25 automotive innovators

Cars that pushed the boundaries

Innovation comes in many forms in the world of cars.

From fastest to cheapest, and safest to those pioneering new materials, here’s our look at some of the most innovative automobiles ever made, listed in chronological order.

1. Ford Model T (1908)

Ford’s Model T was not the first low-cost car that aimed to replace the horse and cart in rural America, but it was the first to bring reliability to the masses. This was achieved by using vanadium steel, which was lighter and stronger than the steel used to make most cars of the period.

The Model T also innovated with its production-line build, which helped slash the price from $950 to just $260 in less than 10 years from being launched. Other revolutionary ideas for the T included its separate cylinder and engine block, which made these components easier and cheaper to make.

2. Austin Seven (1922)

The Austin Seven could well have ended up being a lot more radical had some of Herbert Austin’s ideas come to fruition. He considered a rear-mounted radial engine and diamond-pattern layout for the wheels.

Fortunately, draftsman Stanley Edge reined in these notions, and what made the Seven so innovative was in the way it set the standard for how all cars’ controls would be laid out.

Unlike many models of the period, the Seven had its foot pedals arranged with the throttle on the right, brake in the center and clutch on the left. It was the first mass-produced car to use this layout and almost 300,000 Sevens were made this way to prove its popularity.

3. Citroën Traction Avant (1934)

Citroën’s reputation for making advanced automobiles was founded on the Traction Avant, which was the first large-scale-production, front-wheel-drive car.

As if that wasn’t enough to set this machine apart from its more upright rivals of the pre-Second World War period, the Traction also pioneered monocoque construction with its body that did away with a separate chassis frame.

The Traction Avant wasn’t done with its innovative approach, because the car featured independent torsion-bar suspension all-round, and there were hydraulic brakes. It was the first car to use Michelin X radial tires, too, and all of this helped the Traction remain in production until 1957.

4. Willys Jeep (1941)

The story of how the Jeep came about is convoluted, but the basic car was designed in a day by Karl Probst to meet a specification laid down by the US Army.

Working for Bantam, Probst’s design was a clear winner thanks to its light weight, rugged design and all-wheel drive, yet the Army was worried that Bantam didn’t have the capacity to meet production demand. As a result, Willys and Ford were asked to build the car, and Willys got in first and used its own four-cylinder engine.

The first Jeep prototype was completed in a mere 75 days. By the end of the Second World War, 637,000 Jeeps had been built by Willys and Ford.

5. Volkswagen Beetle (1946)

The path to production for the Volkswagen Beetle was fraught with obstacles, but what helped make this small car such a huge success was its innovative marketing.

As early as the 1950s, Volkswagen was using humor to promote its car, while the 1964 advert that asked how the snowplow driver got to work was perfect in the US where television had become commonplace in most homes.

VW even made light of the Beetle’s air-cooled engine, which many thought was old fashioned by the 1960s. In one advert, Volkswagen reminded owners to top up the car’s antifreeze for the washer bottle: ‘Because we know how to cool an engine with air. But we still don't know how to wash a windshield with air.’

6. Jaguar XK120 (1948)

The XK120 grabbed many headlines for Jaguar in 1948, but what was truly innovative about the sleek roadster lay under its hood.

The XK engine used hemispherical combustion chambers and twin overhead camshafts, which were more the preserve of exotic racing cars than roadgoing sports cars. The result was a 3.4-liter six-cylinder engine that produced 162HP.

The XK engine remained in production until 1992 when the final Daimler DS420 was built. By then, the XK engine had won five Le Mans 24 Hours races and powered everything from sports cars to luxury sedans.

7. Chevrolet Corvette (1953)

While low-volume car companies in the UK were using fiberglass to come up with bodies for their cars, Chevrolet embraced it for its new Corvette sports car in the US.

It was a pragmatic approach on the part of Chevrolet, because it offered a quick, cheap route to a swoopy body to get its sports car to market.

The idea of using fiberglass stuck and subsequent generations of Corvette used this material. It resulted in many stunning shapes that would have been too costly to produce in metal, and it helped make the Corvette an affordable sports car for the American market.

8. Mercedes-Benz 300SL Gullwing (1954)

The gullwing doors of the Mercedes-Benz 300SL gave the car its nickname, but it was the 3.0-liter engine that was revolutionary.

This straight-six was the world’s first production engine to incorporate fuel injection, which allowed more precise metering of gasoline. It resulted in 215HP from the engine and a top speed claimed at 155mph, though this depended on which axle ratio was fitted.

The SL was the fastest road car in the world at its launch and there were other clever ideas associated with the engine. For instance, it was canted over at 50 degrees to keep the hood line as low as possible, plus it offered a lower center of gravity to aid handling.

