Vehicles that created a market segment or genre

EgoFG · 25-07-2018, 04:05 PM

I have always been curious about firsts.
Lets limit it to commercially available, mass produced.

Within reason I do not credit engine options, but maybe you do.

List some, and if possible, some civil reasoning.

I read once that Ford Transit created the large van segment.
I guess the Lada Niva was the first small SUV
Was Range Rover the first Luxury SUV ?

Bossxr8 · 25-07-2018, 04:18 PM

32 Ford ute?

Territory was basically the first crossover SUV in australia.

**GO FURTHER** · 25-07-2018, 05:22 PM

The Ford Mustang started the Pony car segment back in 1964.

Ben73 · 25-07-2018, 07:29 PM

X6 created the hamburger shaped SUV category.

XByoot · 25-07-2018, 07:30 PM

OK...waaay out of left field. The humble Honda C50 and C90 posties bike. One of the most mass produced vehicles that set the standard for small bikes. I’m sure it had competitors in its day but it set the standard rather than respond. It supplies transport for millions of people, rugged, reliable and still in production in various forms. Can’t kill the things!
I’m waiting to see who is the first spelling bee bro that will say you spelt vehicule wrong.. come on boys, I know you can’t resist

LG17 · 25-07-2018, 07:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by XByoot

OK...waaay out of left field. The humble Honda C50 and C90 posties bike. One of the most mass produced vehicles that set the standard for small bikes. I’m sure it had competitors in its day but it set the standard rather than respond. It supplies transport for millions of people, rugged, reliable and still in production in various forms. Can’t kill the things!
I’m waiting to see who is the first spelling bee bro that will say you spelt vehicule wrong.. come on boys, I know you can’t resist

Actually, you're the first...

**Raptor** · 25-07-2018, 07:49 PM

Jeep Cherokee (the boxy one) the first true SUV (Surburban Utility Vehicle

)

BMW X5 the first performance SUV, they tried to call it a SAV (Sports Activity Vehivle) but that never caught on.

XByoot · 25-07-2018, 07:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by LG17

Actually, you're the first...

But will I be the last

**aussiblue** · 25-07-2018, 08:05 PM

The 1977 Matra/Simca/Talbot Rancho might also have a claim as the first 4 Cylinder FWD SUV.

Remember these:

Not a great car but did Landrover copy the style in the later Discovery?

pottery beige · 25-07-2018, 08:21 PM

XR GT 289 4sp

.:4:. · 25-07-2018, 08:33 PM

The Nissan r32 gtr. It made Australian touring car racing change its game and only for the reason we couldn't keep up. Yes there were jap sports cars like the supra but in the late 80s/early 90s the gtr was something special. It was ahead of it's time in that regard, and whilst it's not a car I would personally go out and buy, I wouldn't say no if someone tossed me the keys.

Tonz · 25-07-2018, 08:39 PM

I agree with the Honda postie bike

slowsnake · 25-07-2018, 08:39 PM

Volkswagen - the peoples car.

Invented 1934 on the orders of Adolph Hitler to one Ferdinand Porsche!

Cheers Billy.

**aussiblue** · 25-07-2018, 08:43 PM

Mini Moke that was followed by the VW Country Buggy then nothing. What would call that segment; minimalist fun cars perhaps or just tents on wheels? I think the Meyers Manx VW based beach buggy was a year or so later than the Moke. Perhaps the earlier Citroen 2CV was the innovator but was that in a different segment?

slowsnake · 25-07-2018, 08:56 PM

Mini Minor - The Economy Car

Invented 1959,designed by Sir Alec Issigonis for the BMC factory,it was designed to be fuel economic after the Suez Canal crisis in 1954, it used 80% of the floorpan for passengers and luggage, as ordered by the head of BMC Leonard Lord, hence the transverse engine and front wheel drive.
Leonard Lord hated the European cars ( Fiat 500 and the Bubble car ) and is said to " want to rid the streets " of such cars and design and produce in Britain " a proper miniature car ".

Cheers Billy.

PS..in the 1950's Britain was still under fuel rationing!

smoo · 25-07-2018, 08:57 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by .:4:.

The Nissan r32 gtr. It made Australian touring car racing change its game and only for the reason we couldn't keep up. Yes there were jap sports cars like the supra but in the late 80s/early 90s the gtr was something special. It was ahead of it's time in that regard, and whilst it's not a car I would personally go out and buy, I wouldn't say no if someone tossed me the keys.

No it had no bearing on Aussie Touring car racing changing to a different formula. The greatest myth of the 1990s. Its success coincided with the demise of Group A racing world wide. If the category was to be continued you can be sure other makers at the time would have homologated models with similar spec/tech/capabilities. Porsche 959 had the same tech four years earlier. Audi Quattro changed the face of any Motorsport category earlier that decade that prob wouldn’t be matched.

