What’s the most influential car ever made? That’s our question of the day and we’re betting that the answers will come from every corner of the automotive world. It’s easy to get bound up in the minutiae of how specific cars influenced specific segments but which one shook the ground beneath them all.
One example of the former might be the Lamborghini Miura. Sure, it defined what a supercar is even today, but it’s never had much of an influence on many other segments like the everyday economy car. On the other side of the coin, many might point to our lead image, the Ford Model T.
It clearly influenced automobile production but should it get the credit or should it go to the assembly line itself? The truth about the Model T is that it’s so ridiculous to drive by modern standards that the average person wouldn’t even know where to begin with. So it might lose points since it hasn’t handed much down to modern cars in that sense.
Read Also: Ford Is Taking A Mustang Mach-E On A 6,500-Mile Cross Country Tour With A Model T
One car that it might be hard to argue against is the Cadillac Type 53 from 1916. Not only does it share the same sort of excess that many modern cars do today, but it was also the very first car to ever use a set of controls that any modern driver would recognize. The gear lever and the handbrake are both in the middle of the cabin between the front seats. There are three pedals, gas, brake, and clutch, and the steering wheel is, well, a normal steering wheel. It even used a key and ignition switch to get itself going.
Still, we could see other vehicles competing for the crown so we ask you, what’s the most influential car ever made? Maybe it’s a truck or a crossover of some sort. Those are both hugely popular right now and sell faster than they can be built.
Perhaps it’s something electric that deserves the nod. The Baker Electric hinted at the revolution that would come nearly a century later. And the Tesla Model S could be credited with single-handedly starting the EV revolution we see spreading today. You tell us in the comments below which deserves the outright crown.