9. Citroën DS (1955)

At a stroke, Citroën made every other family car look over the hill when it launched the DS in 1955.

Its sensational styling was matched by the engineering underneath that used hydropneumatics to operate the suspension, steering, brakes and clutch.

This system gave the DS an unrivaled ride quality on even the poorest surface, as well as its party trick of being able to raise the body at the touch of a lever.

The sophisticated suspension was not without its flaws, as early DS owners found to their cost with leaks and failures. However, Citroën overcame these problems and the DS remained in production for 20 years.

10. Lotus Elite (1958)

Lotus flabbergasted the world’s media and auto makers when it launched the Elite.

Here was a car that not only used the new wonder material of fiberglass for the car’s body, but also for its entire structure.

This was a huge leap forward and demonstrated the strength of fiberglass, because the Elite had no separate chassis. It made the car very light at just 660kg/1455LB all up, while fine aerodynamics also helped it to be quick.

Even if the Elite found fewer than 1000 customers, it justified Lotus’ faith in fiberglass and cemented the firm’s reputation for innovative design.

11. Mini (1959)

Alec Issigonis completely rethought the small car to come up with his Mini. It was packaged in a radically new way, placing the engine and gearbox transversely across the car to free up room for passengers.

The design also pushed the wheels to the far corners to maximize cabin space, and handily endow the Mini with superb handling.

Using every inch of space made the Mini roomier than any other car of its size, but some innovations didn’t last as long. The rubber-cone suspension of early cars was replaced by Hydrolastic suspension in 1964, though this was also another innovative solution.

12. Volvo PV544 (1959)

It’s hard to think of a more conservative model than the Volvo PV544, with its simple mechanics and rugged build.

Yet this was the car that introduced the three-point seatbelt to the world, which has saved more lives on the road than any other invention.

The three-point belt was the idea of Nils Bohlin, an engineer for Volvo, who realized that simple lap belts offered little protection in a collision. By adding the diagonal strap, it held occupants much more securely.

Volvo’s other innovation with this safety design was to waive its patent rights, so every auto maker was free to fit three-point seatbelts to their cars.

13. Chevrolet Corvair (1960)

The Chevrolet Corvair appeared just as US car design had reached the peak of the big-fin era, so this compact family car stood out for its restrained approach.

What made it innovative was its use of a rear-mounted, air-cooled, six-cylinder engine to maximize cabin space. It also pointed the way for a much cleaner, sleeker style that took over in the 1960s from the excess of the previous decade.

Poor handling caused by the rear weight bias and swing-axle suspension meant the Corvair’s reputation was tarnished, but it still marked a shift in design among US car makers.

14. Panhard 24 (1963)

The unusual styling of the Panhard 24 may have put off as many buyers as it attracted, but there’s no questioning its effectiveness at cutting through the air.

Such was its aerodynamic efficiency, the Panhard could touch 100mph despite being powered by an 848cc flat-twin engine with a meagre 50HP.

The clean lines of the 24 were aided by the windshield that curved around the corners of the front pillars. As well as contributing to the impressive top speed, it meant the 24 could offer 40mpg fuel economy.

15. Rover P6 (1963)

It’s little wonder the Rover P6 scooped the European Car of the Year title in 1964. Tot up its innovations and it was a clear leader in its field – and among all new cars launched at that time.

The clever baseframe structure was fitted with crumple zones and the cranked front suspension had its horizontal springs attached to the bulkhead.

The Rover P6’s servo-assisted disc brakes on all four wheels were also unusual for the period, with the rears inboard to help with unsprung weight.

However, even Rover baulked at the idea of using a gas-turbine engine in the finished production model, though the P6 did gain the all-alloy V8 in 1968.

16. Renault 16 (1965)

The Renault 16 wasn’t the first ever hatchback, but it is the car that showed just how practical this body design could be.

With its large tailgate, the trunk was easily accessible and the load bay itself was very big because the 16 was front-wheel drive, so no back axle or differential to work around here.

Torsion-bar suspension also meant the 16 had very little intrusion from this into the trunk space. A quirk of this set-up meant the right-hand side of the car had a wheelbase 70mm longer than the left-hand side.

17. Lamborghini Miura (1966)

It would be enough that the Lamborghini Miura was the car for which the term ‘supercar’ was coined for it to be considered among the greats in its field. Yet there was so much more to this car, and not just the amazing looks.

Lamborghini stole a march on its competitors by introducing the mid-engined layout to the sector.

Unlike most supercars that followed suit, the Miura’s engine and gearbox were placed transversely in the chassis, which helped with its pert looks.

