I don’t know why I keep coming up with recurring series ideas; I’m terrible about executing them. Remember Mercury Monday? I guess I’m pretty good about Cold Start, but that’s only because the day can’t really begin without that. The World’s Worst Cars Book redemption series? It’s still happening, but I can’t really keep it going daily, but it’ll be multiple times a week at least. And yet, even with all that in mind, I still find myself thinking of recurring series ideas, like this one: what if we had to pick one car to represent a given carmaker? Just one! This may sound easy at first, but I think it’s deceptively difficult.
Here’s what I’m thinking: for every existing brand of car, I’d like to pick one single model to represent that brand (obsolete and dead brands are fair game, too, btw), and it can be from any point in the history of that brand. The resulting car that is selected should somehow convey the character of that brand as it exists in the here and now, while also acknowledging the past that has made the brand what it is.
We’ll call this series There Can Be Only One as a tribute to the Highlander movies, and also because it’s an excuse to embed this clip:
The initial temptation for any given brand is likely to pick their most famous car, but that’s not necessarily representative of what the brand may actually be. For some companies, maybe it is: Porsche probably is best represented by a 911, and Jeep likely is best represented by a Wrangler – which Wrangler I’m not sure, but one of them. But I’m just spitballing.
I’m telling you, this is a tricky thing to do. For example, let’s look at a carmaker that you’d think would be easy: Volkswagen.
I think almost everyone’s first instinct would be to say the Beetle should be the representative car! It’s an absolute icon, everyone knows what it is by sight, over 20 million of them were made, it’s the car that started Volkswagen and made the whole company possible. But is the Beetle really representative of what Volkswagen has become?
I’m not so sure. Even from a technical standpoint, the old VW formula of air-cooled, rear-mounted horizontally-opposed engines only dominated the company’s car lineup for about about 40 years, from 1938 to 1978. From the mid-to-late 1970s on, Volkswagen’s technical DNA was transplanted from Auto Union/NSU, with liquid-cooled usually transverse (but not always) FWD drivetrains. So, looking at that, VW has been a primarily liquid-cooled/FWD company for 45 years, if we go from 1979 to the present, and even then I’m being pretty generous to the longevity of the air-cooled era.
So, while the original Beetle is an icon in its own right, is it a representative icon for what Volkswagen as a company currently is?
I think if I had to pick a car that represented what modern VW is while keeping an acknowledgement of their history, I might pick the Golf Mk.2.
The Golf Mk.2 I think still holds the key values VW started with – basic, useful cars for the people, the mandate of the Beetle and later the Golf – but it has the mechanical layout VW has adopted and stuck with. Also, it’s an updated design of the original Golf, changed a bit for the era it was in, a bit more rounded and with some better aerodynamic understanding but still with a firm hold on the original design concept, and I think these are traits that stick with VW. Where the old Beetle never changed its look, VW, like most automakers, makes major updates based on changing style and tech, and I think the Mk.2 Golf shows this process.
Also, the Mk.2 Golf, while a good car, didn’t have the legendary status of the original Beetle in terms of cult following or sales, and I think that’s true for modern VW as well: they’re not what they once were as far as sales or reputation goes, and whatever car represents the company should reflect that, too.
I think you could make the argument that the Mk.2 Golf represents the core values and concept of what Volkswagen currently is: on some level, still mass-market, practical, rational, usable cars for the people, but with some emphasis on drivability, a desire to push things upmarket, and a good amount of uncertainty about what they’re doing and how they’re doing it.
Does that make sense? I think a small car is still what VW fundamentally is about, even if they make so many SUVs and crossovers at the moment. And I think this era of VW bridges their past and present, even if it mostly ignores the early history of the company – but that’s what the real company does, too, if we’re honest.
