tho the 240Z did mess up a lot of thinking if the day
Here in New York any General Motors B body car. Caprice, Impala, Oldsmobile Delta 88 , Oldsmobile Regency 98 Buick LeSabre full size and Pontiac Parisienne.
I can agree with some of these, however the Beetle was first built in the 30s so should be there, the Tatra77 might be ahead of its time but its too much of an obscurity. So that leaves the 60s to the Mini, yes I know it was introduced in 1959... Again the SUV craze could be considered to be started by the Range Rover, in the 70s? But then there's the Lambourghini Countach from the 70s too... Not sure I agree about the Ford Ranger but there's not much competition in the 90s!
I agree with most of your conclusions. As a sidebar, Motor Trend said the '53 Studebaker Starliner was the best design of the 50's, and the '63 Studebaker Avanti the best design of the 60's. Tesla will become the Edsel of the new century.
You're missing the BMC Mini. The Mini was the prototype of all modern small front wheel drive cars with transverse engines. It doesn't quite fit into your classification by decades, because that layout didn't become ubiquitous until years later. But it's still important.
You beat me to it. You nailed. The two most important cars of history are the Model T and the BMC Mini. Model T is not important because of the Assembly line. Rather, it’s the opposite. Model T introduced, and at the same time established, something called standardization. That’s the importance of Model T and Henry Ford and that’s what allowed Assembly line. As for the BMC Mini, it created modern car design, by making use of the transversal front wheel drive transmission, among other things of modern car design. It is impressive, though that wouldn’t be enough reason to make it influential, that it’s perhaps the last car to be entirely projected and designed single handedly by one man only, Sir Alec Issigonis. The suspension design also is impressive and worked really well, but did not make the cut going into the future (same with the Citroen).
@@fernandocamargo6590 Standardization is quite a bit older than the Model T. Standardized weights and measures are thousands of years old. Standardization of products dates to the first half of the 19th Century, and started with standard screw-threads. After that, military rifles were one of the first standardized products - this allowed the assembly or repair of ANY rifle with parts from stores, no hand fitting required. But you're right in that the Model T was the first successful standardized auto.
My grandparents were all born in the 1890s. In their final days, I asked each of them what their favorite car was. They all had the same answer - the Model T. It was a hoot to drive, and you could buy kits through Sears and Roebuck to transform it into just about anything: a tractor, a truck, even a snow mobile. Their favorite kit was the electric start converter. And you had to drive backwards up the mountain passes (Idaho) because reverse gear had the most torque.
I second that. My grandmother who just passed after new years was born in 1921 and she said her first and most memorable car was her fathers model T for similar reasons.
My Grandfather, (1905) was a Model A guy. Living in Toledo Ohio, the fully enclosed passenger compartment was a must during the winter. All the advances of the T were included. He spoke extremely highly of that car throughout his life. I miss him.
The gas tank was just ahead of the dashboard and fuel was gravity fed to the carb. Driving up steep hills made the tank lower than the carb, thus starving it for fuel. Backing up a hill kept the tank higher than the carb.
The first transversely mounted engine with front wheel drive has to be the most influential car of all time. Influence counted as the # of cars that copied the architecture. And Ed didn't even mention it?
@@PoulStaugaardThe Mini wasn’t the first car with a transversely mounted engine and front wheel drive, though. DKW F1 is the first, I believe, but there were many others before the Mini, including the Goliath GP700/900, Saab 92 and Trabant.
@@siwynjones This is true but the Mini was the first car with a transverse inline 4, and arguably made the format mainstream. The others were regarded more as curios.
The DS really was a wild leap forward for Citroën. Their styling went from 30 years behind its time to 40 years ahead of it. The change was so sudden, even styling heavyweights like Jaguar would take the better part of a decade to catch up
Yes - and that was on top of the already-revolutionary Traction Avant from the 30s. The CX had to be able to fly and weld underwater to keep up with that 😀 -Just joking, the CX was a fine car, even though its development costs drove Citroën into the hands of Peugeot.
Overall I think your list is spot-on. That being said, the only choice I might possibly disagree with you on is the 1970s/Corolla. The 70s is a tough choice for sure, but I think one could argue that the Honda CVCC with its unique emissions cutting engine tech or the MkI VW Golf had more of an impact than the Corolla
I came here to say something similar. 1970s - Japan. Car - Honda Civic and Accord. Their innovative engine technology, with significant improvement in emission and economy, combined with overall quality make them winners. I'm a VW fan having owned six. The Golf Mk1 was a great car, but it simply did somethings that were already in the air better.
The most influential car of the 70s was the Mercedes W123. Many of the innovations introduced with the W123 were adopted in many automobile series worldwide over the next three decades. Padded dashboards, the logic of the light switch, the safety cell, the tank above the rear axle outside the crash zone, the safety lock on the doors, etc. etc. etc. With a few visual and technical updates, a W123 would still be competitive on the new car market today, which is why, for me, it is clearly the most influential car since the beginning of the automobile age.
