5 Groundbreaking Cars That Changed the World of Motoring Forever

Today, motorists benefit from a full spectrum of technological innovations, driving cars that are safer than ever before thanks to airbags, seatbelts, back-up cameras, and automatic braking systems. With infotainment systems on hand to keep children entertained, air conditioning, and heated seats, long journeys are more comfortable than ever before. However, it took a long time to get there. In this article, we look at five cars that were revolutionary for their time, putting us on the path to where we are now in the car industry.

1. 1886 Benz Patent Motorwagen

Karl Benz patented the world’s first internal combustion engine-driven motorcar in 1886. The Benz Patent Motorwagen ran on a single-cylinder, four-stroke engine, capable of a top speed of 10 mph.

Despite being an ingenious inventor, Benz’s skills as a salesperson fell short. After months of trying, he had sold only 25 units. Benz subsequently decided to join forces with industry rival Gottlieb Daimler. Working together, the duo designed a wooden three-wheeler powered by a single-cylinder brass engine, marking the beginnings of the Mercedes-Benz brand.

In 1888 Karl Benz’s wife Bertha took to the road, became the world’s first woman driver. Taking her husband’s car without his knowledge, Bertha Benz embarked on this historic marketing stunt, frustrated at her husband’s patient, conservative ways and determined to sensationalize his invention.

With the help of their sons, Eugen and Richard, Bertha Benz captured the attention of the German nation by completing a historic 60-mile trip from Mannheim to Pforzheim, the trio bouncing along tracks that were not made for cars. Without the luxury of gas stations or repair shops, Bertha was forced to take on the role of mechanic herself when the car broke down.

A month later, Karl Benz exhibited a fancier version of the world’s first automobile in Munich, winning a gold medal and garnering lavish press attention. After this, sales of Benz’s car really took off.

2. Ford Model T

The first recorded factory assembly line was implemented by a company called Ransom Olds in 1901. When Henry Ford decided to adopt the model for his car manufacturing company in 1908, he sent shockwaves across the automaking industry.

Until Henry Ford’s Model T, car manufacturing had been a time-consuming, laborious, unreliable, and ultimately, highly inefficient process. It was not unusual to find significant ambiguities between two different units even in the same model car.

By producing cars via assembly line, Ford streamlined the car-making process, making it more uniform, faster, efficient, and less costly. Up until this point, automobiles had been the remit of the ultrawealthy, but by passing costs savings onto consumers, Henry Ford made the Model T affordable to the middle classes. The Ford Model T developed a worldwide following, paving the way for Ford plants all over the world.

3. Rolls Royce Silver Ghost

When it was first developed, the iconic Rolls Royce Silver Ghost was the pinnacle of luxury car design. Nevertheless, 1914 saw a significant change in fortunes for the model; designers tweaked the luxurious Silver Ghost chassis, creating a new breed of armored car.

Rolls Royce created a fleet of vehicles that played critical roles in both World War I and World War II. The Silver Ghost was an opulent forerunner for a new generation of mechanized military vehicles, which ultimately ended the days of the horse cavalry.

4. Volkswagen Type 1

Informally known as the Volkswagen Beetle, this quirky motorcar may not adhere to conventional standards of beauty, but what it lacks in aesthetic refinement, it certainly makes up for in personality.

The car’s quirky, fun reputation as “The Love Bug” contrasts with its beginnings. Created as the “people’s car” in the 1930s, the concept for the Beetle was the brainchild of none other than Adolf Hitler, who sought a cheap, simple car for mass production that would support Germany’s new road network. The car’s design team was led by engineer Ferdinand Porsche, who later founded the Porsche AG luxury car brand.

Hitler’s plans for mass production of the world’s first Volkswagen were thwarted until long after his death, as production chains were continually disrupted, first by the Spanish Civil War, then World War II. It was not until 1947 that civilian Beetles were produced in significant numbers. Despite the vehicle’s questionable start, the Volkswagen Beetle remains one of the longest-running, most manufactured car designs in the world.

5. Lamborghini Miura

In 1914 UK car manufacturer Vauxhall released the world’s first sports car, the 25 hp Prince Henry Sports Torpedo. Much later, in 1966, was the release of the first supercar: the Lamborghini Miura.

This chic, sporty Italian car took the car world by storm. Production of the model ended in 1973, with fewer than 1,000 units of this exclusive car produced, making it one of the world’s most collectible cars today.