Volkswagen Beetle. The Morris Mini. Lee Iacocca’s minivans. The list of “most influential cars ever” is often a boring collection of machines that, in many cases, didn’t even start the trend they’re credited with.
At the same time, there are plenty of cars in history that really helped change the course of the products we buy today that nobody talks about. What are some that you can think of? Mind you- these don’t have to be great or even good cars. Some were rather awful, but they undeniably altered the automotive landscape forever.
If you went to a Chevy dealer in early 1979 for a “compact”, the salesman would present you with a Nova. This was a bog-simple conventional car that basically dated back twenty years and, like most of GM’s other cars, spun the wheels on its live rear axle.
Going back to that same showroom six months later, you’d have been shocked to see that old Nova replaced by something entirely new: the 1980 Citation. With a transverse drivetrain pushing power to the front wheels, this hatchback had the basic specifications of a VW Dasher/Passat or Saab 900 (but with the optional V6 and a stick it was arguably faster, if not more refined). This was a technology shift of decades in one model year.
It could even tow with no rear wheels!
This was a major gamble for General Motors, and it paid off in a huge way: over 800,000 sold in the first year alone. Yes, it had teething problems galore, but less than ten years later there were virtually no rear-wheel-drive cars in the GM stable left (or in any other Big 3 brand, for that matter.) If that’s not influential, what is?
Also in 1980, a lot of people laughed at a jacked-up station wagon (and later sedans) with four-wheel drive that you could use on pavement or any kind of surface without the need to get out and twist wheel hubs or even turn it on. The AMC Eagle actually sold moderately well but was hardly a runaway smash. Honestly, why would it be? Who would ever want a half car/half sport utility vehicle “crossover” anyway? Obviously, the thing was about two decades too early to market.
There are plenty more examples of pioneering cars that nobody acknowledges or even remembers. Can you name some?
Miata is always the answer, younger enthusiasts these days don’t realize that the Miata is why we had so many convertibles and sportier little cars in the 90’s and 00’s. It made people yearn for the old school tiny British roadster again because it could now be bought with proper build quality and great reliability.
When it was introduced in 1989 it was a complete reintroduction of the formula. Without the Miata we would not have had the Z3/Z4, SLK, Chevy SSR, and so many others. Now we all just take it’s existence for granted.