You forgot to add what trend Mercedes actually started that has now been adopted by all surviving brands: A business model that favors increasing levels of complex and proprietary tech that interlocks in a special way that ensures you will one day be left on the side of the road watching your car get flat-bedded to the dealer (because nobody has the proprietary tool to fix it). Thanks for nothing doctors too rich to add up their true cost per mile. And thank you Mercedes for finding new and improved ways to ensure you will never have to compete with your old products. Starting with the W123 rust heaps full of rotting vacuum lines and ignition switches that just stop working one day. Such humble beginnings to why there are now no new cars safe to own outside of warranty. Just like that good ole Mercedes you no longer own.
I own a 1964 w110 200d and all the things you mention are present on that vehicle. Plus heavy duty steel bumpers. Ever since then Mercedes cars have been made down to a price not up to a standard, I sold my w123 as it wasn't as good.
@shaunw9270 True, in that the Austin 7's pedal layout & other controls were inspired by Cadillac, but as a rich person's car, there weren't enough Cadillacs around during that key era, to be an influence on the public at large, where the cheap & cheerful Austin 7 was prolific Worldwide either directly or via licensing.
8:41 in Latin America there is no doubt the Vw beetle was the most important car ever made, from 1950's all the way to 2001. It is an understatment to say it build the continent, everything from civilian, commercial, police, ambulances, the army, fire fighters was covered by the beetle and its derivatives, i can't imagine the history of my country without them.
Corolla, maybe but I think the Honda Civic is probably tied with it. Also have to totally disagree with the Ford Exploder. The Jeep Cherokee was around long before it and was really what defined the genre. Cybertruck? Really? I don't see that as being any more relevant than the Isuzu Vehicross, Pontiac Aztek or any other oddball market failure. I don't forsee many construction workers driving to jobsites or pulling up to Home Depot in Cybertrucks, nor could I envision someone towing their boat to the lake on a Summer weekend with one. As far as most influential of all time, the Volkswagen has to be it. It was sold worldwide and in production for almost 7 decades.
Also the Austin 7 popularised the modern control layout of ignition key, 3 pedals and gear-stick in the middle. Admittedly Cadillac invented the layout, but Austin made it famous.
My only real dispute is with the first one: I'd have chosen the curved-dash Oldsmobile. It was the first car truly mass produced, in the thousands instead of dozens. It inspired a popular song still known today. It was the first truly practical car mass produced; stable, easy to learn, easy to repair, low compression engine that would operate on the often questionable fuels being sold. And something I believe, though cannot prove, it's styling made it easier for the public to accept. It was essentially a carriage in appearance, and made of the traditional wood. New, but an old friend at the same time.
That'd be a good one for the 1900s decade, if you split it off from pre-1900. I'd been thinking the first Rolls-Royce model for that decade -- as an example of reliability in a sea of cars that broke down all the time -- but yah, the curved-dash Oldsmobile might well beat it.
To much a toy yet, the clicking sound of the motor will drive the horses wild, the advantage of the T was, that it could be used as a tractor, with the removable tires it could be used as a powerplant as well, even with my 1914 T i can only pass the horses with care and slow, with the curved dash ? i might get in trouble with my neighbors even today, since they love their horses,
Totally objectively I'd have to say the Citroen DS is the most influential car in the list because it's decades old but still a technological marvel, and I want one WAYYYYYY more than any other car on this list. It's cool as expressed in the form of a car.
Well done! ...but what's missing is an early FWD transverse engine compact. Could have been the Mini for the 60s or the Fiat 128 for the 70s (Corollas were stil RWD till 1979 - edit: 1983!!) but this setup was revolutionary, and once established has dominated all mass market car designs until this very day.
I was thinking Mini as well. It was literally very influential as it created the whole FWD compact car thing as we know it, and Golfs and others are just successors.
yes, I agreed that the Model T was the most influential car of all time, mass produced for the masses, but I was surprised there was no mention of the Mini for the 1950's, as mentioned it pioneered transverse mounted engine for FWD to maximise passenger space and has since influenced economy car design.
No one copied the BMC idea of putting the gearbox in the engine sump. It took Fiat to develop the now widely used format of the gearbox separate with the Autobianchi A112 and the Fiat 128 and not making the extreme compromises of the Mini. Not even the first transverse front engine front wheel drive. The 1931 DKW F1 car likely the first with Issigonis likely knew of that car.
8 месяцев назад
Corollas were RWD until 1983... (RWD wagons were actually produced until 1987)
The most influential car in my mind is the french Citroen 2CV. Car manufacturers haven't found it promotable most likely due to low cost. But European public liked it very much. It was even charming in its own ways.
Uhh, yes. Although my favorite Cit is still the CX and my most infoluential one is still the Traction Avant, I agree with you. A way more iconic car than the competing Renault 4 from the same era (60s-70s), even though the Renault was strictly speaking a more modern construction.