Mercedes W108 300sel was the first super saloon with its dry sump 6.3 V8 in 1968.

hawke · 25-07-2018, 09:36 PM

Lotus Europa. In 1968 the first mass? produced mid engined sports car. While the Mura was the first, the Europa was the first with numbers. All other great handling sports cars can be compared to the Europa design.

burnz · 25-07-2018, 09:45 PM

60's VW beetle, air cooled, IRS..
Leyland mini, first with the integrated gearbox/engine combo..
GM front wheel drive V8's..

arronm · 25-07-2018, 09:54 PM

HZ sandman, ruled my teenage years...

EBSXR6 · 25-07-2018, 10:59 PM

Range Rover luxury all wheel drive wagon.

Ben73 · 25-07-2018, 11:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Raptor

Jeep Cherokee (the boxy one) the first true SUV (Surburban Utility Vehicle

)

BMW X5 the first performance SUV, they tried to call it a SAV (Sports Activity Vehivle) but that never caught on.

They tried to call the X5 an SAV? I'm sure they pulled that line with the X6 when it was released too. Something about not fitting into the traditional SUV class but it being a new class they created hence the term SAV

**Beastie** · 26-07-2018, 12:18 AM

Do you go one step further and say the Ford / Holden rivalry in Aus?

As enthusiasts here, it's tough to argue that the days of Bathurst didn't shape our motoring history / culture...

Monaro
Torana
Commodore

All taken care of by the Falcon...

slowsnake · 26-07-2018, 12:20 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Raptor

Jeep Cherokee (the boxy one) the first true SUV (Surburban Utility Vehicle

)

BMW X5 the first performance SUV, they tried to call it a SAV (Sports Activity Vehivle) but that never caught on.

Hello,
Just been researching SUV and from what I can seen the title belongs to the 1946 Willy's Jeep Station wagon, so you are right there Raptor! but the Miriam Webster dictionary has that many variations it would be impossible to prove when and whom used the term SUV!

Even the Russians had one in 1940,it was for personal use of Red Army Officers only, the GAZ 61.
Later the Pobeda M72 ( GAZ M20/1955 )

In fact every 4x4 was an SUV by definition,the first use of the term " Sports Utility Vehicle " I can find is an advert for a 1974 Jeep its 1st generation Cherokee.
Its a hard one though, from my own memory I can only recall the term SUV mentioned towards the last decade of the last century, so the 90's.

Cheers Billy.

slowsnake · 26-07-2018, 12:23 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Beastie

Do you go one step further and say the Ford / Holden rivalry in Aus?

As enthusiasts here, it's tough to argue that the days of Bathurst didn't shape our motoring history / culture...

Monaro
Torana
Commodore

All taken care of by the Falcon...

Hello,
What about Valiant/Chrysler?

Cheers Billy.

slowsnake · 26-07-2018, 12:29 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ben73

They tried to call the X5 an SAV? I'm sure they pulled that line with the X6 when it was released too. Something about not fitting into the traditional SUV class but it being a new class they created hence the term SAV

Hello,
Just doing a bit of research and some info is saying a vehicle with a chassis for off road use is a 4x4?.
And an SUV is a vehicle of unitary construction, so no chassis per se, but body/floor being the vehicles strength.

Cheers Billy.

**GO FURTHER** · 26-07-2018, 12:44 AM

The 1934 Ford Coupe Utility

The first mass-produced Australian Ute...

In 1933 an Australian farmer’s wife wrote a letter to Ford asking them for a vehicle “to go to church in on a Sunday” that could also “carry our pigs to market on Mondays.”

Ford listened and responded accordingly.
A year later they released the “coupe utility vehicle” that we all know today as the Ute.

Many agree that it was the Australian ute that started a worldwide revolution in pick-up tray vehicles.

asagaai · 26-07-2018, 02:02 AM

One of the most significant.

Ford Model T- first car that was mass produced on production line with inbuilt reliability built as an affordable sedan for the middle class.

Before then cars were generally rare- and expensive and unreliable and generally unavailable to the middle class.

jpblue1000 · 26-07-2018, 03:27 AM

Ml1 golf. Bought design packaging and relative performance to the new two box(hatchback) segment. Golf gti bought real world performance to the same masses packaged in the same convenient, cheap body style.
MK 1 escort perhaps did performance (relative to cost) for the masses 5-6 years earlier.
Something special about both of these cars in perfecting a genre.
JP

OzJavelin · 26-07-2018, 09:21 AM

'64 Pontiac GTO .. most publicized *FIRST* musclecar (were others before it, but the GTO had the image)

Nu66et · 26-07-2018, 09:46 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Beastie

Do you go one step further and say the Ford / Holden rivalry in Aus?

As enthusiasts here, it's tough to argue that the days of Bathurst didn't shape our motoring history / culture...

Monaro
Torana
Commodore

All taken care of by the Falcon...

I think that just bled out from the big 3 rivalry in America and NASCAR.