207: 100 Cars That Changed the World (1970-Present)
Posted on: July 14th, 2022 by gstanley
Welcome to The Collector Car Podcast. Before we get to the final installment of the 100 Cars That Changed the World, I have a few updates.
- Be sure to check out our YouTube channel…new content daily
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- Coming soon…a tour of the Blackhawk Collection, the Hillsborough Concours d’Elegance Corvettes and Cobras from Verrillo Motor Sales in upstate NY and historic Shelbys and racecars at the Indianapolis Speedway
- Future podcast episodes
- Collector Car Estate Planning
- An interview with automobile artist Kelly Telfer
- I talk Ferraris with Tom Yang
- The Incredible Cars Coming to Monterey Car Week
This is going to be a longer episode, so buckle up!
1970 Datsun 240Z
“Prior to 1969, the impression most Americans had of Japanese cars mirrored those currently held of Chinese-made toys — mainly cheap junk. In the fall of 1969, the Datsun 240Z changed those opinions instantly and forever. Beautiful (albeit not terribly original) styling combined with a smooth 2.4 liter overhead-cam straight six and independent rear suspension made the Z go and handle as well as it looked. 0-60 in 7.8 seconds and a 125-mph top speed was better than a Porsche 911T and Jaguar E-Type of the day for around half the price. Needless to say, the Z clobbered competition from the likes of Alfa Romeo, Fiat, Opel, Triumph and MG.
- 1-year -4.2%, 3-year +40.4%, 5-year +54.5%
- Avg Value – $33,800
1970 Land Rover Range Rover
“When Rover introduced the Range Rover in 1970, it combined the luxury of the company’s saloons with the unparalleled off-road ability of the workhorse Land Rover. In so doing, it essentially created a new category of vehicle that we now know as the SUV. It has been a trendsetter in that segment ever since.
Rover already had the aluminum 3.5-liter V8, bought from Buick in 1965 and Range Rovers have always been V-8-powered, except for turbodiesel options from 1984. They feature permanent four-wheel drive, four-wheel disc brakes, coils springs all round with self-levelling suspension, separate chassis with alloy body panels, and four doors from 1981. A 5-speed gearbox replaced the basic 4-speed in 1983 and only automatic transmissions have been available since 2002.
- 1-year +10.1%, 3-year +56.8%, 5-year +59.9%
- Avg Value – $24,900
1970 Pontiac Firebird
- For 1970, the new Pontiac Firebird was delayed until February thanks to tooling troubles and a strike at GM. Meanwhile, insurance rates soared for high-horsepower cars and there was a crackdown on performance advertising. None of this boded well for Pontiac, which was a performance brand.
- It was little consolation that the new 1970 Pontiac Firebird, when it finally appeared, was a significant improvement over the previous model. Its clean and elegant lines would also remain in production for 12 years. The SD 455 models would be the last really fast car in the GM stable, as the Malaise Era gripped the industry in 1974.
- Performance took a dive in the Seventies, but the Pontiac Firebird, with its available big V8s, reasonable sixe, and relatively nimble handing, was a bright spot in a dark age.
- 1-year +21.0%, 3-year +21.0%, 5-year +27.1%
- Avg Value – $28,500
1973 Honda Civic
- From “100 Cars That Changed The World”
- The fun to drive and reliable 1973 Honda Civic brought the front-wheel-drive economy car into the American mainstream. Its timing couldn’t have been better with the Oil Embargo hitting not long after the Civic’s introduction. Honda claimed 30 mpg and couldn’t build cars fast enough.
- Not in Hagerty’s database but surprisingly, there are a ton of Honda motorcycles present.
1974 Lamborghini Countach
- Lamborghini unveiled a prototype of its revolutionary Countach supercar at the 1971 Geneva Motor Show. With styling by Marcello Gandini (who already had the Miura to his credit), the exotic, 5.0-liter V-12-powered wedge dubbed the LP500 had people talking. Enough that Lamborghini moved forward with production, and the Countach LP400 road car debuted for 1974.
- The Lamborghini Countach was, quite literally, the poster child for 1980s supercar excesses, and while enthusiasts will forever argue about which generation was the greatest, the model as a whole will forever be recognized as an automotive icon.
- 1-year +18.5%, 3-year +23.1%, 5-year -20.0%
- Avg Value – $990,000
1976 Volkswagen Golf GTI
- From “100 Cars That Changed The World”
- In 1974 Volkswagen made a historic turn from air-cooled rear-mounted engines to water-cooled front engines and front-wheel drive for the compact Golf.
- The GTI helped create the “hot hatch” segment and its combination of sporty moves and family car practicality proved popular.
1977 Chevrolet Impala
- From “100 Cars That Changed The World”
- Even before the 1973 Oil Embargo, General Motors had decided that its full-sized cars were too big. Development of trimmer cars was already in progress when the energy crisis made downsizing imperative.
- The 1977 full-sized Impala was 10 inches shorter and more than 600 pounds lighter that the 1976 model, yet interior room remained nearly the same.
