Fleet of Faves

Some may not have been especially pretty or considered a designer’s dream, but each American-made vehicle in this baker’s dozen became an innovative icon

By Eric Edelstein

1908 Ford Model T:
There were definitely cars before this, but no vehicle revolutionized the automotive world to the same degree. Its production granted affordability to the masses (from $850 at inception to $440 a few years later), and bestowed freedom through mobility, making it a true marvel.

1940 Oldsmobile Touring Sedan:
The first production model to have an automatic transmission, the Hydra-Matic equipped Olds was the first of the clutchless cars. It introduced the world to a new technology.

1957 Chevy Bel Air:
As Chevrolet’s top-of-the-line, full-size platform, the Bel Air introduced a clean look to the automotive world. Known for being fuel efficient and comfortably roomy, the Bel Air also was famous for its tastefully small tail fins in an era of giant wings.

1959 Cadillac:
In direct contrast to the clean lines of the earlier Bel Air, the ’59 Cadillac was wild as all get out. Large, low, and long, the Cadillac was a style all its own. The infamous fins above the taillights appeared on models for years to come and ushered in a new style of luxury vehicles.

1963 Chevrolet Corvette RPO ZO6:
The beginning of the high-performance Corvette ZO6 line, this iteration was a boon to racers, who were getting little support. It had powerful vacuum brakes, a giant 36.5-gallon fuel tank, and a 360-horsepower V-8 engine. Known for power and handling, the ’63 ZO6 started a well-respected name.

1967 Shelby Mustang GT500:
It made its original stage debut in the 1974 action film Gone in 60 Seconds, but only 2,048 were made. Still, it became enough of an icon to actually have a name: Eleanor. Eleanor was the smashed-up, fast-driving, tough-as-nails ’67 Mustang that H.B. Halicki drove to destruction. “She” later resurfaced in the 2000 remake of the same name, starring Nicolas Cage. This car has had more reproductions than almost any other special make, almost certainly more than any other Ford.

1969 Lincoln Continental Mark III:
Although it looks like a typical ’60s-era luxury land yacht, the ’69 Continental Mark III boasts the first electrical anti-lock brake system. With electrically controlled adjustment on all wheels, the system allowed drivers to retain control and prevent wheels from locking up. A seemingly small detail, electrically modulated anti-lock brakes have become standard safety features on cars worldwide.

1974 Oldsmobile Toronado:
This giant luxury vehicle came with a stand-up hood ornament, side-opening opera windows in the back, and GM’s limited-run of driver’s side airbags (the debut of that safety feature, and a significant improvement). The Toronado is also known for being, in an earlier generation, the first front-wheel-drive vehicle produced in America, as well as the introduction of 5-mile-an-hour bumpers in 1973.

1991 GMC Syclone/Typhoon:
While one is a pickup truck and the other an SUV, both are based off the same rear-wheel-drive, turbo-charged V-6 platform. The Syclone was the fastest stock production truck in the world, with times approaching that of a sports car. By doing something different, and doing it extremely well, these trucks developed quite a cult following.

1984 Dodge Caravan:
The minivan — which men profess to dread until they start taking vacations with children — has become the standard family commuter vehicle. Unleashed with this name in 1983 (simultaneously with a Toyota Van Wagon), it had a front-wheel-drive setup, the comforts of a passenger car, and a large passenger cabin capable of carrying all of a family’s belongings on a trip. The Caravan became the first in a long line of suburban carryalls.

2003 Dodge Neon SRT-4:
While a Dodge Neon wouldn’t typically be considered best-car list material, this specific model, the SRT-4, is the first American four-cylinder compact car since the Dodge Conquest of the late ’80s. Though front-wheel drive and known mostly for the ridiculous “Hi” ad campaign, it is also the first, and seemingly only, response to the new generation of car-tuners.

1992 Ford F-150:
The 1992 redesign of the F-150 marked a model with a new aerodynamic front end and the return of the flareside bed. More important, it was also the birth of the generation that finally brought Ford to the forefront, outselling both GMC and Chevrolet for the first time in a decade.

2005 Chrysler 300C:
Signaling the rebirth of the large American sedan, the Chrysler 300C came in and redefined the quality of affordable domestic luxury. Large, comfortable, and powerful, the 300C even managed to bring the HEMI icon to the family sedan category. Although not the most modern of vehicle designs, the large, slab-sided sedan has a certain throwback appeal, recalling executive sedans of the 1930s.