It created the fastest production car in the world at the time with a claimed top speed of 180mph. Even if that was closer to 170mph in reality, it was job done for Lamborghini, because all its rivals were now on the back foot.

18. Jensen FF (1968)

A whole 13 years before the Audi quattro, Jensen offered the world’s first performance car with full-time four-wheel drive.

The ‘FF’ in the car’s name stood for Ferguson Four-wheel drive, because it was the tractor maker’s system that gave the Jensen Interceptor its innovative drivetrain.

The FF also came with Dunlop’s Maxaret anti-skid braking system years before this was used on most other cars.

With its longer wheelbase and dual side air vents, the FF was subtly different on the outside from the standard Interceptor, which perhaps accounts for sales of just 320 of this groundbreaking machine.

19. Range Rover (1970)

The Range Rover didn’t set out to be a luxury SUV. What Land Rover wanted was to create a more rounded machine than the Series models, that could be used on the farm, ranch and highway with equal ease.

It achieved this, and then some, with ease by using supple, long-travel coil-spring suspension and the powerful Rover 3.5-liter V8 engine.

The Range Rover enjoyed near-100mph performance, yet it could deal with all of the agricultural duties, too. In time, more luxury kit was offered as standard or options as the Range Rover steadily moved further upmarket and created the SUV sector we know today.

20. Volkswagen Golf GTI (1975)

There are several others that have a legitimate claim to starting the hot-hatch phenomenon, but Volkswagen’s Golf GTI is the first car buyers really coalesced around.

Its innovation was to take a practical small car and give it a dose of sports-car performance, without compromising on either side of the equation.

As traditional sports cars waned in buyers’ minds, the Golf GTI was the perfect next step. Its Bosch fuel injection was unusual at the time and delivered good power and reliability, while nimble and predictable handling only added to the GTI’s broad appeal that defined a whole new class of car.

21. Saab 99 turbo (1978)

The word ‘turbo’ was still not widely understood when Saab launched its 99 turbo in 1978.

By attaching this forced-induction system to the 99, it created a car with terrific performance thanks to 145HP, yet it retained all the comfort and refinement of the standard car.

While not the first to fit a turbocharger to a production car, Saab popularized the technology and went on to offer it in a wide range of its cars.

There was some lag with the way the turbo delivered its power, but 120mph and 0-60mph in 8.9 secs were too good to ignore.

22. Audi quattro (1980)

Audi built the quattro to go rallying. It happened on the idea of four-wheel drive by chance after winter testing and spotting how well a military truck coped with the slippery conditions.

Harnessing this innovative traction aid, along with a turbocharged five-cylinder engine developing 200HP, it had a car capable of beating the world’s best on rally stages.

It took a while for the quattro to become a world force in rallying, but it soon compelled all other manufacturers to follow suit. The innovative design is also responsible for so many of the modern performance cars on sale today that use all-wheel drive.

23. Renault Espace (1984)

There were already minivans around, especially in the US, but the Renault Espace was far and away the most advanced machine of its type.

Built by Matra for Renault, it used plastic body panels over a lightweight steel spaceframe to clothe its monobox design that maximized interior space.

It was inside where the Espace truly shone, offering practical seating for up to seven people. Not only that, you could vary the layout to suit, because all five rear seats could be individually folded or removed, and there was a completely flat floor for ultimate load carrying.

24. Mercedes-Benz S-Class (1991)

‘Flagship’ is a term that applies to the Mercedes S-Class more appropriately than most – and the 140-series launched in 1991 thoroughly deserved this title.

It featured a host of new ideas, as well as bringing together others seen in a variety of cars, but all in one model.

As a result, this S-Class came with double-glazed door windows, an adaptive damping system to stabilize the car in emergency driving moves, and it was the first Mercedes with GPS satellite navigation as an option later in its production.

All of these features seemed like a glimpse of the future, and so it proved. This was also true of innovations such as automatic wipers and Xenon headlights, as well as side airbags with occupant sensors.

25. McLaren F1 (1992)

Gordon Murray took the notion of a supercar to its ultimate conclusion when he designed the McLaren F1. In some ways, it shunned contemporary technology, because it did without turbochargers as Murray wanted the purest driving experience possible.

What made the F1 so innovative then and now is that every detail was considered through the lens of delivering the best to its driver.

Such attention resulted in a car that weighed just 1137kg/2506LB, when a Jaguar XJ220 of the same period was some 333kg/734LB heftier.

With 627HP from the BMW-built 6.0-liter V12, the McLaren could hit 240mph, which wasn’t bettered until the Bugatti Veyron was launched in 2005.