100 Cars That Matter
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They called it “King of the Hill”—and when it emerged in 1990, the Chevy Corvette ZR-1 would forever reformat what drivers thought about GM’s ever-evolving sports car. In the 1950s, the Chevy Corvette staked out a new performance frontier for General Motors. In the 1960s, the Corvette hit its thrilling peak of style and substance with the Sting Ray. But by the 1970s, emission regulations and gas crises neutered the potent ‘Vette. Through most of the 1980s, it licked its wounds while engineers gradually brought it back up to speed. That’s despite the...
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1988 Honda CRX Si: 100 Cars That MatterThe second-generation Honda CRX Si dialed things up and paved the automaker's future.
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1960 Chevrolet Corvair: 100 Cars That Matter
The 1960 Chevrolet Corvair was developed for consumers who wanted affordable, fun cars. While it was killed by Ralph Nader's activism, that lead to much-needed safety regulations.
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1967 Chevrolet Camaro: 100 Cars That Matter
It took a couple of years for Chevrolet to respond to the success of the Ford Mustang, but when it did with the 1967 Camaro, it kicked off a great automotive rivalry.
Sean Szymkowski -
1987 Buick Grand National: 100 Cars That Matter
Inspired by its NASCAR racer, Buick turned the pedestrian Regal into a modern muscle car for the 1980s complete with a turbocharged 3.8-liter V-6.
Sean Szymkowski -
1961 Lincoln Continental: 100 Cars That Matter
The Elwood Engel-designed 1961 Lincoln Continental set the pace for luxury in the 1960s and to this day is the Lincoln that resonates most with classic car enthusiasts.
Sean Szymkowski -
A 220-horsepower Yamaha-tuned V-6 and sporty suspension tuning made the 1989 Ford Taurus a real American sport sedan.
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1991 Ford Explorer: 100 Cars That Matter
The Ford Explorer changed the face of the auto industry and defined what a Sport Utility Vehicle is.
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1964 1/2 Ford Mustang: 100 Cars That Matter
Also-rans and wannabes would come and go, and some remain today, including the Chevrolet Camaro. But the Ford Mustang is the original pony car—a car that would define an entire segment in the years to come. The story began with Lee Iacocca, who championed a new kind of personal-luxury car...
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1990 Mazda MX-5 Miata: 100 Cars That Matter
Small roadsters were a dying breed in the 1980s. A decade earlier, tiny British and Italian sports cars darted across Europe and America, but by 1989, most were history. It was up to the 1990 Mazda MX-5 Miata to rekindle their spirit. Mazda took a decades-old concept and smartly updated it with the...
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Shelby AC Cobra: 100 Cars That Matter
Carroll Shelby raised a family and chickens, and nursed a leaky heart valve in Texas in the 1950s. He also raced cars and his body bore all the signs, scarred skin and busted bones. From those humble beginnings 36-year-old Shelby was already well on his way to becoming a globally known automotive...
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1992 Dodge Viper: 100 Cars That Matter
In the late 1980s, post-K-car Chrysler was desperate for attention. The good fortune of the decade had begun to dwindle and the automaker knew it needed something big to turn the limelight back on its aging products. Enter the Dodge Viper. Chrysler made more than a splash in 1989 when the Viper...
Sean Szymkowski
