The game-changers of each decade.

Frankie Lee

This could have been a game changer for BL back in the early 80's but never made it.
http://classics.honestjohn.co.uk/news/comment/2013-08/prototype-austin-ar6/

dr.fuzzenstein

Jimmy Bottles wrote: »

In terms of car styling, the Mk 1 Focus was the game changer. Everything pre Focus looks fuddy duddy and ever car ever since owes part of its styling to that Focus.

Just look at the Astra or Corolla from 98 or 99. They look last century compared to the Focus which IMO to this day still looks good.

It's true. Look at any of the middle of the road cars from the 90's and they are all horrendously ugly. The Focus forced everyone else clean up the lines of their cars, they where all used soap shape with way too many busy, messy lines. It even forced Ford to clean up their messy and ugly lineup from the 90's, Orion, Escort and MKI and II Mondeos anyone? All utterly dreadful. And best not to mention any Vauxhals. Or Toyotas. VW manages to escape with some dignity.

JohnBoy26

Jimmy Bottles wrote: »

In terms of car styling, the Mk 1 Focus was the game changer. Everything pre Focus looks fuddy duddy and ever car ever since owes part of its styling to that Focus.

Just look at the Astra or Corolla from 98 or 99. They look last century compared to the Focus which IMO to this day still looks good.

Apart from a few sharp edges on the focus's lights it's nothing fantastic and is no looker imo. It's not really any more exciting to look at than anything else in that class. It's got a tall slab side profile and the saloon is one of, if not not the ugliest in that class.

Maybe at the time it looked good when you considered the cr@ppy escort that came before it but in reality looking back now it's nothing at all to write home about imo.

I can't agree that the focus still looks good. Like almost all old fords from the past 20 years or so It has aged badly imo and it's looks are now very bland and sterile.

The mk4 golf may not of been considered to be as radical at the time but imo it has aged far better than the focus and looks a far fresher design today compared to the focus imo.

The corolla was never intended to be a looker. It was made with build quality and reliability as the no1 priority. It is the best screwed together car in that class and along with the civic it's also the most reliable.

JohnBoy26

visual wrote: »

The market was already saturated with crossovers M5 springs to mind and lots of soft off roaders that where so soft they had difficulty marketing as SUV or MPV

M5? The market wasn't already saturated with crossovers at the time. What other crossovers were out at the time? I'm not talking about small jeeps like you are referring to above.

dashcamdanny

Cant belive no one has mentioned the Ford Sierra .

It was the big game changer of the 80s . More So than than any big production car IMO .

dr.fuzzenstein

dashcamdanny wrote: »

Cant belive no one has mentioned the Ford Sierra .

It was the big game changer of the 80s . More So than than any big production car IMO .

It was the follow on from the Cortina, so nothing too revolutionary there, methinks.

dr.fuzzenstein

JohnBoy26 wrote: »

Apart from a few sharp edges on the focus's lights it's nothing fantastic and is no looker imo. It's not really any more exciting to look at than anything else in that class. It's got a tall slab side profile and the saloon is one of, if not not the ugliest in that class.

Maybe at the time it looked good when you considered the cr@ppy escort that came before it but in reality looking back now it's nothing at all to write home about imo.

I can't agree that the focus still looks good. Like almost all old fords from the past 20 years or so It has aged badly imo and it's looks are now very bland and sterile.

The mk4 golf may not of been considered to be as radical at the time but imo it has aged far better than the focus and looks a far fresher design today compared to the focus imo.

The corolla was never intended to be a looker. It was made with build quality and reliability as the no1 priority. It is the best screwed together car in that class and along with the civic it's also the most reliable.

The Focus really cleaned up the way cars where designed.
Just look at anything before 99.
Mondeos, Sierras, Escorts, Corollas, Accent, any Rover, Toyota, Opels, well, the whole lot of them with very few exceptions.
In the 80's everything was boxy with strong lines, not all of it good, but a lot of interesting cars. It was like in the 90's designers didn't know what to do with themselves and just started doodling.
The Focus was simply sharper and had clearer lines.
I do give you the Focus Saloon. It is a travesty. Nearly as bad as the 4 door Polo Saloon.



Now THAT is ugly! :eek:
And I had one!

pablo128

David09 wrote: »

If you could nominate one car from each decade that was different to others and set new benchmarks in styling, engineering and was influential on others, what would they be?


70's : Fiat ritmo


Those are my nominations. What are yours??!

The Ritmo came out in '79, so really could be described as an '80s car. They were ok when new, but went rapidly downhill with age. They were based on the 128 running gear though, which was a true benchsetter in its day. Introduced in 1969, it was the first car ever to have a transverse engine layout with unequal length driveshafts, a feature which is used on virtually every front wheel drive car to this day.

mickdw

dr.fuzzenstein wrote: »

It was the follow on from the Cortina, so nothing too revolutionary there, methinks.

I don't know. Id say it brought things along quite alot. A sierra is still a reasonable car today in term of refinement, handling, comfort etc whereas as the cortinas feel very much vintage at this stage.

pablo128

mickdw wrote: »

I don't know. Id say it brought things along quite alot. A sierra is still a reasonable car today in term of refinement, handling, comfort etc whereas as the cortinas feel very much vintage at this stage.

I think the original hatchback model helped matters. The auld brits are fond of their hatchbacks. It looked a lot more modern than anything that came before too. I loved them as a kid, even had a few decent models of the XR4i back then. The Cossie hadn't been introduced yet.
I was a bit gutted though when I began working as a mechanic, and came to realise how sh1te '80s Fords were!:pac:

visual

JohnBoy26 wrote: »

M5? The market wasn't already saturated with crossovers at the time. What other crossovers were out at the time? I'm not talking about small jeeps like you are referring to above.

Honda hrv
http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crossover_(automobile)

dashcamdanny

The cortina and sierra where oceans apart in every aspect . Most of all styling . That aero shape the Sierra seemed to be a whole new thing back then, as far as I remember anyways. Had a big poster of one on my wall..

wotswattage

I know someone already mentioned it but the Citroen Traction Avant (1934) being the first production car to use a monocoque chassis is imo the biggest game changer of all. Cars pre 'traction avant' were constructed from a separate chassis and body but almost every car since has followed citroens lead.

dr.fuzzenstein

^^^
And it had front wheel drive!


Biggest game changer in the 90's?
Audi 80 TDI, that's where it started laaad.

Gael23

I think the Nissan Primera that was released in 2002 was good in its day, particularly the display screen was something new for the time

mickdw

ryanf1 wrote: »

I think the Nissan Primera that was released in 2002 was good in its day, particularly the display screen was something new for the time

In the right spec they were pretty slick bringing reversing cameras etc to mainstream cars but hardly a game changer.

RobAMerc

Audi Ur Quattro - first car really to introduce 4*4 grip and handling to the masses in a sports car.
( the Jensen FF certainly wasn't for the masses, and the Leone wasn't a sports car but more of a semi farm vehicle )

Lancia Delta HF Integrale - perfected it!

E30 M3 - started something only the green party want to stop

RobAMerc

pablo128 wrote: »

They were based on the 128 running gear though, which was a true benchsetter in its day. Introduced in 1969, it was the first car ever to have a transverse engine layout with unequal length driveshafts, a feature which is used on virtually every front wheel drive car to this day.

and man did they handle well ! as did the 127, jesus Fiat really did produce some belters