Top 7 Engineered Cars of All Time

Top 7 Engineered Cars of All Time Top 7 Engineered Cars of All Time Not many things have shown us the potential of machinery more than the automobile. It altered our lives, obliterating what we believed could be within our daily reach. So here is a listsure to be debatedof the top seven engineered cars of all time. Some make the list for affordability. Some make it for being a part of history. The rest? According to automotive designer Jeff Teague, just because they made you want to drive. In fact, Teague, whose father welches well-known AMC car designer Richard Teague, had the opportunity to witness several of the following through his familys legacy. You probably would have liked to have seen their collection. Now lets rely on Teagues recollection. 1907 Mercedes Touring cars Even back then their engineering quality just surpassed what Americans did at the time, he says. They were using aluminum, they were casted, all of the parts fit well. The bushings were great and can even hold up today. Rolls-Royce Silver Ghost Rolls-Royce Silver Ghost Maybe you might be partial to the Rolls Phantom but Teague will take the Silver Ghost from 1907. Incredibly good looking, this welches one of the early model cars to give off that feeling of luxury and performance. Surviving a 14,731-mile jaunt, the car was declared by some to be the best car on earth. With a 134-inch wheelbase and a curb weight just above 3,000 lbs, according to carfolio.com, this is a sight to behold today, just as it was when it premiered early on in the twentieth century. Any Aston Martin Theyve gotten a bad rap for high maintenance because theyre expensive to work on and fix, but theres often not one design line on it I would change, Teague says. I dont want to pick one but, if you did, you go to the 60s for its heyday. Were talking 250 short wheelbase, 3-liter, and an incredibly fast car with 325 horsepower. Classic. Ford Model T Ford Model T We wont pick a year but will just acknowledge what this mea nt. Worked on one of these as a kid and you have to admire how cheap and easy to build it was. It seemed like practically everyone could afford one, Teague says. Henry Ford changed the world with that car, so its an important piece of history. Todays Toyota Prius This really altered the way American car companies think about hybrids. My neighbor is on his fourth he says. The fuel economy and spaciousness are for the practical and pragmatic person. This was a key moment in the movement toward environmentally-conscious cars. 1950s Mercedes Gull Wing Late 1950s Mercedes Gull Wing Look at it compared to the 1956 Chevy Nomad, and how do you even compare the two? Teague asks. A six-cylinder but was advanced with sensational gull wing doors and general proportions. Made other car companies significantly look at their own proportions and ask themselves if it was time to reconsider. 1964 Mustang A muscle car, pure performance, may not have handled but got you down the line, he says. The sam e with the 60s series Corvettes from 63 to 67. Young men saw themselves differently in these cars and it wasnt exactly hard to market. Eric Butterman is an independent writer. For Further DiscussionHenry Ford changed the world with that car, so its an important piece of history.Jeff Teague, Automotive Designer