Much has been written on the most iconic vehicles; however, there appears to be little consensus due to the proliferation of vehicle styles, functions, and the advances in automotive technology. It is, in this article’s opinion, more interesting not to be to most expensive or the quickest, but to be the vehicles that have been heralded of a particular age or have reset the expectations of the customer. These vehicles have changed the face of the industry and represent innovation in design and cultural impact and vehicles that still inspire change today. We will begin in the 1970s.
**The 1970s**
The 1970’s was, more than any other decade, the most important in car history, for the introduction of models that integrated form with functionality and styles and that opened entirely new market segments. The Volkswagen Golf on it’s first incarnation, not only revolutioned the bran but the automotive industry in general for it’s practical and functional design. It later gave rise to the fun mall hatch GTI, whith was the first of it’s kind. The 1970’s also gave birth to the Range Rover. A suv, for the first time, showed that off-road capability could be integrated with luxury and city.
Iconic Cars
| Car Model | Year | Original MSRP |
|---|---|---|
| Volkswagen Golf | 1974 | $3,300 |
| Range Rover | 1970 | $2,109 |
| Mercedes-Benz R107 | 1971 | $12,150 |
| BMW 2002 Turbo | 1974 | $6,600 |
| Porsche 930 Turbo | 1975 | $26,700 |
| Ferrari 308 GTB/GTS | 1975 | $45,000 |
| Honda Accord | 1976 | $3,995 |
| Jeep CJ-7 | 1976 | $4,299 |
| Toyota Pickup 4×4 | 1979 | $4,748 |
| Mercedes Benz G-Class | 1979 | $26,325 |
| Mercedes-Benz W124 | 1985 | $32,190 |
| Toyota FJ60 | 1980 | $12,478 |
| Audi Quattro | 1983 | $80,000 |
| Chrysler Minivan | 1984 | $8,280 |
| Jeep Cherokee XJ | 1984 | $5,100 |
| BMW E30 M3 | 1986 | $34,495 |
| Porsche 959 | 1986 | $225,000 |
| Ferrari F40 | 1987 | $400,000 |
| Mazda MX-5 Miata NA | 1989 | $13,800 |
| Lexus LS 400 | 1989 | $35,000 |
| McLaren F1 | 1992 | $815,000 |
| Acura NSX | 1990 | $62,000 |
| Dodge Viper | 1992 | $52,000 |
| Toyota Supra | 1993 | $33,900 |
| Toyota RAV4 | 1994 | $16,168 |
| Subaru Outback | 1995 | $20,805 |
| Porsche 993 | 1995 | $67,200 |
| Acura Integra Type R | 1997 | $23,500 |
| BMW X5 | 1999 | $49,400 |
| Honda S2000 | 1999 | $34,995 |
| Porsche Cayman | 2005 | $59,695 |
| Ford F-150 Super crew | 2001 | $29,310 |
| Cadillac Escalade | 2002 | $48,735 |
| Subaru WRX | 2002 | $23,995 |
| Bentley Continental GT | 2003 | $149,000 |
| Toyota Prius | 2004 | $20,295 |
| Ford Mustang S-197 | 2005 | $19,215 |
| Bugatti Veyron | 2005 | $1,400,000 |
| Ford GT | 2005 | $140,000 |
| Jeep Wrangler Unlimited | 2007 | $22,530 |
| Tesla Model S | 2012 | $57,400 |
| Ford F-150 Raptor | 2010 | $38,995 |
| Cadillac CTS-V Wagon | 2011 | $64,340 |
| Volkswagen Golf GTI Mk7 | 2012 | $24,595 |
| Porsche 918 Spyder | 2013 | $845,000 |
| Ford F-150 | 2015 | $26,615 |
| Alfa Romeo Giulia Quadro | 2016 | $72,000 |
| Chevy C8 Corvette | 2020 | $59,995 |
| Ford Bronco | 2021 | $28,500 |
| Hyundai Ioniq 5 | 2022 | $39,950 |
The Mercedes Benz R107, a roadster, con fered on it’s owners the benefits of classical luxury and power. In the 2002s, BMW introduced the 2002 Turbo, a vehicle that would become, the first turbo charged car in the whole of the continent, and in the process would redefine a whole new era of vehicles. Sportscar entusiasts were wowed to Porsche’s 930 Turbo; a vehicle that was speed captivated, for it’s whale tail and modified to be a machine of power.