- GM’s first downsizing was a success with Chevy’s big-car sales increasing 56.1 percent over the previous year.
- The 1977 downsizing proved that Americans would accept smaller cars.
1980 AMC Eagle
- From “100 Cars That Changed The World”
- The AMC Eagle was a clever idea from a gutsy company in dire straits.
- AMC’s Jeep division combined its four-wheel-drive expertise with AMC’s compact Concord car to create a forerunner of today’s crossover SUV.
- The Eagle merged the comfort and refinement of a car with the security of an SUV’s four-wheel drive.
1982 Honda Accord
- From “100 Cars That Changed The World”
- It can be argued that the 1982 Honda Accord changed the way that Americans thought about Japanese cars.
- By this time may car shoppers had heard good things about Honda, but the cars were still a little too small, a little too modestly powered, and a little too, well, Japanese-looking.
- That all changed for 1982 with the new Honda Accord.
1983 Ford Thunderbird
- From “100 Cars That Changed The World”
- Ford had dabbled with an aero look for the 1979 Mustang, but it was with the redesigned 1983 Thunderbird that Ford committed to aerodynamic styling.
- The “Aero Bird” not only looked streamlined, it was aerodynamic with a 0.35 coefficient of drag that was the lowest of any of the Big Three’s two-door cars.
1984 Dodge Caravan
- From “100 Cars That Changed The World”
- The Dodge Caravan, along with the similar Plymouth Voyager, combined the expansive interior of a van with a frint-drive sedan platform.
- The results was carlike to drive and had a low step-in height, yet could hold up to eight passengers and luggage.
- It created an entire new market that continues to today.
1986 Ford Taurus
- From “100 Cars That Changed The World”
- In 1986, Ford introduced its daring Taurus sedan and wagon.
- The Taurus had European style and driving dynamics and it was one of the company’s most successful products and it forever changed the midsize sedan market.
1990 Lexus LS 400
- From “100 Cars That Changed The World”
- Toyota introduce3d its upmarket Lexus brand for 1990.
- The LS 400 challenged the Mercede3s-Benz S-Class and other European luxury sedans, but for significantly less money.
- The luxury car market changed forever with the entry of Lexus.
1990 Mazda Miata MX-5
- The Mazda Miata moved much of the enthusiast community near to tears when it was introduced in the fall of 1989 for the 1990 model year. Few thought we would ever see a British roadster re-imagined as a competent and dependable yet utterly charming automobile. Colors were originally limited to red, white and blue and several option packages that included niceties like air conditioning, power windows, and seat-mounted speakers. A nice removable hard top was offered as was an autobox, but this option mercifully proved to be unpopular. Few people were able to buy a 1990 Miata at anywhere near sticker price.
- 1-year +0.0%, 3-year +23.1%, 5-year +89.8%
- Avg Value – $8,400
1991 Ford Explorer
- From “100 Cars That Changed The World”
- Prior to the Explorer, small SUVs were relatively cramped inside and crude in nature.
- The Explore made the SUVs mainstream.
1992 Dodge Viper RT/10
- Originally the work of a small crew under close direction of then Chrysler President Bob Lutz, and Design Chief Tom Gale, the Viper became iconic even when it was only a concept—one first unveiled at the Detroit auto show in 1989. Today these first Vipers are worth having because they lead a line of now-legendary American supercars; provide the most “bite” with the Viper in its most savage, simple form; and serve to remind us of a time when Chrysler broke out from K-Car convention.
- The Viper’s mammoth 8.0-liter V-10 engine had originally been designed for Dodge Truck duty, but Chrysler looked to Lamborghini for help in designing a new aluminum block and heads, with some of its parts (including the two-valve-per-cylinder pushrod design) carried over. In these first Vipers, the engine was rated at 400 hp and 450 lb-ft of torque, with an impressive redline of 6,000 rpm. The dash to 60 mph came in less than five seconds, and top speed was originally 164 mph.
- At the time it hit the market, the Dodge Viper provided an amped-up sensory experience typically only found in boutique sports racers of the day, but with a more nuanced, cohesive driving experience—and of course the bodywork of a supercar. Nevertheless, near the limit, early Vipers have a reputation for biting back, with a lack of progressivity in handling at higher speeds and of course, no electronic stability control or even anti-lock brakes.
- Only 285 Vipers were delivered in 1992 (all red with a gray interior), with more colors and features added in the following years. Production totals were 1,043, 3,083, and 1,577 for ’93, ’94, and ’95, respectively.
- 1-year -15.0%, 3-year +100.6%, 5-year +121.1%
- Avg Value – $64,800
1993 Jeep Grand Cherokee
- From “100 Cars That Changed The World”
- As SUVs became more popular in the Nineties, Jeep decided to bring out a larger, more upmarket version of its Cherokee for 1983.
- The first Luxo-Ute.
