Iconic cars celebrating major milestones in 2018
- Gareth Herincx
- @garethherincx
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2018 is another vintage year for key cars celebrating important anniversaries, so we’ve selected 21 examples born every 10 years between 1948 and 2008 – every one a classic worthy of a toast in its birthday year.
The list includes two of the most iconic British cars ever – the original Land Rover Series I and Morris Minor – both 70 this year. There are also a few curiosities including the Tucker 48, the first Tesla and India’s people’s car – the Hindustan Ambassador – plus three gorgeous Italian supercars.
Sit back and enjoy a spin through some of this year’s top automotive anniversaries…
Land Rover - 1948
Happy 70th birthday to one of the most iconic British cars ever – the Land Rover. Originally designed for light farm and industrial use, the rugged Land Rover 4X4 was well received by the public and ended up also being used by the military, police forces, aid organisations and explorers alike all across the globe.
Morris Minor - 1948
The Morris Minor was launched in 1948. Designed by Alec Issigonis, who went on to create the original Mini, more than 1.3 million were manufactured until production finally ceased in 1972. Collectors’ items today, the Minor appeared in many guises, including a convertible, a Traveller (estate), a van and pick-up.
Tucker 48 - 1948
The story of Preston Tucker, the maverick car designer and his ill-fated challenge to the automotive industry with his revolutionary car, is so good it was made into a Hollywood movie in 1988. Just 51 cars were made before the company folded in 1949, amid scandal. The example pictured was auctioned by RM Sotheby’s in 2017 for $1,347,500 (£1,069,000).
Jaguar XK120 - 1948
Launched at the 1948 London Motor Show at Earls Court, the XK120 was one of British engineering’s most celebrated designs and won numerous races, including the Mount Druitt 24 Hours Road Race.
Austin-Healey Sprite - 1958
A joint venture between Austin and Donald Healey, the resulting Austin-Healeys were classic British sports cars. The cheeky Sprite Mk 1 (known as the ‘Frogeye’) was one of the highlights. Austin-Healey cars were produced until 1972 when the 20-year agreement between Healey and Austin ended.
Rover P5 - 1958
Produced between 1958–1973, the Rover P5 luxury saloon was in many ways an iconic British establishment car. HM The Queen owned one (pictured), while Margaret Thatcher entered Downing Street in 1979 after her historic election victory, in a 1972 model.
Hindustan Ambassador - 1958
Between 1956-59, Morris produced the venerable Morris Oxford Series III at its Cowley plant in Oxford. The Hindustan Ambassador (based on the Morris) was manufactured in India right up until 2014 with few improvements and changes over its production lifetime. Iconic in India, it’s a true people’s car.
Ford Escort - 1968
Ford already had a sales star in the 1960s with the Cortina, but in 1968 the smaller Escort was launched as a replacement for the ancient Anglia. Built at Halewood on Merseyside, it became a huge success too. The Mk1 was replaced by the Mk2 in 1975 and the series continued until 2004.
Ferrari 365 GTB/4 - 1968
Known unofficially as the Daytona – to commemorate Ferrari’s 1-2-3 finish in the 1967 24 Hours of Daytona – the dramatic Ferrari 365 GTB/4 was a traditional front- engined, rear-wheel drive car with a seemingly endless bonnet. Designed by Pininfarina and built between 1968-73, it was the fastest production car in the world at the time, capable of 174mph and a 0-60mph time of just 5.4 seconds.
Jaguar XJ - 1968
Launched in 1968, the Jaguar XJ was the car that kept Jaguar afloat, especially during the lean 1970s. Arguably the best came last because the model produced between 2003-2007 featured an all-aluminium body, a wide variety of engines, including a 2.7-litre V6 diesel, and it still looks good today.
Opel GT - 1968
Easily the best-looking Opel ever, the GT began life as a styling exercise before going into production between 1968-73. The rear-wheel drive coupe was actually based on the running gear of the humble Opel Kadett saloon. In all, a total of 103,463 cars were sold.
Lamborghini Espada - 1968
Designed by prolific Italian designer Marcello Gandini at Bertone, the stunning Lamborghini Espada was one of the many wedge-shaped cars he created. A four-seat grand touring coupe, 1,217 Espadas were made before production ceased in 1978.
BMW M1 - 1978
The M1 is the only mid-engine sports car BMW has ever made and was arguably the first everyday supercar. Initially a joint-venture with Lamborghini, who enlisted Giugiaro to produce the low-slung aerodynamic body, BMW was soon forced to go it alone when the Italian company ran into financial difficulties. However, by the time the car was ready in 1978, the racing series it was supposed to compete in was dissolved. Instead, a single-model race series, the BMW M1 Procar Championship, was developed and it ran until 1981. Just 453 examples were built.
Saab 900 - 1978
The Saab 900 was produced between 1978-98 and it gained a strong following. However, it was the rapid turbo version that set pulses racing. It was one of the first road cars to utilise turbocharging and the original model produced 145bhp and could reach 60mph from standstill in 9.5 seconds.
Mazda RX-7 - 1978
The original RX-7 was a hit with car enthusiasts, thanks to its compact, fastback style and driving dynamics, but it was also its lively engine that made it special. The RX-7 was powered by Mazda’s version of Felix Wankel’s compact rotary engine.
Vauxhall Carlton - 1988
No, the Vauxhall Carlton wasn’t an automotive icon, but a year after its launch came the Lotus Carlton, which started a long tradition of Vauxhall performance saloons that still survives today. It was the fastest four-door saloon in the world, producing 377bhp from its straight-six, twin-turbocharged engine, which meant it could achieve the 0-62 sprint in 4.9 seconds and would go on to a top speed of 176mph. Its chassis was fine-tuned by Lotus, resulting in a dynamic car with the handling capabilities and top speed to keep up with the finest supercars of the day.
BMW Z1 - 1988
Production of the BMW Z1 began in 1988 and it was the first of the German giant’s Z series two-seaters. It was unique for its plastic body panels and vertically sliding doors which dropped into the door sills. Only available in left-hand drive, a total of 8,000 Zs were manufactured.
Volkswagen Corrado - 1988
Built between 1988–1995, the good looking Corrado was originally conceived as a possible successor to the Porsche 944. Regarded as a great driver’s car, it also looked the part, while the sweet VR6-engined version was good for 143mph and a 0-60mph of 6.2 seconds.
Audi TT - 1998
Produced since 1998 over three generations, the original TT is a design classic and is likely to increase in value over the years. It’s aged well and good, original examples are becoming rare. The quattro version was especially rewarding.
Tesla Roadster - 2008
These days we tend to think the Tesla story started with the game-changing Model S, but the Californian company’s first vehicle was a 100% electric sports car based on a heavily-modified Lotus Elise. After a difficult start, its reliability problems were ironed out and around 2,450 Roadsters were sold in more than 30 countries, but apparently it wasn’t until 2009 that Tesla stopped losing money on every car sold.
Honda FCX Clarity - 2008
Hydrogen fuel cell vehicles might well be the future, but the technology dates back to the late 1950s. The first FCEV to go into production was the Honda FCX Clarity, introduced in 2008. An iconic car in engineering terms…
Ferrari California - 2008
Launched at the 2008 Paris Motor Show, the Ferrari California was a convertible, GT and sports car all under one retractable hard top roof. Ferrari’s first ever front-engined V8 road car and the first with a directly injected engine, it was also the first Prancing Horse to feature seven gears and double clutch transmission. For 2018 it has been replaced by the Ferrari Portofino.