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Automotive News & Views Inside Line Article Comments Edmunds turns 40 - guess the most significant car from each year!
349 messages, Last post on Feb 27, 2007 at 5:26 AM
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Edmunds Most Significant Vehicles, 1966-2006
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So now we are on to 1988 Any ideas? New and improved Civic? Big self-destructing BMW 750? Back in those days my mom had a Taurus and my dad a S-10 Blazer with all the crafstmanship of a kindergarten class project...so my family is of no help.
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Replying to: fintail (Sep 21, 2006 5:59 pm) Not really significant... but, I can't think of anything else... |
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You'll notice that they haven't picked a single true psotrscar or anything European for that matter - all stodgy boring pieces of models we all forgot a long time ago. Most influential? These picks are anything but in most cases. They aren't showcases of automotive vision or technology. They're just what sold a lot. I suppose the Ford Escort will make it in there too, despite it being one of the worst car lines that Ford ever made.
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Replying to: fintail (Sep 21, 2006 5:59 pm) |
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Replying to: plekto (Sep 21, 2006 7:43 pm) |
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I don't think it was redesigned until 1991, when it went to the same platform as the Tracer and 323/Protege or whatever they called the Mazda version back then. There was a "1988.5" Escort that was slightly re-skinned, and made a bit more aerodynamic with flush-mounted rear side windows, but there wasn't anything significant about it really. I could see the 1988 Civic as being significant. I had a '91 rental, and while it had its faults, it did give me a newfound respect for small cars. As for 1987, I just can't think of very much as being new that year, so I can kind of see how the Dakota could be a milestone. It was probably the vehicle that kicked off the trend toward larger, more powerful, capable engines in small trucks. Remember back then, the biggest engine you could get in an S-10 was the 2.8 V-6, while Ford had a 2.9 V-6. I had forgotten about the 2.9 V-6. Did that engine go on to become anything else, like the 3.0 used in the Taurus and later Rangers, or was it a different engine that died a quiet death? Anyway, suddenly the Dakota bursts onto the scene, offering a 3.9 V-6 that would overpower any of the competition at the time. But if that wasn't enough, they also offered the 5.2/318 V-8, for those who really wanted some power. Ultimately GM went on to put 4.3's in the S-10, while Ford started doing 3.0 and 4.0 V-6'es. And the Japanese responded with ever larger, more powerful engines. The Dakota also kicked off the trend towards larger small trucks, although that might not be viewed by some as a good thing. They tried marketing it as the first true midsized truck, but I think any diehard truck person is still going to consider them a compact. IMO, the first midsized truck was the Toyota T-100. And now that models like the Tacoma, Frontier, and Dakota have grown, I'd consider them midsized. Today, the Dakota is, I believe, the only non-fullsize truck to offer a V-8. However, that's not such a big deal anymore, since the Dakota has also gotten fat and heavy, and many competitors' V-6 models are more powerful. But, for better or for worse, the original Dakota is to thank (or blame) for the current state of smaller pickups. |
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Replying to: plekto (Sep 21, 2006 7:43 pm) The Escort was also head-and-shoulders over what GM and Chrysler were offering as competition at that time (okay, that may not be saying much). Of course, those factors don't make it the "Most Significant Vehicle" for any year, but the car wasn't a dud. |
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Looks like the modernized Chevy trucks get it for 88 So, on to 1989...was Miata MY 89? I know Lexus LS and the R129 MB SL were out in 89, but as 1990 models.
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Replying to: fintail (Sep 26, 2006 12:44 pm)
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Replying to: british_rover (Sep 26, 2006 1:20 pm) 1989...hmmm...new BMW 5er from that year was decent I think. Or the Nissan 240SX all the drifters love? I think the new Z-car was an 89 too, that or 90. I'm gettin old.
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