Ever since Karl Benz invented and patented his Motorwagen in 1886, cars have been changing and improving constantly. Over the 135 years, we saw all kinds of cars. Some exceptional 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 once every few decades, we saw a truly groundbreaking car. These cars shaped the industry into what it is today.
These cars have been exceptionally influential. Some even changed the automotive landscape. There are some honorable mentions like the Miata, Mini Cooper, Mustang, and Plymouth Voyager that helped to change that landscape, yet even those legends didn't have the impact of these ten cars that changed automobiles forever, and we are grateful for it. These are the 10 most influential cars of all time.
10 Mercedes 35 HP - First "Modern" Automobile
While the Motorwagen was the first car, the Mercedes 35 HP was the first car that looks like a modern car. It had a big inline-4 engine that produced 35 horsepower and the top speed was 53 mph, which made it faster than the new Citroën Ami! These numbers are very impressive because it was built in 1901.
Conceived as a race car, the Mercedes 35 HP shaped the automobile into what we now know it. Most of the motorized vehicles of its era were nothing more than stagecoaches with engines. But the design of the 35 HP was very radical for the time. It had actual seats, a low center of gravity, and a general car-like shape. After its many successes at races, this car was further developed for road use and led the way for the modern automobile.
9 Ford Model T - First Mass Produced Car
At the dawn of the 20th century, Henry Ford started his automobile production journey with the Model A. So, the Ford Model T was not the first Ford. It wasn't the first mass-produced car, either. Oldsmobile Curved Dash beat Mr. Ford to it, but the Model T was affordable and obtainable. Because of the moving assembly line used in the production of the car, it can be produced faster and in high quantities. So much so that in 1913 and onwards, Ford could make a new Model T in 90 minutes.
Money was another big factor of Model T's influence. Not only it was affordable, but Henry Ford also revolutionized the nation and created the middle class by increasing the wages of his employees. So, they could afford to drive a Model T. You could get yourself a brand-spanking-new car for the low-low price of $269. Ford made more than 15 million Model Ts, and at one point more than half of the registered cars were Model Ts.
8 Volkswagen Beetle - People's Car
The VW Beetle is so iconic that we had to make a separate list of the most iconic Beetle models. Apart from being an icon for two very distinct ideologies and times, the Volkswagen Beetle was very influential on the overall car market. While it didn't have many firsts, impressive stats, or anything fancy, it was successful.
The Beetle was in production up until 2003. It is the longest-running and most produced car on a single platform. A successful world car, the Beetle lays down the ground rules for anyone brave enough to follow its tire tracks: good fuel economy, affordability, inexpensive and readily available spare parts, and reliability. It was the first true people's car.
7 Mercedes-Benz 300SL - First Supercar
Supercars are exciting. We love to talk about them. They are fast and special machines that get attention like nothing else. 300SL was the pioneer of supercars and influenced Ferraris, Lamborghinis, McLarens, and many more. But what makes the Mercedes-Benz 300SL so special? Well, Car and Driver once stated: "This is the finest production sports car in the world. No exceptions, no qualifications. On all critical counts, it scores."
It was flashy, like all the supercars, it certainly had exotic design features, as 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 tracks all around the world.
6 Pontiac GTO - First Muscle Car
Muscle cars are the pride and joy of the American car culture. The idea of cramming a big, thundering V8 under a small car's hood isn't exactly new, Oldsmobile beat everyone to it in the 1949 Rocket V8, but the Pontiac GTO was the car to start the horsepower war on American streets.
While the Pontiac GTO was just a humble trim-level pack when it came out, it changed the automotive landscape of Detroit. Those who follow the GTO's footsteps soon rose to greatness, and those who couldn't, simply vanished. What this car started was the golden age of the American automobile, and we are thankful.
5 Lamborghini Miura - First Mid-Engine Supercar
Lamborghini Miura was the car that gave Lamborghini its horns. While many consider it the original supercar, the Mercedes-Benz 300SL beat it by almost a decade. And it is not a bad thing. What Miura did for Lamborghini and the exotic car market is nothing short of extraordinary, and it is because Lamborghini dared to push the envelope.
Mid-engine cars were somewhat of a rarity back in those days. 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 still is the blueprint for almost every supercar that followed its footsteps.
4 McLaren F1 - First Hypercar
McLaren F1 was the next big leap in performance cars. It is one of the most special cars ever produced and had a great deal of care put into every aspect of its production. The chassis took extremely long to make, and the engine compartment had actual gold to help it cool down. This the fastest production car in the world, and it was naturally aspirated. Nowadays, performance gains are made with forced induction and/or hybrid systems. But McLaren F1 had a naturally-aspirated V12 engine made by BMW.
A performance icon, McLaren F1 pioneered the hypercars. It had exceptional engineering effort put into every aspect of the car to improve its performance. It broke many records, pushed the boundaries, and inspired so many great cars. Even to this day, the F1 remains the fastest naturally aspirated car in the world.
3 Toyota Prius - First Viable Hybrid
The Toyota Prius was not the first hybrid. Some of the earliest cars used electric motors to make up for the torque deficiency of early gasoline-powered vehicles. Apart from them, there was the Honda Insight. But it was the humble Prius that started the Hybrid revolution.
Today, PHEVs and other great hybrid systems are being used in commercial and passenger cars. Even in racing, hybrids are on the rise. Formula 1 uses turbocharged hybrids since 2014 and will continue to do so for the foreseeable future. Hybrid cars will slowly become the norm, and it is all thanks to the pioneering Toyota Prius.
2 Nissan Qashqai - First Crossover
Love them or hate them, the crossovers are the most popular cars of our time. And the Nissan Qashqai is the frontier for the crossover SUV invasion. While there were crossovers before the Qashqai like the Golf Country, Infiniti FX45, and Pontiac Aztec, it was the Qashqai that opened the pandora's box.
When Nissan replaced the Almera with the Qashqai, all hell broke loose and everyone started releasing crossovers left, right, and center. They started to sell, and sell they did. Before Qashqai, crossovers were seen as quirky little cars that couldn't do any job well enough. But Qashqai changed the public perception, and for better or for worse, crossovers are dominating the market.
1 Tesla Model S - First Mainstream EV
Elon Musk changed the face of the automobile almost overnight with Tesla's innovative EVs. While electric cars were nothing new, what the Tesla Model S achieved has never been done before, because it was the first electric car to genuinely threaten the cars that relied on internal combustion engines.
But more importantly, Tesla pioneered the infrastructure needed for the electric future. This is extremely important in the grand scheme of things because the way to the future is electric. Tesla is reinventing the wheel, and their weapon of choice is the Model S.