This is just a taste of what I mean. Picking one car to represent a carmaker’s ethos and character and core values and everything like that is a monumental, maybe impossible task, but I think it could be fun to try. So, I’m going to see if we can do one of these a week, and I’m going to try to see to it that it’s not just me doing these, because I think our other writers will have strong opinions here. Like, David should write the Jeep one, and Mercedes should write the Smart one, and I think Thomas said he wanted to write Lambo and so on. I’m open to guest writers, too, so if anyone is passionate about a particular marque, now’s the time to speak up!
And even better, let’s end all of these with a list: the cars we have chosen to represent a particular brand. I’ll get it started, I suppose, with my VW pick:
THE LIST OF THE ONLY ONES
- Volkswagen: Golf Mk. 2 (1983-1992)
I’m excited to see what happens here. Oh, and suggestions for brands and their Only Ones and opinions on whether I picked poorly or whatever are of course welcome in the comments, which I hope will be vigorous.
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For Yugo I’m going Yugo GV. Nothing says Yugo better than Yugo.
I’m really struggling to decide between the Scorpio or XR4Ti for Mercur.
I like this one. Im thinking some dead brands…
AMC: The Eagle. While they made some great cars- the Javelin, AMX, Hornet, Gremlin- the Eagle was the first mass produced 4wd unibody crossover/SUV in America. It represents them- Forward thinking, great ideas, but as a small company unable to modernize and carry out the plans. The Eagle, while great, showed a concept that the big 3 were able to poach and take to the next step with more money.
Pontiac: Most famous, but the GTO. Jim Wagner wanted to move pontiac away form the old man cars, starting by stripping the suspenders off the 57 models. But the GTO made pontiac into a performance division. The 2+2, the Judge, the Trans Am, Super Duty Grand Ams, and later GTP and GXPs. But the GTO made them into a performance brand, and arguable is seen as the first ‘muscle car’. its just a shame that the 2004 was hated by boomers who wanted the old one, not considering that even in 1964 it wasnt a stand out in traffic unless you could spot the emblems or subtle hood scoops.
Studebaker: The Avanti. It was made under other manufacturers for how many years?
Plymouth: The Voyager. Kicked off the mini van wars, but also had some plymouth fun. Want a Turbo? Okay. A stickshift? Sure!
Oldsmobile: The Cutlass. It was a gentlemans car brand through the end. It brought a bit of luxury to those who wanted it, but not as much of an old man image as Caddy and Buick. The 442 trim brought on some performance, the Supreme added a classy roofline, and later on a convertible packing a Quad-cam V6 and breadbasket handle. Do we need a specific generation?
Too bad Oldsmobile can’t be represented by the Toronado… groundbreaking but not representative of Olds as a whole.
I have some nominations:
Ford: F-150. Because Ford. Because F-150.
Chevrolet: The EV-1. GM comes up with brilliant ideas, executes them brilliantly and then abandons them.
Chrysler: A steaming turd in the snow.
Toyota: The Corolla. Not the Camry, the Corolla.
Mazda: RX-7. Mazda zags, delightfully and with conviction. You’d think Miata and of course the answer is always Miata, except when another better answer came first.
Porsche: VW Beetle.
Subaru: the 4WD Justy with the CVT. Subaru has been out here answering questions nobody ever asked for decades, and it started with this weird little muppet.
Peugeot: the 1979 UO-9 Super Sport.
Your assessment of Chrysler is spot on.
I have to anti-pattern here a little bit. While there were only ~300 copies of Ferdinand’s volkswagen, it kept his company afloat so he could afford to race. And what is a 911 except a fancy beetle?
So, for Porsche, its most important car is the Volkswagen Beetle.
I’ll see myself out.
For Buick: the Park Avenue. A big, soft-handling sedan, comfortable but not truly luxurious, and attractive mainly to older, more established types. Also available with a surprising performance option package.
For Chevrolet: the Impala, specifically the fourth generation (1965-1970). It sold in absolutely enormous numbers–over a million in 1965 alone–suggesting that GM had its pulse firmly on the US market’s desires. It’s everything the Chevrolet brand claims to be: a mass-market volume seller with something for everyone (sedans, wagons, Super Sports, etc.) at reasonable prices.