Citroen DS and Tatra T77 were my favourites from the list. For the 1980s I would gone for the Porsche 928. Introduced in 1977 but sold throughout the 1980s. They are just cool cars and very well engineered too.
The 80s also birth the best S class Mercedes of all time, the w126 series. Aerodynamic design, first production car to have airbags fitted as standard, advanced safety features and crumple zone technologies, all aluminum v8s and amazing i6 and diesels, independent suspension, fixed disk brakes with torque dampening rear watts links, trip computer, full hydraulic suspension, and a ton of well designed features. They drive very well and had significant performance vs anything the USA had to offer at the time
Yeah but this list isn't about what cars you like, it's about what cars influenced people and the car industry the most. While the 928 was innovative in many ways, I don't think it holds a candle to the influence of the Caravan or the Espace.
The Cyber truck isn't influenced by anything but a 5 year old's idea of a UFO. I would have put the Ford Maverick as the influential vehicle of the 2020's.
The DS still looks futuristic today! That's not a car, that's a masterpiece, that's a piece of art and engineering at the same time. No other car has ever come close to the greatness of it.
that's actually very easy, the 1916 Cadilac type 53 This was the first car that had the foot control pedals in the order that we now know as standard my runner up would be the curved dash Oldsmobile. This was THE first car to be massed produced in factories and there were a lot of them made
It is clearly the Renault 16. Huge success and pioneer for the front wheel drive, hatchback, 5 door family car pattern. Template for the smaller VW Golf and Fiat 127.
Yes - a wildly overlooked car in general. And with an impressive production run of 25 years... en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Renault_16 For some reason, Renault is often seen as the "grey, boring uncle" of cars. Citroën usualy takes all the glory, when it comes to french cars. The 4 is also a good car. As is the 5. 5 beat both Civic and Golf with a couple of years. But again, it didn't get the attention of its VW and Honda classmates...
To me, the 1916 Caddilac type 53 as it was the first 3 pedal layout that has been used on every car since...even modern EVs. For the 20s, any of the cars from Cole. Cole introduced the V8, chrome, disc brakes, and the balloon tire that we still use today, but that isnt enough for me to bring cole to light. Coles biggest influence for cars was the concept of making every part exactly the same using drawings, and repairs could be easily accomplished by a simple parts replacement. Something that again, every single car made since uses this technique that Cole developed. In fact, Ford copied coles drawing concept and it allowed Ford to bring the assembly line to fruition. To me that is pretty darn influential.
@@JohnDoe-vx3z Okay so one is missing, just like on automatics... but he's not wrong because the LAYOUT is still the same and it's usually referred to as the "three pedal layout" so Cadillac was indeed the company that introduced the pedal layout as we've known it on all cars since.
In terms of setting standards that were adopted by the rest of the auto industry, you can't overlook FIAT'S input. Starting with the Autobianchi Primula which was the first FWD car with a transversely mounted engine with end on transmission, but that was made by FIAT as an experiment. The same layout was used in the FIAT 128, along with a belt driven OHC engine. Then a little later was the 127, this basically set the template for small hatchbacks from there on out. Volkswagen and Ford were obviously copying FIAT's homework when they were designing the Golf and Fiesta. So I think the 127 especially is a contender for most influential car of the 1970's.
About VW copying FIAT, I believe the Golf Mk1 designer himself stated that he saw a stripped down Fiat 128 at a VW facility he was working in at the time
For the 70s, I would go with the Honda Accord. When it was introduced in 1976, it’s so stunned the Ford engineers that they begged Henry Ford II to come down and see it broken down. He refused. In less than 10 years, Honda went from putting motorcycle engines in golf carts to making the finest engine in the most reliable and comfortable package.
Yes; alongside the VW Golf and the Renault 5, definately one of the most influential 70s small hatchback type cars...a car type, which in itself defined the oil crisis years.
Excellent list! I was with you for almost all of them, but had the 32 Ford (first affordable V8, and "modern" body lines/styling), the 1960s could easily be the Mini, with its front-wheel drive setup with the transversely mounted engine become the blueprint for small cars in the following decades, and the 1970s Honda Civic (instead of the Corolla). I couldn't think of anything for the 2020s... but the CyberTruck seems like a fair choice.
The 2020s are the decade of a kind of war on cars, so yeah, the Cybertruck fits...it isn't a car, at all, and everybody who likes actual cars hates it! 😁
The Honda Civic was not around until 1980 the car that should be nominated along with the Corolla would have been the Honda Accord it's build quality as an economy car at the time was second to nine before of course it became a midsize car starting in the 80's.
@@rodferguson3515 naw, the Civic dates to '72. legendary game changer. A mouse in a world of dinosaurs. I would give the 80's to the Toyota Celica Supra in the USA, however. But I do think the Accord is a better influencer than the Corolla in my little world - though perhaps not globally.
