Cars That Defined Entire Generations

1966 Ford Mustang Fastback:
Nothing new needs to be said for the car that launched the muscle car generation in the US. Lee Iacocca's finest moment in his illustrious career may not have been the fastest of the muscle power that dominated the 60's (in fact, it's a “pony” car, a smaller, less powerful muscle car), but it certainly was the most influential. The Mustang name suffered from the second generation onwards, but in recent times it has taken back its rightful place in the automotive world, albeit as a full on muscle car with big horsepower numbers. Why? It paved the way for all other American muscle cars and provided cheap thrills for Americans.

1908 Ford Model T:
Henry Ford took the concept of the production line, applied it to cars and turned the automobile into something the average Joe could own. He did it with the Model T, three boxes on four wheels that had so many variants that one in three cars on the road in America at the time was a Ford Model T. Why? First mass produced car.

Toyota Corolla:
Take any Corolla, from any generation, any trim. These bread and butter family sedans took over the entire world and propelled Toyota to the top as the world's largest car manufacturer. The love affair started in 1966 and its STILL going strong. If you don't believe us, look around you. Count the number of Corollas, Premios, Allions and Axelas you can see (because Premios and Allions are technically Corollas, using the same engines, gearboxes, and suspension as a Corolla) that you see on the roads.  Why? Dholaikhal is piled to the ceiling with enough cheap parts to build a 100,000 Corollas, IF they ever break down, that is.

1989 Nissan Skyline R32 GTR:  
The car that jumpstarted modern tuning culture in Japan and Australia left the Americans heartbroken (because they couldn't buy one legally) also featured the first use of an engine that reached near-mythical status, a mix of numbers and letters that no gearhead should ever forget: RB26DETT. Ceramic turbochargers, six bulletproof cylinders, all running through an insanely advanced gearbox and all-wheel drive would give rise to a monster that would be nicknamed “Godzilla” by journalists. It won all the races it entered and got banned from over four competitions, because no one could compete with it. It only had 276 horsepower because of the gentleman's agreement amongst car manufacturers that limited horsepower in Japanese cars, but it could handle upto 600 horsepower without any major strain on the stock mechanicals. Everyone tuned the hell out of it, created fire breathing monsters that ruled the Wangans at night with the same charisma that the race cars used to rule the tracks. The later generations would get fatter and heavier, less pure, less focused, but they still bent the laws of physics to their own will when going around a corner or accelerating from stop.
Why? Possibly the best tuner car, ever.

1988 Ferrari F40 vs 1988 Porsche 959:
Like Batman and Joker, Sherlock and Moriarty, one cannot be mentioned without the other. Like both pairs, the F40 and the 959 blurs lines between genius and madman, good and evil, but two things are set in stone: power and lust. While the 959 may not have garnered as much attention from the poster buying crowd as the F40 and its other competitor, the Lamborghini Countach, the Porsche was still a pioneer in supercar development, one of the very first to mix all wheel drive and turbocharging. In contrast, the F40 is simply elegant in terms of looks, massively fast, and one of the best cars ever to wear a Prancing Horse as an emblem. This couple changed supercars forever. Why? F40 for undeniable beauty and power, 959 for technology that was miles ahead of its time.

1991 Honda NSX:
The first Japanese supercar, although technically the Skyline was a lot more advanced in every way, the Honda NSX was mid-engined and rear wheel driven, looked like a Ferrari, and had suspension blessed by the magic of Ayrton Senna. That recipe gave birth to a supercar that remained virtually unchanged (other than updated headlights and bumpers) till its death in 2004. There's a new version coming out, promising brilliant performance, but we can't quite come to terms with its looks. Why? The definitive Japanese supercar. And, of course, Ayrton Senna.

1959 Mark I Mini:
The genius engineering skills of Sir Alec Issigonis led to the development of a car that would revolutionize small cars and inspire a whole generation of British industry. Britain loved the Mini, as did the rest of Europe. Rivaled only by the brilliant but quirky Citroen 2CV, the Mini had almost unbridled power over the young generation. The Mini's trump card was packaging: it could fit an entire family of five people in a car that looked like it would have trouble with two. Add a small but extremely potent engine, cutesy but simple design, and rock solid reliability that the British Leyland (previously British Motor Corporation) offered back in the day. The new Minis are made by BMW in Germany, but the charm and the spirit is still mostly there.
Why? Mr. Bean had one. Isn't that enough?

1974 Lamborghini Countach:
It'll be hard to find people who didn't have a Lamborghini poster when they were teenagers, and Lambo is still the car maker to go to for the most scintillating posters even today. The Countach started the whole Lamborghini poster fad (the Muira is what men grow up and move on to when they discover they like their cars like their women: curvy and feisty and potential fires under the hood). The Countach wasn't really a great car performance wise, it was heavy and clunky and a pain to park, but who cares when it looks this good? Why? The ultimate poster car for 3 decades.

1938 Volkswagen Beetle:
Commissioned by Hitler, the original people's car had a wheezy air-cooled engine placed at the back. It was cheap, reliable, but looked like a frog about to launch off a lily pad. The looks caught on, though, and the Beetle became an icon in automotive history, with cult followings spanning the entire globe. Bangladeshis have their own scene too, the Dhaka Classic Car Club having over 30 examples of these aircooled wonders. The Beetle was still in production as late as 2003, in places like Brazil and Mexico. Surprisingly, they aren't as slow as you might think they are.
Why? A cult classic and an undoubtable icon.