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5 cars that changed the global automobile history

Snapshot: We bring you a list of top 5 cars that helped in shaping the future of global automotive industry.

We are living in times when things are moving too fast and product shelf life is too less. Automobile world is no different and products launches has intensified in a last couple of decades. So much so is the intensity that some of the car models have 15-16 variants and we are not talking about the models in a company. This makes it very difficult for a brand and model to create a name for itself, until you change impact the market so much the you create a history.

Hence we decided to bring a list of top 5 cars that shaped the automobile history. This is a global specific list and includes only those cars that influence the markets on a macro level. We will also bring you an India specific list of cars that shaped the Indian markets. Till, you can read the cars in our list below!

Here is a list of top 5 cars that changed the global automotive history!

1. Ford Model T

Ford Model T may not be the first car to be produced, or may not be the best looking car ever produced, and neither she was the fastest car ever produced, but she definitely was the first car that a common person could ever buy. Ford Model T was the brainchild of Henry Ford, who conceived the idea of producing world's first car on an assembly line, that ensured mass production and hence reduced cost of buying one. The reason we believe the Ford Model T changed the global automotive history is the fact that this was the first car that empowered people to buy a vehicle and travel. This invention laid the very foundation of automobiles in general.

2. Land Rover Defender

Land Rover fulfilled the basic human desire to breach the boundaries and go to extremes. The iconic British brand started building army vehicles in 1948 which laid the foundation of today's Defender SUV which came into existence in 1990. But more than anything, Defender became a pet vehicle for armies across the globe. Its rigidity and built quality made it do extreme off-roading and reach anywhere in the world. This is what armies look for and hence it sold like anything serving military across the globe. But as much as military loved this car, so did individuals who swear by the name of Defender. It practically changed the off-roading scenario in the world. It might be getting out of production, but it definitely is one of the most rugged and reliable cars that changed the way humans did off-roading in cars.

3. Ford Mustang

To be very frank, none can beat the sheer desirability of this car. The original muscle car from the USA first surfaced more than 50 years ago and since then, it has been the heartthrob of the world. Not only in the USA, but people across the globe takes pride in buying one of these beauties. Ford Mustang has been facing severe competition from Chevrolet Camaro and Dodge Charge lately, but that doesn't mean Ford is doing nothing to curb the challenge. They have recently revealed the world's first right-hand drive Mustang in order to tap the new markets like India and China. Their partnership with Carol Shelby has led to some special edition high performance Mustangs in the recent years. All-in-all, Ford Mustang is a car that has changed the way we looked at the cars. It has re-aligned the quintessential genre of muscle cars and it sits on the top of the all, be it the performance or be it the looks.  

4. Toyota Prius

Toyota Prius may not be as flashy as some of the contenders in the list are, it may also not feature on the desirability list of most of the buyers, but what Toyota Prius is doing to our environment, will always go in the history books. The Toyota Prius is an electric hybrid vehicle from the world's largest auto manufacturer.  Went on sale in 1997 in Japan, the Prius started its global journey in 2000 and since then, it is being sold in more than 80 countries and has crossed a total sales figure of 5 million cars. That's a huge amount considering these many cars are pollution free. According to California Air Resources Board (CARB), the Prius is the most cleanest vehicle plying on the roads of the United States. The significance is added by the fact that many Hollywood celebrities and Politicians of America like to drive the Prius and they boast of owning one of these clean machines. And hence this car features on our list, since it is impacting our environment like none other.

5. Bugatti Veyron

Last but definitely not the least, or to be factually correct, the beast of them all. The Bugatti Veyron was the last true sportscar that was made without compromise. The beast of the car was the first production road-legal car that produces in excess of 1000 bhp and that gave the car a push upto 430 kmph. The Veyron was responsible for generating a new term in automobiles - Hypercar. Many manufacturers launched their versions of hypercars with a sole aim - to beat the Veyron. Production started in 2005, Bugatti decided to build only 450 pieces of Veyron all of them were sold this year. The Bugatti Veyron was built with a sole aim in mind - to break all the records and to be the best of the rest. The technology used in the Bugatti Veyron 10 years before was ahead of its time and totally aircraft inspired. And why do we have featured it in our list? For the sole reason that Bugatti Veyron was the last known no-compromise Hyercar that we ever saw. Everything from now on will be environmentally friendly and cost-friendly projects.

Also check our list of the top 10 fastest cars!

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