Dodge Dart (Plymouth Valiant) was the Corolla of the 60s. When I was young and poor, those 2 cars enabled me to save a decent nest egg for retirement. Corolla also changed the repair landscape by being much more maintenance free, but the parts became more expensive, making Corolla cost more to own overall. But not by much.
Those cars saw almost no sales at all outside of the US though, so only 5% of the world got to experience them, however it's the same with some other cars on the list, but there he makes an argument how they changed the way other car manufacturers thought about cars, how they affected the industry, etc.
If we are going to talk about that class of cars, I think it really started with the Ford Falcon or something with the Mercury name on it. Basically was the 1960 Edsel. I think that was the most influential car in the 60s that was introduced in the 60s. Although overall I suppose the Beetle deserves that spot. Even when I was a kid in the early 90s I remember probably a quarter of the cars on the road were still VW Beetles.
Great video once again Ed. The Beatle and model T are as important to the whole overall story of the automobile as the Corolla and Model S. But one important vehicle looked over ( at least from an American perspective) is the pickup truck. It can do almost anything. The pickup’s versatility is often overlooked. It can be (ordered) bare bones, luxurious, or in between. Built for speed or towing or just for getting around town. And having said that I think I would have included the Ford F Series pickup on the list. Keep up the great videos.
I feel like the quiet but influential car that is somewhat largely forgotten from the 1980s would be the AMC Eagle. It had created the future concept of a small SUV or sedan with its comfort but with the capabilites of an all terrain. It's basically was the Crossover Vehicles that we have now and Is still selling massively.
@dcanmore they got successful with the idea and ran with awd wags and things, but AMCs got the jump on the overall design and had it well figured out as other automakers followed
Panhard. The Panhard type axle was first used in Panhard Lavassor automobile in 1887. And the design was used most passenger cars for over one hundred years.
I think you handled this difficult and complex question very well. This examination of the car history by decades made me aware (again), that many good things in the world kind of peaked in the 60's.
@@themoviedealers 67, so my awareness and memory started in the 70's. No, my stepmother, born in the 40's said the 60's were the most easy time to enjoy live, easy to find a job, good salary and sex was uncomplicated too. In Switzerland, anybody could have a family, car and holydays, and one salary paid the whole shebang. And when I look at the kind of qualities, some American cars had, I have my doubt that they could reproduce it today. The problem would start already with the sheet metal. The real problem is, that over the decades, people gave up their freedom for security.
The Cybertruck does not fit imo. Sure, it's an unusual design choice. But it's regressing in about every other aspect one could think of: Practicality, safety, quality, affordability. I think the most influential car of this decade is yet to be built. Maybe some manufacturer gets to FSD within the next 6 years. And if someone will, it won't be Tesla.
In terms of new technologies introduced, I would include the Citroën Traction Avant, the DS (as mentioned), and maybe the 2CV... The original Mini and the VW Käfer should also be mentioned. The VW Käfer, the Mini, the Fiat Cinquecento and 600 and the 2CV were responsible for the popularization of cars and made them accessible for everybody in a post-war Europe.
On the TractionAvant I can say it paved the way for the DS and since it has been mentioned with the DS I'd say for this movie this will do. The influence the TA had was the frond-wheel-drive the DS also had. The leveling air/liquid suspension has been started/tested on the TA but was a true DS influence. On the mini, 2cv, Kever (Käfer/origionalBeatle), 500 and such: They are all peoples-cars from their brands at the right time. I'd say they where all reasonably good cars for their money but had no huge influence in their followup.
@@cbeerse The Mini was the fundamental model for all the car industry since the 60's. Transverse mounted front engine, independent suspensions and front wheels drive. It was a revolutionary concept that became the standard, for city cars, sedans, MPVs... from the small FIAT Panda to the massive Toyota Camry, or VW Passat.
You could have chosen the Mini over the Beetle. But really, there's no way past the Beetle. Just as in music there's no way past the Beatles. Just so massive and all pervasive that it's presence and influence cannot be ignored.
@@milfordcivic6755 every diesel car maker was doing it. Cummins were just ordered to pay a record-setting fine of $1.675 billion due to cheat devices in their RAM trucks.
Great list! One that comes to mind for the 1970s is the VW Rabit. The actual design influence, front wheel drive, cross engine placement over the front wheels and the Sail body design that handles so well and is economical to build. Though not a obvious choice, it's influence is felt around the world.
Volkswagen tried multiple times to create a true replacement for the Beetle using a rear-mounted engine but the technology just didn't work. So Volkswagen Group used the research used to build the original Audi 50 (aka. technology from NSU) to build what became the Golf in 1974.
VW lost market share in many countries due to the Golf/Rabbit being so much more expensive than the Beetle and being a lower quality more disposable product.
@@raywest3834 too small. Keep pulling up to lights & seeing that all the manufacturers have settled on the dimensions of an '87 Golf gl. (as a minimum) Mine has 540k or 600k miles on it, judging from the last O2 sensor triggering weeks ago. lol. Guess 30mpg & peanuts to fix. + non-interference T belt=success. Let'er break! woohoo! BULLETPROOF. now I know why these were all over eastern europe.