I would say MG with the MGB series
Overthinking it. Ask 100 people what they think of as the most iconic VW, and they will say Beetle.
Here’s my crack at ze Germans:
Audi: Quattro, B2 (1980)
BMW: M3, E80 (1986)
Mercedes: 300 SL, coupe (1957)
Opel: GT (1968)
Porsche: 911 (1964)
VW: Beetle, Type 1 (1938)
Close call, but I’d suggest E34 530i might be more representative overall – still has that world leading handling, sweet straight six, and more of a bridge to the raft of larger family cars and SUVs they make now
The E30 turned BMW into an aspirational vehicle for my generation.
BMW still best exemplified by somebody else’s Camry they just hit in a parking lot.
Volvo feels like 740 wagon. In beige, of course. More refined than the earlier cars, it set the mold for future Volvos.
Some brands, I think would be fun in this exercise:
Lea-Francis
Monteverdi
Iso
Reliant
Matra
Daihatsu
Abarth
Talbot
Autobianchi
Humber
Kia
Huyndai
Daimler
Tbh, this list is basically just something we would drunk debate in my house.
Address, please?
Missed Bizzarini. I’ll bring scotch.
90s beige/gold Camrys for Toyota, I hope not but…..
Sometimes the truth hurts.
In my head, the Camry from the Onion article is dark mid-90’s green, but apparently not. Would also accept gold ’03 Corolla with the odo stuck at 299,999.
https://theonion.com/toyota-recalls-1993-camry-due-to-fact-that-owners-reall-1819577805/
Sorry, but that Corolla must be teal.
Make it one of the early ’90s Camry wagons with the dual rear wipers!
(+ 3 pedals & the V6! I have no idea if that was an option in the wagon, but it certainly should have been)
I think in the modern terms, the Jetta is more of the car I think of first when I think VW. they are 9 times out of 10 the car I see the badge attached to.
Ford would likely be the F150, but the Mustang is still kicking and has been around for a very long time. so is it Iconic stature, most often seen or maybe something else here?
Almost all the VWs I see now are Atlases. If we’re going with what the brands currently represent, it will all be crossovers. Nothing represents Mitsubishi quite like the Eclipse*
*cross
true, I suppose. sadly they John Cena for me. I just don’t actually see many crossovers with enough focus to recall them.
As one of the resident Fiat lunatics, I’m going to make a suggestion for the Mk1 Panda. In my humble little opinion, it is the one thing Fiat really, truly, 100% nailed from the get-go. Plus it conforms beautifully to the true heart of Fiat, utilitarian transport for the masses, but in a fun, well designed, and well engineered package.
except in the US, nobody ever really saw 1 and the 500 has been globally sold for years now.
Sure, but while this may be a somewhat US-centric site, Fiat is very much a global brand
I agree, just feel like the icon should probably be a global product that still id’s most of the Fiat’s seen on the road today.
Excellent choice – my grandmother drove one (like a possessed maniac), it just kept going no matter what.
I’ve been lusting after a Panda 4×4 for as long as one they existed.
For Ford, I’m going to go contrarian: it’s the Explorer.
The Explorer not only basically created our SUV mania, but critically, it embodies the Ford ethos well – taking a purpose-built thing and softening those purpose-built edges so it becomes popular with a huge segment of the buying population. That’s many of Ford’s biggest successes over the decades.
The Explorer gave us a cosplay offroader that convinced an entire society that an uncool station wagon or minivan simply wasn’t going to cut it anymore. In Iacocca’s conception, the Mustang was an European sports car modified for American tastes. And yes, the F-150 is no longer really a work truck for most, but rather a luxury vehicle that hauls weekend toys.
The first gen Explorer is the modern Model T, you nailed it
I would actually say the Taurus was the modern Model T. but since they don’t make those anymore, they have been all but forgotten. The Exploder was known for Firestone Gate though.
