Which of these four iconic automobiles is the most important of all time?

[GenXer]

Love it or hate it. What do you think is the most significant car of all times?

[GenXer]

Ford Model T brought motoring to the masses with Henry Ford's ingenious assembly line and economy of scale but the VW Beetle brought motoring to the world.

I don't know of any family who has never owned at least one Beetle. In my family alone we had 7 of them.
5 original Beetles, 1 New Beetle and 1 New New Beetle Turbo.

Out of 40 vehicles I've owned in 30 years, 3 of them were Beetles.

Let's not forget the lovable Herbie, and all the dune bugs that are still running today.

It's too bad the Beetle has lost its appeal in the current generation but it's still near and dear to me.

[stein_325i]

I would say the Mode S is more "important" regarding history, than the Model 3. While the Model 3 is the EV for the masses, it wouldn't have been as possible without the Model S being introduced and changing the EV landscape as we know it.

[RM7]

Originally Posted by joshuastein55

I would say the Mode S is more "important" regarding history, than the Model 3. While the Model 3 is the EV for the masses, it wouldn't have been as possible without the Model S being introduced and changing the EV landscape as we know it.

Yep, Model S was the first electric car with practical range, as in more than 100 or 200 miles. While still not for everyone, it can meet most people's needs for an automobile most of the time and took the fantasy and science fiction of electric cars into reality. The Model T takes it from all the others on the list due to mass production/line manufacturing. Even though it was a pretty horrible design, it brought automobiles to the masses, rather than custom coachwork and hand-manufactured stuff that was prevalent at the time. Although the Beetle was a very popular car, I'm not sure it's influenced much afterwards, maybe Kia Soul, Nissan Juke, Scion, and a few others that try to be "fun and cheap".

[1MOREMOD]

Mustang, jumps more curbs and kills spectators at will.

[Socal_R8]

Original NSX

[Feddersen]

None of the above. For me it is the Cadillac Type 53.

This car was the first to place the pedals, gear shifter and hand brake in the places we are used to in all cars today. They simply defined how we should control the car and all car makers copied it since then.



https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cadillac_Type_53

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[Moisture]

Last time I sat in a Tesla model S the interior ergonomics, fit/finish and material quality was the most disappointing crap I've ever seen in my life. I would be dissapointed if my $30,000 Mazda was that bad. We're talking about a 100k car here.

[bucketfoot]

As the owner of multiple bugs over the years (regular and Baja) I had to vote with my heart, but my head would have said the Model T

[GeeRam]

None of them...

While Ford started the mass production of vehicles with the Model T, its not a car as we know it today because of its controls, and arguably, the Model A was a more significant car.

The Beetle, well, err, if it hadn't been for a British Army Major, the Beetle would have never have seen the light of day post WW2.

The Fiat 500.....its no more important than the Mini, arguably less so.

As for the Muskmobile...............seriously

[GenXer]

Originally Posted by GeeRam

None of them...

While Ford started the mass production of vehicles with the Model T, its not a car as we know it today because of its controls, and arguably, the Model A was a more significant car.

The Beetle, well, err, if it hadn't been for a British Army Major, the Beetle would have never have seen the light of day post WW2.

The Fiat 500.....its no more important than the Mini, arguably less so.

As for the Muskmobile...............seriously

So it's the British's fault for both the Beetle and the Tesla

The Cadillac was the first car to have "modern" controls which we take for granted.

The Mini was significant for the UK and the Fiat for Italy but it never went to the East or the US like the Beetle

Tesla is still questionable but Elon Musk did raise awareness of our energy consumption and set up an enormous infrastructure that might outlast his car company.

[RM7]

Originally Posted by Moisture

Last time I sat in a Tesla model S the interior ergonomics, fit/finish and material quality was the most disappointing crap I've ever seen in my life. I would be dissapointed if my $30,000 Mazda was that bad. We're talking about a 100k car here.

The lack of knobs and switches bothers some people.

[GeeRam]

Originally Posted by GenXer

The Cadillac was the first car to have "modern" controls which we take for granted.

Indeed, and Herbert Austin took that concept and applied it to the Austin Seven making it the first car for the masses that was like that, so maybe the Seven was more important than the Caddy?

Originally Posted by GenXer

The Mini was significant for the UK and the Fiat for Italy but it never went to the East or the US like the Beetle

So......

Mini was more than significant for the UK, as the Issigonis transverse engine/fwd layout pretty much defined the layout of almost all future small cars....including the Beetle's successor, the Golf.
The layout was even the inspiration to the Lambo engineers that designed the Muira!!

Just because a load of hippy's in the USA bought Adolf Hitler's KdF-Wagen doesn't signify it as being more important

[Salty Dog]

So the OP is on to something but I think his list of influential cars is a bit on the thin side. The Tesla's IMHO have no business being on the list, maybe someday but they haven't had nearly the impact of the Model T, the Bug, the Honda Civic, the Mini (original not BMW).....those cars actually had real and long lasting impact.

[M5Rick]

The Beetle for me, same config as a 911 and will always be known as the poor mans 911

[RM7]

Originally Posted by Salty Dog

So the OP is on to something but I think his list of influential cars is a bit on the thin side. The Tesla's IMHO have no business being on the list, maybe someday but they haven't had nearly the impact of the Model T, the Bug, the Honda Civic, the Mini (original not BMW).....those cars actually had real and long lasting impact.

Seems a bit ridiculous to deny the reality of the impact of the Model S. Before that, electric cars were science fiction and in no way practical. Now, I see them driving in Alaska every day. Seeing it for what it is, whether you like it or not, it's the start of something new that will continue. Would I buy one? Probably not. Do I deny the importance? Absolutely not. It's not a popularity contest.

[freakystyly]

Don't forget electric cars were around before the model T.

[FuriouslyFast]

Seriously? Model T & this is not even a contest

[Viffermike]

Yes, it is a contest. Most of Ford's innovations with the Model T apply not to automobiles or automobile manufacturing only, but manufacturing in general -- and others were working on similar mass-production efficiencies already in other realms. The Model T simply was first to market with many of them.

For me, the Beetle is, by far, the most important. Most sold, by a significant measure. Longest manufacturing run, also by a significant measure. First car designed and built 'for the masses' (as opposed to mass-produced). Most influential, particularly regarding ergonomic, functional, simple design (Seriously: Think about it. There would be no Fiat 500 or MINI without a Beetle ... and there would be a very different Japanese auto industry without it, either.)

And this is the case with most wartime innovations, honestly. We have jet airplanes because of the same era. And nuclear energy. And Jeeps: the forerunner to today's SUV.

[Conissah]

Anyone that voted for the Model 3 is a fan boy, plain and simple.

[SteveinArizona]

Of the four, I would have to say the Model T. Tesla belongs in the conversation but it should be for the S, not the 3. The S marked the real beginning of the electric car market. The 3 is merely a followup.