Today we look at the ten most important cars in the history of the automobile. That's a daunting task to some degree because choosing just ten out of the hundreds of thousands is something we could all argue about for endless hours. What we've focused on here though are ten cars that changed the game to a large degree. They took some rule and shattered it, they defined a segment or culture shift, they broke ground in a way that others simply hadn't before.

What you won't see on this list are things like the Bloodhound SSC, or F1 cars, rally cars, or the like. Those things are all wonderful in their own ways, and maybe someday we'll do a list of the ten greatest cars never sold to the public or not allowed on public roads, but today we're focusing on ten cars that any person could own at some point. These are the ones that set new standards.

10 Bugatti Veyron

Bugatti Veyron top speed
via pinterest

Why not the Chiron I can hear many of you asking? Yes, it did 300mph, a first for a production car, and yes, that's notable. But the truth is that without the Veyron, the Chiron never happens.

Mansory-Bugatti-Veyron-Burnout
via motor1

The Veyron too is likely capable of 300, it's just never been proven. Still, any car that can hit nearly 270mph in 2013 could probably have pushed it to 300 with a little more tuning. It's likely Bugatti held it back intentionally so that the next car, the Chiron could have that crown and thus garner more buyers.

9 Tesla Model S

Grey 2020 Tesla Model S
via Autocar

Similarly, I can hear many wondering why not the Roadster in this slot. Well, the Roadster was more a proof of concept than a game-changer. The Model S made it clear that electric cars could be everything that ICE cars were but better.

via Motor Trend

Pricing was similar enough, the styling was great and performance was better than anything else. Without the Model S, the automotive world would be far slower to adopt these battery-centric powertrains.

8 Toyota Prius

caranddriver.com

The Prius is about as ugly as it gets. It's also about as uninspiring as a car can be. Nevertheless, it started a trend of economy cars that made a lot of sense to commuters and broke ground in a segment that many thought wasn't viable.

Via topspeed.com

As time has gone on it's become increasingly more comfortable and useful to those who are in the market for one and it's the reason so many hybrids came on the scene not long after its arrival.

7 McLaren F1

Motor1

What can be said about the F1 that hasn't been said before? No car had ever been like it before and only the P1 and T50 really shared any similar spirit since then. The F1 embodied what could be done with a real commitment to lightweight refined power and handling.

A silver McLaren F1 that was purchased by Lewis Hamilton
Via Inside Lane

I can't think of another car that so seamlessly made the transition to racing either, much less one that could take the outright crown at Le Mans like the F1 did.

RELATED: Original McLaren F1 V12 “Loaner” Engines Still Available

6 Ford Explorer

1991 Ford Explorer
Bing

There's no way to walk around this truth, the Ford Explorer is responsible for the huge number of dumb, slow, annoying SUVs and CUVs on the road today.

via zombiedrive

Vehicles like the Jeep Cherokee had come out before but the Explorer offered more room, more luxury, and more power. People fell in love overnight and a new segment was born. One that just so happens to appeal mostly to people who view their vehicles as appliances to be loathed.

5 Dodge/Chrysler Minivan

1984-Dodge-Caravan
via hagerty

 

The Caravan changed the game in terms of family hauling in America. The Japanese had small vans for quite a while before these arrived on the scene, but they were bigger and more powerful.

The Caravan was designed for families and families loved them. It was a big hit immediately and clearly has led to that segment's growth over the last few decades.

4 Lamborghini Miura

1971-Lamborghini-Miura
via caranddriver

Of course, I was going to find a way to include the first supercar ever made here. Some argue that the Mercedes 300SL was the first but those people are mistaken. The Miura combined everything that we think of when we think of a supercar today.

via wikimedia commons

It was stunning, shocking, and beautiful. It had a giant, very powerful engine in the back. It drove in a way that other cars simply couldn't keep up with even if today it's more well known for needing more downforce up front.

RELATED: 10 Greatest Lamborghini Cars Ever Made

3 Toyota Corolla

via barnfinds.com

The Corolla can't be overlooked because it has mattered more to more people that seems possible. Millions of them have been sold, over the decades it has never ceased to be a great value to those in the market for them.

AE86 Corolla with headlights up
Via superstreetonline.com

They've even built cult followings of some models. The Corolla is undeniably one of the most important cars in history. It's never fallen out of favor.

2 Ford Model T

Ford Model T
via car and driver

The Model T is here for two reasons, first, the assembly line it was built on was a game-changer in America. Second, that assembly line and cheaper production cost allowed for the car to be sold at a lower price.

Ford Model T Runabout- It Had A Four-cylinder Engine
via Silodrome

Remember that this car arrived when horses were all over the road. Imagine if it hadn't taken off. Every single car after it would've been different. It would've taken longer to get to the milestones that we know so well today.

1 Benz Patent Motorwagen

via siamagazin

Here's the most important one on this list. This is the very first car ever. It had a simple 1-liter 2-3 horsepower engine that could propel the vehicle to 10 or 11 mph. One small interesting tidbit about the vehicle is that it's actually featured in the game Gran Turismo.

mecum.com

You could buy and then drive this thing around any racetrack, like Laguna Seca, until you reach the corkscrew where it's not powerful enough to get up the hill.

NEXT: 10 Oldest Car Companies In The World