Last week, we looked at part I of the best vehicle decades. This week, we have the pleasure of addressing the second half of that list.
1950’s:
The 1950’s is not as well-known as the 60’s for various reasons, including those completely unrelated to vehicles. In large part, fewer people remember 50’s vehicles because the 60’s overshadowed the previous decade so much. Most people just learning to drive in the 1950’s are also close to 70 and 80 years old today. We just don’t hear too much about them.
That being said, the 1950’s was no slouch when it came to the automotive culture. Vehicles were a sign of freedom. More and more families were buying them after World War II in the 1940’s, because manufacturers didn’t have to spend all their resources making wartime goods.
Drive-in theaters, diners, hot-rodding, fins, brash vehicle design, a better highway system, NASCAR, fast food, and even popular music were intimately tied to the automobile.
It’s still easy for the 50’s to get lost in the broad automotive scope, even though there were some truly great vehicles being made. Not only that, but the 1950s very much set the foundation for future decades and automotive culture down the road.
The decade falls this low not because bad vehicles were being produced, but because the vehicle as a whole became important rather than the individual vehicle itself.
Pros:
-Vehicles became an integral part of culture
-More people started buying vehicles than ever before
-The stage was set for the fantastic 1960’s decade
Cons:
-The 1950’s are often forgotten as a top-tier decade for vehicles
-Iconic yet polarizing vehicle design and styling
-Safety and technology were both severely lacking – as one might expect
Notable Vehicles: Chevrolet Bel Air, Chevrolet Corvette, Chevrolet El Camino, Citroen 2CV, Dodge Power Wagon, Edsel (Full-lineup), Ferrari 250, Fiat 500, Ford F-Series trucks, Ford Fairlane, Ford Thunderbird, International Harvester, Jaguar XK, Maserati 3500 GT, Mercedes-Benz 190 SL, Plymouth Fury, Pontiac Bonneville, Rambler (AMC), Studebaker (various models), Toyota Land Cruiser, VW Beetle, VW Van
2010’s:
You might be asking yourself why the current lineup of vehicles is so low on the list of the best vehicle decades, despite that fact that vehicles have never been better. Shameful, right?
Well there are two main reasons for this.
The first is that the decade isn’t even over, and though it’s almost over, we have yet to see what will come out of the 2010s as vehicles further progress in the next few decades. In other words, it’s easy to assess past decades because we know what they’ve already contributed.
The second is that the word “best” is relative, so we have to do our best to objectify it and take as many things into consideration as possible. For example… Technology, safety, and convenience are far better in today’s vehicles, but reliability (because of the complexity of the technology), vehicle design (because of government regulations), and financial constraints (because of less consumer demand and inflation) have all brought this decade down a few notches.
All things considered, there have been some pretty fantastic vehicles come out of this decade that could easily be incredibly collectible and important in the coming decades. If that happens, this decade could easily fit higher on the list. It hasn’t yet, so we are content with its current position.
Pros:
-Technology and safety are unrivaled from past decades
-Arguably the best decade for performance
-Could potentially be the “last great vehicle decade”
Cons:
-Manufacturers are worried about the bottom line more than making a good vehicle
-Vehicle design has become stagnant due to regulations and the need for better fuel economy
-We won’t truly know this decade’s “greatness factor” until several years after it’s over
Notable Vehicles: Acura NSX, Alfa Romeo Giulia Quadrofoglio, Bentley Bentayga, Bugatti Chiron, BMW i8, Cadillac ATS-V/CTS-V (second generation), Chevrolet Corvette (C7), Dodge Demon, Ferrari 458, Ferrari 488, Ferrari LaFerrari, Ford F-Series, Ford Focus RS, Ford Mustang, Ford Raptor, Kia Stinger, Lamborghini Aventador, Lamborghini Huracan, Lamborghini Urus, Lexus LFA, Mazda MX-5 (ND), McLaren 720S, McLaren Senna, Mercedes-Benz AMG GT, Porsche 911 (991), Porsche Panamera, Subaru BRZ/Toyota 86, Toyota Supra
1970’s:
The 1970s was a time of turmoil in the automotive industry. When it was all over, it turned out that there were nearly as many good times as there were bad times.
Two oil crises, the crackdown of government on emissions regulations, and tough financial times forced automakers to make significant changes to their product lineups. All of these things contributed to the death of the muscle car, the drastic downsizing of the average family car, the entrance of small imported vehicles into the market, and decline of the iconic convertible. In fact, some refer to the 70s as the “malaise era.”