@@timewa851 We're talking influential here, not what is best. Every small car designer has copied the Mini's pioneering design for front-wheel-drive, and transverse engine. Q.E.D.
That was provocative and you started this… You got it right with the “T” it gave the car to the world 🌎. Kudos for sharing the info on the Bantam You taught me something with that. How can you hate a homely “bug”? It created its own revolution ( who first had a “fronk “?) thanks for this challenge to our minds !
Your list is almost spot on, but... For the 1940's I suggest the- introduced in 1948- 1949 Olds 88 or Cadillac. They had modern (at one time at least) high compression OHV V8's combined with fully automatic transmissions. Dominant in the US for a few decades this combo of power would be adopted by makers world wide. Indeed the V8 is still with us- just starting to fade. For the 1970's the original 1976 Honda Accord. It combined x-verse FWD with spaciousness, numerous standard features not tight like a Civic), great fuel economy, peppy performance. great VFM, and solid build. Many tried to copy it, it took them a few decades to catch up (sort of). Perfect for its time and still practical today.
The model T also represents an epoch when component repair ability was the standard. Maybe make a video of the first car that was designed around planned obsolescence.
International...had the TravelAll in the early '60s, a precursor to the Expedition, etc...and the Scout, which really was the first SUV on the market, also in the early '60s. For the most part, I agree with your choices Love the channel and I always look forward to your next video!
The Jeep Cherokee was the vehicle that started the SUV craze in America. Chrysler, with the second generation made a lighter and smaller SUV with improved fuel economy. With the 1992 introduction of the Grand Cherokee greatly improved the interior . Consumer Reports had listed the Jeep Cherokee as best vehicle for the money for several years. The Grand Cherokee was also listed as best vehicle value. The more luxurious interior helped set the new standard in SUV's. In my opinion it was the start of the standard SUV . It was the first to use a unibody design, to lessen the weight and improve the mileage, while keeping a standard and reliable engine. First to really max out the interior and luxury options.
None of the above... In my opinion, it's the Austin Mini.. Alec Issigonis design can still be found on a very large percentage of cars today. Transverse engine/ front wheel drive / transaxle..
I think you should do a short series of influential cars of the decades for certain country's because in some opinions some country's had more influential cars than some on the list i.e 60s was the mini in the uk i think it could be a good series
I'd go for the austin 7 as it was the first mast produced car with it's controls as we know them today, cluth,brake and accelerator on the floor in that order, gear shift in the center and in a H pattern
Here in the States the Model T is without a doubt the vehicle that changed this nation, and the fact so many are still around and running pretty much says it all. All in all I agree completely with list Ed.
Mostly I even agree. The one and only addition would be the Mini. Setting up the standard-drivetrain-layout (transverse front engine) in 1959 for the following decades until now (to Tesla's "skateboard-chassis"). I very hope, that this ridiculous Cybertruck won't influence the current decade... (When Franz v. Holzhausen threw the steel balls into its bursting side windows, I thought, this entire introduction meant to be a joke...)
Your final choice is arguably the right one all things considered. But I'm more than a little surprised that I had to scroll down through 28 previous comments to find a mention of the brilliant Alec Issigonis designed BMC Mini; surely one of the two or three most important and influencial automotive designs in the history of the industry.
I always enjoy watching your videos, Ed. I guessed three of the decades correctly - the Ford Model T, The Dodge Caravan and the Ford Explorer. I knew each of those cars had a major influence on other car manufacturers.
Great video. The Mini may need to push the beetle aside. I owned an old beetle for 20yrs. I loved it! It is a car you feel is special despite it not being remarkable. 🤷♂️ The original mini is just so much more of a car even though it is smaller! One day i may want one!
@@crisistian_ No, it didn't. The 500 was rear engined for a start which meant that it was nowhere near as practical as the Mini. And the 500 wasn't produced for as long or sold as many units as the Mini.
Shane is right tho... I love the 500 (owned 126s myself) but for being influential... the FWD transverse engine concept has been way more successful. Sad, but true. @@crisistian_
@@crisistian_ Nope, Mini small water-cooled transverse front engine design was revolutionary and set the blueprint for small cars going forward. The fact it influenced the VW car after the Beetle (Golf Mk1) and the subsequent modern Fiat 500 is a testament on how much more influential it was than either the original Fiat 500 or Beetles rear-engined air-cooled designs.
In the 30s I would have chosen the Citroen Traction Avant, being the first car, that I know of, with front wheel drive. And a look at today's cars, with most of them are front wheel drive, I think it deserves recognition.
This would be the main change for me as well. Mostly I agree with Ed's picks, except maybe Cybertruck, because it's too early to tell. We'll see if it will ever be that influential. In the 20s, I'd maybe pick Ford Model A, not for being revolutionary, but for quite the opposite. It removed the quirks and peculiarities of model T and was pretty much the "standard" car for decades to come.
