Jeep
Willys engineering · 1941
The 1941 Willys MB Jeep is the origin point of the modern off-road vehicle: a purpose-built, mass-produced, mechanically simple 4×4 designed for battlefield mobility. Its influence is structural, not stylistic.
The Second World War
The event the modern world still measures itself against.
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Volkswagen Beetle
Ferdinand Porsche · 1938
The Volkswagen Beetle is the Volkswagen Type 1. It was conceived in the early 1930s under Adolf Hitler’s directive for a 'people’s car' to serve Germany’s Reichsautobahn. Ferdinand Porsche’s team developed it from 1934, building two prototypes in 1935. Production began in 1938 but was delayed until 1945 by World War II.
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Aston Martin Bulldog
William Towns · 1979
A one-off 1979 concept built to show off Newport Pagnell—and chase a title it never claimed.
Chrysler Turbine Car
Elwood Engel · 1950
The Chrysler Turbine Car was an experimental two-door hardtop coupe designed by Elwood Engel and built by Chrysler with bodywork by Carrozzeria Ghia. It used the A-831 turbine engine, was produced in 55 units between 1963 and 1964, and featured power brakes, power steering, and a TorqueFlite transmission. All were finished in 'turbine bronze' paint.
Ford RS200
Ghia · 1984
The Ford RS200 is a purpose-built homologation special: mid-engined, all-wheel drive, plastic-fiberglass body by Ghia, built by Reliant in Shenstone to meet FIA Group B’s 200-unit rule. It exists only to enable a rally car—not as a design statement, luxury product, or road-going evolution.
General Motors Firebird
Harley Earl · 1953
The Firebird I is a 1953 GM concept car designed by Harley Earl. It was the first gas turbine-powered car tested in the United States. It features a single-seat cockpit under a bubble canopy, a bullet-shaped fiberglass fuselage, short wings, and a vertical tail fin. It was built for the 1953 Motorama show. GM never intended it for production.