Icons of the 1980s
The 1980s saw the introduction of family-oriented innovations alongside high-performance engineering, and the unforgettable midsize-series W124 from Mercedes-Benz that drove homes the of the decade family-oriented engineering and the combination of durability and quality engineering. land-cruiser-FJ60-comfort-and-ruggedness: Toyota’s fj60 land cruiser invests a combination of comfort and ruggedness. Quattro aAudi’s-awd-quattro drove the revolution of rally-inspired all wheel drive cars.
The decade saw Chrysler family Minivans offer unprecedented practicality. Jeep’s XJ Cherokee was the first of its kind to use a unibody design, which set the blueprint for all modern SUVs. Also on the decade was the exceptionally balanced powerful and handle-driving BMW E30 M3. It was the complimentary addition to super-high-performance cars of the 80s that were the Porsche 959 and Ferrari F40 which sold on speed and pushed the envelope on tech of the day.
The 1990s: Supercars and Practicality
The F1 McLaren supercar set and influenced an entire line of super-exotic cars on radical design and performance. Decently accessible high-performance engineering was also an accomplishment of the 90s with Dodge’s vipers. It was also a car with a lot of power that complemented a decent supercar. On the other end of the spectrum was a game-changer for the engineering industry and for performance cars of the 1990s, the Acura NSX.
In terms of performance, Supra by Toyota is an iconic car of the 1990s, especially for its ability to be tuned, that in and of itself was a performance rarity of the decade. Performance and utility in compact cars was also a major ordinary in the 90s. Ultimately, the 90s saw the rise in compact utility cars but the RAV4 and the Subaru Outback were the RAV4. Both combined ends of the spectrum with everyday usability.
Entering the New Millennium
The onset of the millennium continued the trend of reinvention and innovation within the auto industry. One of the most notable within the lineup was the improvement of technical handling in the Cayemen. Ford’s release of the F-150 Super crew was the beginning of an industry altering standard of pickup versitility. Cadillac’s Escalade was the first fully loaded premium SUV and was the beginning of the known market. Subaru’s WRX and Bentely’s Continental GT were both really performance and prestige within the industry. The toyota Prius also was the beginning of many popular hybrids and altered the focus of the market towards fuel efficiency. One of the first preformance hypercars was the Bugatti Veyron, taking the market to new extremes. At the same time the Ford GT was relased. The GT is noted for it’s modern supercar capabilities and tribute to the (at the time) presented historic racing performance of the Ford company.
Recent Icons and Electric Innovation
The period of the 2010’s and 2020s is noted for it’s integration of new technology and the general social acceptance of the usage of EV (Electric vehicles) . With the release of the Model S by tesla EV’s were made to become more practical and widely accepted. The Ford F-150 Raptor was also an additional pop fueler within the market and catered to off road enthuzists. Cadillac’s CTS-V Wagon is also noted for the within the time it’s excessive power for and normalised within the industry. The same goes for Volks Wagon’s Golf GTI. The Porsche 918 Spyder was one of the first plug-in hybrid vehicles to the market and was one of the first to demonstrate how electric performance and tech were converging and the same goes for electrified SUV, the Hyundai Ionic 5. The ford Bronco is also noted for it’s superb performance against it’s austrial, relavant, supercar competitors while also being an electrically supercar.
Lasting Impact of Iconic Cars
The highlighted vehicles here do not only showcase a unique design and exceptional performance, but also stand as a testament to history in the making. From turbocharging and hybrid powertrains to the first luxury SUV, these cars have transformed the way personal transportation works for millions of people.
A Future shaped by Innovation
The 2024 Jeep Recon and the 2025 Toyota and Ford electric pickups are not yet available, but the vehicles are already considered a potential icon for the industry’s new era of innovation. They are expected to combine all the style and practicality of vehicles from the last five decades, but in a sustainable way.