You know, I don't wanna sound too lame for what I'm about to say but, I've got to say the VW Beetle Ed... Just the sheer numbers it was produced in, the cultural impact it had, for how much time it has been around (1938-2003) and how many times it has been the star of the silver screen and TV series (not to mention Herbie's movies) make it the most important car ever to be built. It might not be the fastest, it might not be the best looking (I don't personnaly agree though), it might even be too simple mechanically even, but man, did it leave a mark.
"not to mention Herbie's movies". I loved those movies as a kid. If there was ever a car, you could believe was sentient and had a soul/personality, it was the Beetle.
I haven't seen the video yet, so I don't know if I have the same suggestion as Ed, but here goes: "Most influential car" - There are many (Ford T, VW Beetle, Citroen DS etc:), that could claim the title. But for sheer, raw influence AND a definate difference between car designs before and after this car, I will have to go with the Citroën Traction Avant. Before the Traction Avant, cars almost exclusively (of course with exceptions, but as a broad rule) were: 1) Tall and boxy (in the late 20s and early 30s, many cars still looked like carts with engines, although there were some attempts at more streamlined designs) 2) Rear wheel driven 3) Independent chassis frame (not sure about the english word). Basically, you bolted the upper body to a frame, which (again) led to tall cars. The Traction Avant changed not one or two of those, but ALL of it in one go. Suddenly a mainstream car had a low, sleek design, FWD and a unibody construction. Things, that are still standard here 90 years later. I cannot think of any other car, which had the same mainstream influence. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Citro%C3%ABn_Traction_Avant And thanks to EAR for this video, especially for expressing your doubts about which car is the most influential in some of the decades. It is not an easy choice by any means, and some cars' influence even go across the decades (Ford T, Citroën DS and VW Beetle, for example).
I would have pic for the 80s the Mercedes 190e, seeing the fact that every other sedan after got the same basic design, but the minivan was quite revolutionary
Fun Fact : Here in the Philippines, MB Jeeps is a gift from Americans when they have surplus of MB Jeeps from World War II left here, fast-forward today, resulting to Philippines public transportation, the Public Utility Jeep (PUJ) and also it's private counter part the Owner Type Jeep (OTJ), a custom built jeeps that can be modified depending on buyer's/user's desired specs, mainly with Toyota Gasoline (K Series) and Isuzu Diesel Engine (C Series), Soft or Hard Top, and also known for i'ts STAINLESS STEEL Body (sometimes even Frame)!
May the Jeepney always maintain its style, and never be replaced by those horrendous Chinese mini-buses. A cultural icon should be maintained. What is good is that there are Pinoy manufacturers who want to do just that, and offer vehicles at about half the cost of foreign alternatives. Viva ang Jyip Pilipino!
The problem with EV's right now is that the average person cannot afford one. The model T, the Model A, and the Volkswagen beetle, we're all cars that the average person could afford. So far there is not an electric car that the average person can afford. they are way too expensive upfront, insurance is too expensive and charging on trips is a horrible experience.
I think the truly inexpensive cars of the 50s and 60s should be on the list, i.e., Citroën 2CV, Fiat 500/600, Mini, and, of course, the Beetle which you have mentioned. Rear engine cars, in particular, were popular at the time, the two Fiats, but also Renault 8/10, Škoda 1000MB, Tatra (also mentioned), and Chevy Corvair. Today we see the reemergence of this architecture in some EVs, e.g., Ionic and Kia EV6, Tesla as well.
For the 70’s you’re forgetting the most iconic supercar the Lamborghini Countach, this car still influences exotic car designs to this day, when it came out it was revolutionary and the competition scrambled to produce their own wedge design sports cars. For the 80’s I think the Honda Civic was more influential than the minivan because it proved that economy cars can be fun, reliable, and capable with the likes of the Civic SI and CRX introducing VTEC to the masses, and the Civic wagons with 4WD were arguably the first modern compact crossovers.
I think the mini first built in England in 1959.The reason being the engine layout .It was not only front wheel drive but the engine was transverse not north to south.This set the benchmark for most manufacturers from then on.This saved space and all the mechanics were under the bonnet.
I'd give the 70's to the VW Golf. Not just for being up to the task of replacing the Beetle, but also because it set the front wheel drive, transveral 4-cylinder hatchback family car as the standard, also by it's hot hatchback, pretty radical and influential design by Guigiaro too. Yes, it doesn't look that radical in hindsight, because it was influential. The 20's are for Duesenberg, because it was incredibly fast for it's day, technologically very advanced but it also showed there was no limit in both cost and progress. It the was the roaring twenties, the Austin 7 didn't roar. The 90's I have to give to a car I don't like from a manufacturer I do like. The Mercedes W140, the S-class. Very heavy, full of safety features and comfort features and gadgets that have been copied by everybody. Also upped the norm for a top model car to a V12, a 6 to 7 litre. A 5 litre V8 was about the max for European cars outside the extreme luxury brands with small production. I agree with the reasoning about the 80's, but I go for the Espace because it was futuristic and was much less of a van than the ford. Vans with a sliding door had been around in Europe for ages, what made the new type of car was it's likeness to regular cars in every way except it's proportions and space.
