100 Cars That Matter
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Honda blazed a trail in 1986 with its Acura luxury brand that Nissan and Toyota soon followed with Infiniti and Lexus, respectively. Although the Legend and Integra went on sale in the mid-1980s with the brand’s genesis (no pun intended), it wasn’t until the 1990s that both took off and established their respective claims on luxury lore. The original Legend shared its architecture with the Rover 800, which was also sold in the U.S. as the Sterling 825, but for the second generation, Acura went its own way. ALSO SEE: Acura files trademark for Legend, suggesting beloved nameplate...
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1990 Chevy Corvette ZR-1, the "Corvette From Hell": 100 Cars That MatterThey 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...
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1988 Honda CRX Si: 100 Cars That Matter
The second-generation Honda CRX Si dialed things up and paved the automaker's future.
Sean Szymkowski -
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.
Sean Szymkowski -
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.
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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.
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1989 Ford Taurus SHO: 100 Cars That Matter
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...
Sean Szymkowski -
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...
Sean Szymkowski -
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...
Sean Szymkowski -
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 concept debuted at the North American International Auto Show that year. The brainchild of former Chrysler executive Bob Lutz, the Viper spared nothing to reincarnate the magic of another American sports car icon: the Shelby Cobra. Lutz campaigned to build the modern-day hot rod, and as usual, he...