I was thinking the Explorer just because it marked a tonal shift in personal transport from cars to SUVs within society, where the Model T did something similar in its time. That Taurus was great, but the Explorer had bigger ripples in the industry
The question is, was the Bronco 2 just a rebadged Explorer then? Like the Tahoe to the K5 Blazer?
The Explorer was a direct replacement for the Bronco II, just like the Expedition was a direct replacement for the standard Bronco
While you are right, I just can’t get behind the Explorer because they were so unreliable. As Murilee Martin once said at a Lemons race “those transmissions are like they are made from glass, just more fragile”. I think that about sums them up.
And tended to roll-over. Although I think that’s disputed now. Had a friend with one, I believe we were close to rolling it many times.
It’s a good point, but interestingly, also what I like about Ford. Ford can produce some crappy stuff, but it does tend to keep models around for long periods of time, slowly working out the bugs/problems until by the end, they’re fairly bulletproof.
GM does that hit or miss, and Chrysler is strictly swing for the fences all the time.
Ferrari is the 308.
Lambo is the Countash
Jag is the XKE
Mazda is the Miata
Honda is the Trail 90. It is the most built vehicle is history
Have to disagree about Jag. I’m thinking Mark II. Luxury sedan with sporting chops.
I agree. The early Jags were more barebones sporting vehicles, sure, but the firm rapidly became the British obtainable luxury-sport brand, resulting in the Jag we all know/love.
I respect that. I just went XKE because everyone is always fawning over it. Not my cup of tea, but whatever floats your crumpet.
Given a choice between the E or the Mark II, I might take the sedan. IDK, I don’t have money for either!
Also, do crumpets float?
For Honda, I’d pick the CVCC.
My impressions:
Toyota: Camry
Subaru: Outback
Mazda: Miata
Nissan: Altima (unfortunately)
Ford: F150
Chevrolet: Corvette
Dodge: Caravan (80s thru 00s)
Oldsmobile: Cutlass
Cadillac: Seville (the big 60-70s ones)
Honda: Civic
Pontiac: TransAm
Lincoln: Town Car
Mercury: Who? (Ok, Grand Marquis)
Chrysler: 300
Jeep: Wrangler (duh)
BMW: 325i
Mercedes: 300E
Jaguar: XKE
VW: Beetle (the old one)
Hummer: H3
Mitsubishi: Evo
Audi: A4
Hyundai: Sonata
Kia: Soul
Really wanted the RX7 for Mazda, but Miata Is Always something something…
As representative of Mazda as a whole though, I’d have thought a 323, Mazda 6 or perhaps MPV. Less exciting, but Mazda has made a LOT of sensible transport over the years. I’d perhaps err towards the wedge-ish hatchback 323F Astina as being sensible with just a hint of fun.
I second the 323.
I went with the Miata for the whole Zoom, Zoom ethos they still try to project. It’s pretty much the embodiment of pure driving. Yes, they make good daily drivers, but when people say Mazda, I think it’s the Miata that comes to mind first. (and not just because I own one… ok, maybe because I do.)
Maybe the FC RX7 convertible for Mazda? Combine the convertible roadster and the rotary engine?
That was my first thought but I think the Miata took over that spot just by weight of numbers and years.
Easy one:
SAAB: OG 900
This is the correct take.
Three door turbo in black
Yes. I love Sonetts and 99s but for most people the saab 900 was the first and last saab they every saw.
Correct. Took the words right out of my mouth.
However, for the other Swede, I’d say a 240 wagon.
Yep, those were my first and second thoughts. In my mind, the 900’s a three-door.
I’d make the argument for the Golf MkIV over the II in that it better reflects VW’s modern tendency to aim for a nicer interior and more tech than other mainstream brands, but at the expense of complexity.
MkIII maybe, just to split the difference between the two, but MkIII/IV both straddle the line between old excellent simple people’s car VW and modern overly complex because Ferdinand Piech had Bond villain level of megalomania but kept it mostly narrowly focused on building cars VW. Only downfall is giving up the Giugiaro styling.