Agree about the Golf. It was also the first car to popularize the hatchback, as well as the complete absence of romanticism, elegance and fun. Man, how I hate that sh1tbox.
yes 10 years, sorry. But the 16 was more than just a quirky french car. It was very highly regarded at the time and for Renault, was a big seller. The Golf didn't move the game forward. It was just another front wheel drive hatch. What it dd do, was define a market segment. @@DenUitvreter
Ed, although I might quibble with some of your choices, I can't say any of them are wrong. There were a couple of surprises, for example the Citroen DS. But when you showed the preceding model, the Traction Avant, the change was startling. It reminded me of a quote from US President Lyndon Johnson: "There are decades when nothing happens, and then there are weeks when decades happen." Great video!
Agreeing with most, but I have a different opinion on a couple 1940s I envisioned more as post-war remobilization and with that, the 2CV is the first that sprung to mind. And with its 4 doors, front wheel drive, ride comfort, completely retractable roof it was everything and nothing at the same time. And cheap! Important then. While the Jeep was important during WO2, it'd take forever until the 4x4s caught on for the great public in the form of Scouts, Range Rovers, Land Cruisers, Broncos etc. speaking of which... 1960s, just so you can scrap your Beetle, the Fiat 124. Which, as a blueprint, would mobilize countries of which ownership of a car (or anything at all) was unthinkable. Much like the Morris Oxford III did a decade earlier, except for that that car had the sad fate to be launched in the same decade as the DS, haha. The Renault 12 and Fiats 125, also licensed into eternity, were from the 1960s. 1970s! Range Rover! All the utility with the comfort of a road going vehicle. I'd elect the Land Cruiser and Pajero for similar feats, but the Land Cruiser was utility-only until the early 80s and the Pajero/Shogun fell right into that box then too. What also feels like a true contender was the light truck in the fuel crisis years: The Toyota Hilux. Everything 1980s and afterwards feels like features introduced in top level cars were slowly sprinkled down into lower class cars... Was thinking Fiat Panda, but all redeeming assets were basically a modern version of the 2CV concept. And the same for the Twingo in the 90s. But yes, overall, the Model T :D
My take would be one of two: The Tatra V570. This is one of the most produced cars in the world! Oh, sorry, the beetle is one of the most produced cars in the world and the beetles design was stolen from the V570. The flat 4, the swing axle suspension, the shape, all of it is influential on this car but it is only one of Tatras many iconic and advanced cars. Tatra is probably the most influential auto manufacturer ever but to pick just one of their cars is difficult. The mini. Alec Issigonis's mini. Look at almost every single car produced in the last 40 years and they are almost all using the design of the mini. Transverse engine, fwd layout is more than influential. Nuff said.
I don't have the knowledge to do it per decade. I will mention the Cadillac that came up with the "Clutch on the left, brakes in the middle, throttle on the right" pedal layout as a very influential car, though, as that's the layout that stuck with us.
For the 1960's I would have picked the original Mini. Why? Sir Alec Issigonis designed a compact TRANSVERSE FWD drivetrain that really set the standard for the world. While the car itself left more than a bit to be desired, this drivetrain is what sets it apart. For the 1970's I would say the Mk1 VW Golf. VW took Issigonis design and mass produced it in a reasonably sized car. 1980's: Chevrolet Citation. The first FWD American car with a transverse engine, this was the ancestor of the vast majority of GM and American cars in general to this day. Great video!
@@Romiman1 passat b3 (the 2000 project) has no grill like Tesla, but 20 years ahead. Golf and Passat B3 and Transporter B4 were only updated in next 30 years until ID era was introduced.
@@120M "No grille" isn't anything special for B3 Passat, it even had a grille, it just was in the bumper). Think about all the rear engine cars (Beetle(!), Karmann Ghia, BMW 700, Renault Dauphine) or Studebaker Avanti... Decades before B3 Passat. Technically the 90s VWs simply were the same front-drive transverse engine cars like almost every Ford, Fiat Peugeot, Toyota, Nissan... or GM car of that era. But the huge success of the Mk1 Golf and Passat turned the other automakers like Ford, GM and the Japanese to convert generally to FWD... So the classic Mini, as the 'inventor" of that drivetrain-layout, has had to be mentioned as a car, which influenced the automobil world until today.
Autobianchi Primula because it is the first FWD compact car where they installed both engine and gearbox teansverse, like slmost every compact car. The Renault 4, the first mass produced FWD 5-door hatchback. MINI a 10" wheel on each corner, FWD and transverse placed engine.
I believe the 1916 Cadillac Type 53 is the most influencial car of all time because it was the first car to introduce the modern control layout that all cars still follow to this day. Namely: accelerator pedal on the right, clutch pedal on the left, and brake pedal in between.
