History: you don’t know where you’re going if you don’t know how you got there. I’ve always been a big buff of the before times, and so are many of you! I asked about cars that turned the tide of the past and you delivered with some obvious and very interesting answers.
Take a click through to take a look.
It’s a boring answer, but it really is the Model T, and there’s really no contest. The entire landscape of the country and world was changed because of it, it irreversibly altered how cities were designed, essentially created the idea of the suburbs, and a million other things. Others cars have done more for pop culture and advanced automotive engineering forward, but the world and car as we know them both today, for better and worse, would not exist without the Model T.
Definitely the “no duh” option!
From The NSX Was Only In Development For 4 Years, Others
You mentioned it.
Gräf & Stift open-topped touring car
At least 100 million people died from this car (WW1 22 million, Spanish Flu 20 million, WW2 60 million) These are estimates and don’t even tell the complete story. Because communism rose because of this car and that killed millions upon millions as well. The shadow of this car can be seen today in Ukraine and Israel. The total death toll is likely approaching a quarter billion people.
But it’s more than the deaths that link back to this car. Before this car, all of civilization linked to Europe. Europe was civilized, the rest of the world was not. Even America was not a center of culture with Americ copying European style and music. After this car, American culture has dominated and European culture has faded. Europe has discarded her colonies and even with Europe, the culture has shifted dramatically. The Country of Beethoven and Mozart has become the country of Ramstein (which is linked to American Rock and Roll that links to African music not European music).
This car changed everything. All because the driver stopped for directions.
This story has always stuck with me. 10/10 Dan Carlin-esque comment.
From hoser68, others
The only car driven on another celestial body, at least until Musk gets off his ass...
That’ll be a long wait.
From Along with Martin, Dutch Gunderson, Lana and Sally Decker and others
The most significant car is the Volkswagen Beetle. The reasons are so numerous that I don’t even think I need to enumerate them.
From Jesus Presley
The Lend Lease trucks made for the Soviet Union in WWII like the Studebaker US6. It let the Soviet Union move troops and supplies and let them out logistics the Nazis on the vast East Front.
and
The 2½-ton 6×6 truck, which won World War 2. Built especially by GMC, hundreds of thousand of them were manufactured and models were still in use by the U.S. military decades later. It’s said that “Amateurs study tactics: professionals study logistics.” Without trucks like these Europeans, and Russians, are speaking a different language today. I expect they will be on some road, somewhere, for another 50 years.
From ExGavalonnj, DGUTS
I’m going to go with a dark horse choice, the Toyota AA.
It’s the first production Toyota sedan. Toyoda developed the principles of ‘Just In Time’ or Lean manufacturing with these first models. Not only is Toyota the largest single car brand in existence largely thanks to developing and mastering JIT. This manufacturing method slowly overtook other manufacturing methods to become the dominant way that we build things today. It’s more than that though, JIT/lean manufacturing is one of the reasons that even minor delays in global logistics is so damaging to the economy, as we saw with COVID. That is one of the main reasons why countries, specifically the US, spends massive amounts to have militaries that can act way outside of their borders protecting shipping lanes and keeping the flow of trade going.
From Connor, others.
64-65 Ford Mustang.
The original pony car. Sporty, cheap, easy to work on and marketed to men and women.
From 900turbo
“The most significant car in history”. It’s kind of an open ended statement. Depends how you want to interpret it.
As previously stated, the Model T appears to be an obvious answer. Not only did it shape the American landscape, but North American manufacturing as well. A close second and much more recognizable by its silhouette would be the VW Beetle, even though its heritage is more than suspect. However, it outlived the Model T in years of production and exceeded it in sales.
From a notoriety point of view, I’d have to go with lead photo - JFK’s Lincoln. But that gives away my age and its significance will so diminish once The Quiet Generation, Boomers and Gen X’ers fade away from existence.
The Lunar rover. It was a blip.
Then there were the franchise cars: Barris’ Batmobile, The Bandit’s Trans Am, and The Duke Boys and their ‘69 Charger. We all dreamed of owning, driving or being near one. Again, their significance will will diminish with the generations that loved them.
So I’m going with this:
It was invaluable to American GI’s in WWII and the Korean War and its spawn still roam the roads today. It’s an Icon that refuses to die or ride off into the sunset.
From Braking-Dad
What’s more significant than the car that started it all? Probably the car that’ll ultimately push the next generations away from them.
Let me explain.
Have you seen the statistics for pedestrian injuries and fatalities? Have you seen traffic these days? Have you seen the average price of a new car? It’s bad, and we have the SUV turning into a staple for the American dream to thank for that. Rising casualties are linked to cars getting bigger and heavier, and larger cars with more room per single person occupied on the road than ever before means worse congestion. Infrastructure is crumbling under the weight of higher vehicle mass averages to a point where pavement looks more like the surface of a cookie than properly-developed flat ground. And with the cost of living ballooning, turning six-figure jobs into “just getting by,” current and prospective drivers wonder more and more whether or not a vehicle that costs, on average, their annual salary is actually worth their hard labor. Further emphasis placed on the rise of EVs, which are heavier and more expensive on average, all while the regular driver thinks nothing of giving up their 3-row metal cage out of concern for their safety, often at the expense of their finances and other pedestrians. It’s no wonder the whippersnappers don’t wanna drive anymore, because it’s an expensive, dangerous, tedious chore. Ever seen new developments going from suburbia to “lifestyle centers” and high-density condos that mimic walkable communities? Probably because all of the above.
If it took everyone figuring out how “great” 3-row 3-ton metal cages are to finally realize how bad cars are as the dominant transit solution, then they should’ve arrived sooner.
From Lil Xanos
The first car: Benz Patent Motor Car 1886
From cdoggyd
The Toyota Prius needs no introduction
It’s not my theory to claim (I got it from Paul Ingrassia, in his book Engines of Change), but an argument can be made that the Chevrolet Corvair got George W Bush elected - that through attempting to destroy Nader’s reputation rather than letting any controversy from Unsafe At Any Speed blow over, they inadvertently thrust him into enough public prominence to run in 2000 and help split the vote.
Now, I’m not sure I’d argue either that W’s presidency is more historically significant than something like the impacts of the Model T (especially accounting for mobility, production, even labour relations both good and bad), or that there’s not another model with an even bigger tangential impact, I like it as an example of unintended consequences.
From Maymar
I’m biased obviously, but I would make a case for the Oldsmobile Curved Dash. First car to be mass produced via interchangeable parts, I believe the first car to have a song written about it, and the car that saved Oldsmobile post factory fire, the division that would save GM again and again.
From Drg84