The Golf sounds right, for all the microvans and what not, for what I think of when I think of the average VW buyer, I’m thinking they’re wanting a Golf.
Similarly Ford the F150.
Chevy I’m gonna say Corvette even though probably Tahoe is the thing.
Cadillac I’m saying Escalade only cause I don’t know the number-names for the other cars.
Toyota I feel like it should be the Taco, but maybe a Prius nowadays.
Nissan probably big Altima energy while it still lives.
Honda, the Civic
Subaru it should be the WRX but probably now it’s the Forester.
Dodge should be the Charger but that’s gone so I guess the Hornet? Maybe Charger again soon.
Chrysler basically a minivan cause..that’s it.
We could debate whether we’re looking for the halo car, the car that would win a word association test (Chevy Corvette, Ford Mustang), one that marks a new direction (I agree with Ford Explorer here, perhaps GM EV1 or Oldsmobile Toronado), or one that sold well over many years (seeing a lot of Chevy Impala & Olds Cutlass here.).
Great points on the legacy GM cars, Buick Century comes to mind.
Saturn: S-series. Probably sedan, but you could do a wagon for some envelope-pushing. You could make an argument for the Ion because it kept a lot of the ethos of Saturn – compact car, polymer panels – while starting to get folded into the greater beast of GM, a process that would continue until the brand no longer had a reason to exist, so as a representative of both worlds it’s a solid contender.
GMC – GMT400
Chevrolet – Malibu
Pontiac – Trans AM
Ford – Crown Victoria
Mercury – Cougar
Buick – Park Avenue
Olds – Cutlass Supreme
Mid 90s Bonneville feels more Pontiac than the Trans AM. Just my $0.02.
I’d argue that Chevy should have the GMT 400 trucks, and GMC should have the Yukon Denali, since that seems to be the only thing they’re known for (I’m in the parts world, that’s really all they’re known for).
I’ll make the controversial yet brave statement that the DeLorean is the definitive DMC car.
Equally as controversial, I think the Tucker ’48 is the definitive Tucker.
I mean, you could argue the 2 seat exposed fender Carioca is more representative, in that it was equally visionary and weird, but also never quite made it ????
Maybe, but the post implied it needed to be a production vehicle, which the Carioca was not (I don’t think it even made it much past the sketch phase before Tucker died). Granted, the ’48 was hardly made in large quantities, but it did reach production.
Lincoln is the Town Car, specifically the panther body
Mercury is the Grand Marquis, specifically the panther body
Ford is definitely the
Crown Victoria, specifically the panther bodyF-150I get what you’re saying… that platform was the Ford most people had driven (or ridden, paying for it one way or another) lately. Well, not lately, but at least frequently.
The ‘61-‘69 suicide door Continentals are probably most people’s favorite Lincolns but that particular Town Car is absolutely the most representative of the brand. And that’s the brief here.
As for Mercury though, it has to be the Cougar. They really found their niche there. Between the sportiness of a Mustang and the luxury of Lincoln, it was the perfect slot for the brand.
So for Ford, would you look at the Model T, or the F-150? I suppose an argument could be made for the Mustang, or perhaps the GT-40, but I would think the volume sellers would take precedence.
I would think F150, it’s been the number one seller for so many years now. The Mustang is cool but never a sales leader.
Counterpoint to myself, Chevrolet may be the Corvette just cause they’ve kept it going so long.
If that’s your metric then it’s the Chevrolet Suburban, which might be the best answer for them period.
yeah probably Tahoe, how many shows when the guys in black SUVs show up it’s mainly blacked out Tahoes.
Do you break out Ford passenger cars from trucks?
GMC is the current Hummer EV. Both the brand and the vehicle ask the question “Who is this for? Why does this exist?”
Subaru is the Outback, probably the 06-09 models if I had to pick