My personal choice was the Citroën Traction Avant (unibody construction, FWD and a definate move away from the tall cart-like cars - all in one mass-produced package), but I think that you have a valid point there. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Citro%C3%ABn_Traction_Avant
In my opinion, the Benz Patent Motorwagon was the most influential car of the 1890's, but not necessarily 1900-1909, as that was the decade when cars became much bigger and stronger than a former horse-drawn cart with a single cylinder engine attached. A more influential car of that decade would probably be the Cadillac Model A or the Ford Model A, since they are virtually the same car (Ford was bamboozled out of his first company, so Leland evaluated the assets, realized there *was* enough stuff to make cars, the board renamed the company "Cadillac", and started selling the cars that Ford designed. When Ford started making his Model A, he continued with the design he had already drafted). For the 1920's, I think the Duesenberg takes the cake, since they mastered several innovations that would be featured on cars for decades to follow (and assuming no car can be listed twice). For the 1930's, the Ford V8 wins my vote, hands down. I agree with you for the '40's '50's & '60's, but I when I think of the 1970's (and the fuel crisis, and kitsch styling, and sleaze), I can think of no other car than the 1974 Cadillac El Dorado. When it comes to the '80's & '90's, I agree that it should be an SUV and a minivan, but the Jeep Cherokee XJ was much more influential in both decades, until the Dodge Caravan redesign of 1996. Dodge really made a common plain family appliance into a common _technologically advanced_ family appliance. Maybe we could call that a draw -- both cars for both decades? I agree about the Prius and Tesla for the 2000's and the 2010's, but I think it's too early to call it for the 2020's. All of that being said, I agree that the Ford Model T is the most influential car of all time. The engine, designed with cylinders cast en bloc, is where all modern engines find their roots, and Ford even continued producing the engine up to WWII. They made over 15 million Model T's, and it could be used for _so much more_ than just driving from point a to point b. Heck, in 1999, the Global Automotive Elections Foundation oversaw the election for the *Car of the Century* award, which was won by the Ford Model T! Now, I _might_ be a _little_ biased, growing up with a Dad who restores Model T's, but I still think your assertation is absolutely correct: /The Ford Model T is the Most Influential Car of All Time!/
I like the way you think! Altho, before 1971, GM was a company that encouraged innovation. Two of the greatest inventions ever were developed by GM. They are the electric starter in 1912, and the modern automatic transmission in 1939. Granted, I'm off topic here, but those two inventions changed the auto industry more than any others. PS- I'm not a GM guy at all, but I give credit where it is due.
@@61rampy65 they also did a lot to make OHV engines mainstream. Still, Ford (and the F150 and Taurus weren't even mentioned) and Chrysler ( and the forward look or the K cars weren't even mentioned) did way more to innovate and influence, let alone Citroen and many others around the world.
@kmyre he did mention the Taurus. F150 is merely the most popular of a very ordinary genre, and not actually- Chevy and GMC are essentially the same truck, and their combined sales actually exceed F150 every year.
On influence on the cars, I can say GM might be the founding father of badge-engineering. The Opel-Record from 1967 as I know it has been solde around the world in roughtly all (local) GM brands and on some marktes on different brands. Same for the Opel Kadett from the '70-s and the one from the '80-s.
The General seemed to me to be the king of American autombile styling. From the 50s to the 80s they had far better looking cars than Ford, Chrysler, AMC or anyone else. Too bad they weren't ground breaking in technological ways.
Great video and certainly a difficult task. For the 1970's it must be the Honda Accord since it was the first Japanese car that US carmakers and the public around the globe had to take seriously as a competitive threat. While not the first or as prolific as the Corolla, it set the new benchmark for style, quality, features and value. It was large enough, powerful enough, was fuel efficient and delivered quality. Plus CVCC technology to satisfy emission requirements without needing a catalytic converter introduced the world to thoughtful Honda engineering. The Accord continues to be the standard by which family sedans are judged to this day. To bolster the Honda Accord's influence, it is the one car every contender in the family sedan market tries to emulate or surpass. The Accord has so many influential firsts too: First car from a Japanese brand to be manufactured in the US First car to be exported back to Japan First car sold by an import brand to be best selling car in the United States 1989, 1990, 1991 and 2001. The Corolla, and others from Japan may have opened the door but the Honda Accord blew it wide open to set a new automotive standard for all others to follow.
Conspicuously absent is no mention of Honda whatsoever. My parents bought a 1974 Civic with that cvcc engine. I took my drivers test in it, and for the parallel parking portion, I pulled in FORWARD, and nailed the positioning perfectly. The examiner said no one had ever done that before. (parked without backing in) The car was like driving a mosquito. It was a blast. In deep snow, it was so light, it would ride on top of the snow, and front wheel drive, meant we never got stuck. They followed that with a VW Rabbit which was pretty much the German equivalent to a Chevette. (until the GTI)