On the other side of the spectrum, many consider the 1970s to be the best decade for F1 racing, supercars saw a sharp spike in production, and many of the foreign vehicles we know and love today had their beginnings during this decade.
No matter what the 1970s bring to mind, many of the vehicles we have today were brought about as a result of the groundwork done at the time in response to the changing culture, economy, and societal norms.
Hot hatchbacks, the modern minivan, and the economy car all came into existence because of the changing needs of the 1970s, but many great vehicles paled in comparison to previous performance monsters and subsequent technology upgrades during the following decades.
Pros:
-The early 70s benefited from the overflow of greatness from the 60s
-Automotive culture was still fairly integral to pop culture compared to subsequent decades
-The influence of imported vehicles began in the 1970s
Cons:
-Emissions slowly choked the life out of engines through the decade
-Two oil crises had a profoundly negative impact on the automotive industry
-The 70s is referred to as the “Malaise Era” for a reason
Notable Vehicles: AMC Javelin, BMW M1, Chevrolet Camaro (2nd generation), Chevrolet Chevelle SS, Chevrolet Corvette (C3), Dodge Charger, Ferrari Daytona (GTB 365 GTB/4), Ford Mustang Boss 302, Ford Panther Platform (various vehicles), Jeep Wagoneer, Lamborghini Espada, Lamborghini Urraco, Lancia Stratos, Mazda RX-7, Mercury Cougar, Nissan Skyline GT-R, Plymouth Duster, Plymouth Superbird, Renault 5 Turbo, Subaru BRAT, Toyota Celica, Volkswagen Golf
1980’s:
The 1950’s established the modern American automotive culture. The 1960’s brought about a whole slew of new vehicles. The 1970’s brought about a decline in many of those vehicles. The 1980’s got all the vehicles that suffered from what 1970’s left behind.
The beginning of the 1970’s were great, and the end of the 1990’s was great, but that leaves the 80’s as the trough in recent automotive history. That doesn’t necessarily mean that the 80’s was just a terrible time in history when no great vehicles were produced. The 80’s just suffered compared to the neighboring decades.
There were still quite a few bright spots during this time.
The Mazda Miata was just born, even though the 90’s was the true beneficiary. The true birth of the modern minivan came in 1984, even though the ideas and planning for it began in the 70’s. Supercars continued to get better from the boom in the 1970’s. The 80’s brought the pinnacle of Group B Rally racing. Hot hatches really started coming into their own as well.
For as many good things that came out of the 80’s, there were also some less than ideal times as well.
Group B rally reached its peak but then was abruptly shut down due to safety concerns. Muscle cars arguably reached an all-time low, both in styling and performance. Many great vehicles may have come out of the 1980’s, like hot hatchbacks and the Dodge Caravan, but they just aren’t as exciting or as impactful as a McLaren F1, a brand new Corvette with over 400 horsepower, or a culturally iconic vehicle such as the Chevrolet Bel Air.
Regardless of all the things that did and didn’t come out of the 80’s, both good and bad, we all know that each decade has something to offer. Objectively, the 80’s may have to be at the end of the list for various reasons, but subjectively, it was still a pretty killer time for a lot of vehicles.
Pros:
-Many significant “normal” vehicles came out of/evolved through the 1980’s that would impact families for decades
-A supercar boom was still expanding from the previous decade
-Imported vehicles continued growing rapidly
Cons:
-Performance was at an all-time low
-Many culturally-relevant vehicles weren’t as flashy as in other decades
-Cars were not as closely tied to culture as in past decades
Notable Vehicles: AMC Eagle, AMC Pacer, Audi Quattro, BMW M3 (E30), Buick GNX, Chevrolet Camaro (third generation), Chevrolet S-10 Blazer, Chevrolet Corvette (C4), Chrysler TC Maserati, DMC DeLorean, Dodge Caravan, Ferrari 288 GTO, Ferrari Testarossa, Ford Bronco II, Ford Mustang (Fox-body), Ford RS200, Ford Taurus, Honda CR-X, Jeep Cherokee (XJ), Jeep Wrangler, Lamborghini Countach, Lancia Delta, Nissan 280ZX, Nissan 300ZX, Peugot 205 GTI T16, Pontiac Fiero, Pontiac Firebird, Porsche 928, Porsche 944, Saab 900, Toyota Camry, Toyota Celica GT-Four
There are many more vehicles that could go on these lists, and not every vehicle on this list was actually built during the decade in which it is mentioned. I tried to place them during the decade of their largest impact whether that be a certain vehicle’s golden years or their birth.
At any rate, I’m sure I’ve forgotten some, so let me know which ones I missed, which ones shouldn’t be there, and which ones you would put there instead.
