Description of car models from around the world and their history.
As Renault’s response to the utilitarian Citroën 2CV, the 4 was a long time coming, making its debut 13 years after the minimalist Citroën first delivered motoring to millions of French drivers. Renault 4 1961 But for Renault, the car entered totally new territory on several fronts. It was the company’s first front-wheel drive car, […]
Dr Ferdinand Porsche and his son, also Ferdinand (Ferry), found enormous success with the first Porsche, the 356. However, as the 1960s dawned, Porsche’s links to Volkswagen were creating limitations. Porsche 911 1963 The next Porsche phase started in 1963 when the 911 was unveiled. When the car reached lucky customers in 1964 (the 911
Car designers had explored just about every wheel configuration by the dawn of the 1960s. These even included wheels arranged in a diamond pattern, both as a shortlived production car, a Sunbeam, and several prototypes, the Vannod, the Voisin, and the Gordon. Pininfarina X 1960 Pininfarina’s X, though, pushed the parameters out further by using
Introduced to the public on October 14, 1965, the luxurious Toronado was America’s first front-wheel drive car since the Cord 810, 30 years earlier. Its clean styling was a landmark-rated by William Mitchell, studio chief at the time, as one of the best-looking General Motors cars ever. Oldsmobile Toronado 1965 Heavily flared wheelarches suggested enormous wheels,
Arotary engine is any power unit that dispenses with a crankshaft to eliminate reciprocal motion, giving nearperfect balance. German engineer Dr. Felix Wankel perfected the technology for road transport and, in 1964, the first car of its kind went on sale thanks to NSU, a German maker of scooters and economy cars. NSU Wankel Spider
It was 42in (106cm) tall and, at 0.29, its drag coefficient made it highly aerodynamic. Most people thought the Lotus Europa’s compressed appearance was madcap, but suspected there must be a good scientific reason. Lotus Europa 1966 They were right. It was the first proper production road car with a mid-mounted engine, bringing the Formula
The Jaguar E-type was derived from a racing car, and designed by an aerodynamics expert, not a “stylist.” Its stiff chassis and independent suspension gave a smooth ride and brilliant roadholding. Jaguar E-Type 1961 It also became a symbol of 1960s freedom. At the 1961 Geneva Motor Show, the E-type emerged from a large wooden packing
The shimmering blue Ikenga made its public debut in London’s Harrods department store in October 1968. It was the dreamchild of Brooklyn-born, 29-year-old David Gittens, and 30,000 people flocked to admire it. Ikenga 1968 Gittens’ work as an advertising photographer brought him to London in 1964, and a casual chat one day about the tarnished
Goldenrod still the world’s fastest conventional “car” was built by Californian brothers Bill and Bob Summers who dreamed of an assault on the World land speed record. Goldenrod 1965 Bob built a scale model and mapped out its layout to demonstrate how his car could become the fastest vehicle on earth. Chrysler was so impressed it agreed to
The Ford Mustang might have become another esoteric oddball in the footnotes of motoring history, but for the intervention of brash Italian-American Ford product planner Lee Iacocca. When Iacocca first saw this prototype in 1962, his instinctive grasp of America’s unfolding demographics cut in immediately. Ford Mustang 1 1962 The market craved a sporty car,