1994 McLaren F1
- The McLaren F1 stands among the greatest sports cars of all time, a revolutionary vehicle that still sets the bar for supercars. The brainchild of Gordon Murray, the renowned designer and technical director of the McLaren Formula One team, the F1 was produced from 1994-1998 by McLaren Automotive, a spin-off of the racing team. With a top-speed of 240.1 miles-per-hour, the F1 became the fastest production car in history, a record it would hold until 2005.
- A radical three-seat cockpit and butterfly doors made the F1 look every bit as exotic as its carbon-fiber monocoque body, the first such application in a road car. This wasn’t the only unconventional material employed by Murray, as the F1’s engine compartment was lined with gold foil to insulate the carbon body from potential heat-induced deformation. Powered by a 6.1-liter BMW-sourced V12, the 2,425-pound F1 boasted an astonishing power-to-weight ratio. Its 627 horsepower and 479 lb-ft of torque were routed through a six-speed manual transmission and a Torsen limited-slip differential. The F1’s mid-engine design and short, 107-inch wheelbase helped the double-wishbone aluminum suspension provided exceptional handling.
- 1-year +5.1%, 3-year +29.1%, 5-year +48.7%
- Avg Value – $17,000,000
1996 Toyota RAV4
- From “100 Cars That Changed The World”
- The RAV4 offered SUV benefits with carlike ride and handling.
- One of the first little utes
1997 General Motors EV1
- One of the first electric
1999 Lexus RX 300
- One of the first luxury cross-over SUVs.
- From “100 Cars That Changed The World”
- The RX showed that a vehicle could have the space, high seating position, and rugged appeal of an SUV,s but with greater comfort and fuel economy.
2000 Toyota Prius
- From “100 Cars That Changed The World”
- The first-generation Prius introduced the world to hybrids, although it was the second generation, that debuted for 2004, that normalized the technology and sold in impressive volume.
2005 Bugatti Veyron
- Descriptors such as “world’s fastest car” and “1,000+ horsepower” are sure to get you waved into the most visible and privileged parking spots at your local Cars and Coffee event, but they just scratch the surface in the Bugatti Veyron’s story. Everything else on this car’s data sheet—from engine specs to MSRP—is as breathtaking now as when the car came to market in 2005.
- When the Bugatti name was revived by Volkswagen in 1998, its first production project was a mid-engined supercar that would surpass previously accepted street supercar boundaries in price, performance, and sanity. Prototypes were running in 2003 with the first production examples leaving the French factory in 2005. The Veyron’s carbon-fiber cockpit cell has attached to it a unique 8-liter, W-configured 16-cylinder, 64-valve motor that utilizes four turbochargers to push enough boost through its plenum for 1,001 horsepower upon the cars introduction—with more powerful editions following. This power is sent to all four wheels via a six-speed sequential gearbox propelling the car to a 250+ mph top speed, and reeling all of this in is Brembo carbon brakes as well as an honest-to-goodness airbrake that deploys out of the rear bodywork.
- 1-year +0.0%, 3-year +5.6%, 5-year +15.2%
- Avg Value – $1,150,000
2005 Ford Mustang GT
- From “100 Cars That Changed The World”
- Styling echoed Mustangs of the past, yet was fresh and modern.
- The redesigned Mustang was better in almost every way compered to the car it replaced and proved that the “pony car” wasn’t dead.
- 1-year +23.4%, 3-year +24.5%, 5-year +24.5%
- Avg Value – $11,600
2012 Tesla Model S
- Performance….period.
- Model S got car guys and gals excited about electric cars.
2013 Ferrari LaFerrari
- A decade after the introduction of the game-changing Enzo, Ferrari introduced the next addition to the company’s hypercar dynasty that includes the 288 GTO, F40 and F50. And like the Enzo before it, the new car only went to Ferrari’s preferred clients. Introduced at the Geneva Motor Show in 2013, the LaFerrari immediately came up against the Porsche 918 and the McLaren P1. The three were inevitably compared and contrasted thanks to their high price, savage performance, wild looks and the fact that all three embraced hybrid powertrain technology independently of one another. Unlike in most hybrids, though, these cars exploited electric power primarily to add to performance and enhance the internal combustion engine, not to increase fuel economy. Other aspects of the car were developed through Ferrari’s FXX program.
- The hybridization of the supercars
- 1-year +31.8%, 3-year +26.1%, 5-year +2.4%
- Avg Value – $3,350,000
2015 Dodge Challenger Hellcat
- The most powerful muscle car ever…did it change the world?
- 1-year +1.9%, 3-year -7.0%, 5-year -7.0%
- Avg Value – $45,900
2017 Chevrolet Bolt EV
- The first, fun-to-drive and reasonably priced electric car.
2019 Jaguar I-Pace
- From “100 Cars That Changed The World”
- The 2019 Jaguar I-Pace was the first all-electric, all-wheel drive crossover SUV from an established manufacturer.
- The I-Pace combined two trends: the rise of pure electric vehicles and the shift from sedans to SUVs.
2020 Chevrolet Corvette
- The switch to mid-engine made the Corvette a supercar at a budget car price.
Cars mentioned in this episode:
