{"id":74966,"date":"2026-07-05T03:18:06","date_gmt":"2026-07-05T07:18:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.globalvillagespace.com\/tech\/?p=74966"},"modified":"2026-07-05T03:19:41","modified_gmt":"2026-07-05T07:19:41","slug":"automotive-design-icons-how-each-major-car-brand-defined-its-visual-legacy","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.globalvillagespace.com\/tech\/automotive-design-icons-how-each-major-car-brand-defined-its-visual-legacy\/","title":{"rendered":"Automotive Design Icons How Each Major Car Brand Defined Its Visual Legacy"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>What Drives the Enduring Allure of Automotive Design Icons?<\/p>\n<p>The persistent fascination with automotive aesthetics is not merely a matter of surface-level appeal. Rather, it reflects a complex interplay of cultural aspiration, technological innovation, and the shifting boundaries of what constitutes beauty in industrial design. The evidence suggests that each manufacturer\u2019s \u201cbest-looking\u201d model is less a product of isolated genius and more a crystallization of broader historical and social forces\u2014often emerging at moments of transition, ambition, or existential risk for the brand.<\/p>\n<p>Consider the Alfa Romeo 8C 2900 of 1935: its elongated bonnet and voluptuous wheel fairings are not simply indulgent flourishes, but embodiments of 1930s luxury and speed, at a time when Italian automakers sought to assert national prestige through design. The same could be said for the Bugatti Type 57 Atlantic, whose extravagant, almost mythic form signaled exclusivity and technological daring on the eve of World War II. In both cases, the cars became icons not just for their lines, but for what those lines represented\u2014a fleeting confidence, a promise of modernity, or even a last gasp before economic or political upheaval.<\/p>\n<p>Why Do Certain Models Achieve Mythic Status While Others Fade?<\/p>\n<p>Not all visually striking cars achieve lasting renown. The evidence points to a confluence of rarity, narrative, and technical accomplishment. The Aston Martin DB4 GT Zagato, for example, was initially unsalable due to its high price, yet its scarcity and subsequent appreciation have elevated it to near-mythic status. Similarly, the BMW 507\u2019s commercial failure\u2014only 252 produced, nearly bankrupting the company\u2014ironically contributed to its allure, as scarcity and backstory became inseparable from its design.<\/p>\n<p>Yet, this pattern is not universal. The Auburn Boattail Speedster 851, despite its glamour, could not save its manufacturer from collapse. The methodological limitation here is clear: beauty alone does not guarantee commercial success or enduring fame. Instead, it is the intersection of design, narrative, and market forces\u2014often unpredictable\u2014that confers lasting significance.<\/p>\n<p>How Does the \u201cBest-Looking\u201d Car Reflect Brand Identity and Evolution?<\/p>\n<p>The selection of a \u201cbest-looking\u201d model for each brand is, by necessity, a subjective exercise, but it reveals deeper truths about brand identity and the evolution of design priorities. For some marques, the chosen car is a radical outlier\u2014Lexus\u2019s LF-A, for instance, is almost anti-Lexus in its drama and mechanical audacity, challenging the brand\u2019s reputation for restraint. For others, such as the original Range Rover or the Citro\u00ebn DS, the design is an apotheosis of functionalism, where beauty emerges from utility and innovation rather than ornament.<\/p>\n<p>Temporal anomalies abound. The Fiat 500 (2007) and Mini Cooper S (2001) both exemplify the retro-modern trend, leveraging nostalgia to reinvigorate brand identity and drive sales. Yet, the success of these models also exposes a structural limitation: the risk of creative stagnation when brands become overly reliant on past glories rather than advancing new design languages.<\/p>\n<p>Who Benefits\u2014and Who Is Marginalized\u2014by Automotive Beauty?<\/p>\n<p>The mainstream narrative often centers on the collector, the enthusiast, or the affluent buyer as the primary beneficiary of automotive beauty. However, a more nuanced analysis suggests that these design icons also serve as cultural touchstones, shaping broader perceptions of national identity, technological progress, and even gender roles (the latter often overlooked in automotive historiography). At the same time, the focus on rare, high-end models can marginalize the contributions of mass-market vehicles or the labor of anonymous designers and craftsmen\u2014Bob Blake\u2019s role in the Jaguar E-Type, for example, is frequently overshadowed by more prominent figures.<\/p>\n<p>Moreover, the privileging of Western and Japanese brands in such lists risks reinforcing a narrow canon, neglecting the aesthetic achievements of lesser-known or non-exported models, such as the Volkswagen Karmann Ghia TC built exclusively in Brazil. This blind spot points to the need for a more global and inclusive approach to automotive design history.<\/p>\n<p>What Judgments Should the Informed Reader Draw?<\/p>\n<p>The evidence suggests that automotive beauty is neither timeless nor universal, but contingent\u2014shaped by economics, technology, culture, and the unpredictable alchemy of individual and collective taste. The most celebrated designs are often those that embody a tension: between tradition and innovation, function and form, accessibility and exclusivity.<\/p>\n<p>For the informed reader, the lesson is twofold. First, to appreciate automotive aesthetics is to engage with a rich tapestry of meaning, not merely a catalog of shapes. Second, to challenge the received wisdom about what constitutes \u201cthe best-looking\u201d car is to recognize the plurality of values\u2014social, historical, and personal\u2014that underlie our judgments. In a landscape increasingly dominated by homogenized crossovers and algorithmic design, the enduring appeal of these icons may lie less in their perfection than in their capacity to provoke, surprise, and embody the ambitions and anxieties of their eras.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p><a href=\"\/car-news\/slideshow\/every-car-manufacturers-best-looking-model-0\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.globalvillagespace.com\/tech\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/automotive-design-icons-how-each-major-car-brand-defined-its-visual-legacy.jpg\" width=\"190\" height=\"125\" alt=\"Every car firm has a star, looks-wise.\" title=\"Every car firm has a star, looks-wise.\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>The shining star of every range<\/p>\n<div>\n<p>Every car firm has a star, looks-wise.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n<p><span>So we decided to choose the car we reckon represents every major car brand at its best. We know you won\u2019t agree with every choice, but we do hope you enjoy the journey:<\/span><\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<h2>Alfa Romeo: 8C 2900 (1935)<\/h2>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.globalvillagespace.com\/tech\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/automotive-design-icons-how-each-major-car-brand-defined-its-visual-legacy-1.jpg\" alt=\" 8C 2900 (1935)\" data-copyright=\"Artcurial\" \/>\n<\/p>\n<p>An almost preposterously long bonnet, voluptuous wheel fairings, a rakishly compact cockpit of a cabin \u2013 this was rapid transit, 1930s style. Rapid, indulgent transit from eight cylinders.<\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<h2>AC: Cobra 289 (1962)<\/h2>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.globalvillagespace.com\/tech\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/automotive-design-icons-how-each-major-car-brand-defined-its-visual-legacy-2.jpg\" alt=\" Cobra 289 (1962)\" data-copyright=\"Autocar\" \/>\n<\/p>\n<p>Brawn on wheels, the Cobra appears to be bursting with power and indeed, usually is. It\u2019s because the AC Ace from which it swelled was so well-proportioned that the Cobra works.<\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<h2>Alpine: A110 (2017)<\/h2>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.globalvillagespace.com\/tech\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/automotive-design-icons-how-each-major-car-brand-defined-its-visual-legacy-3.jpg\" alt=\" A110 (2017)\" data-copyright=\"Autocar\" \/>\n<\/p>\n<p>A perfect blend of Alpine\u2019s A110 Berlinetta past and the design language of the present, the new A110\u2019s pretty, trim and athletic alloy bodywork makes you want to step inside and drive.<\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<h2>Aston Martin: DB4 GT Zagato (1962)<\/h2>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.globalvillagespace.com\/tech\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/automotive-design-icons-how-each-major-car-brand-defined-its-visual-legacy-4.jpg\" alt=\" DB4 GT Zagato (1962)\" data-copyright=\"Autocar\" \/>\n<\/p>\n<p>These were almost unsalable new, skewered by astronomical prices despite their lightweight beauty. Prices eventually hit the millions for the 19 originally made, prompting the 1990s build of four more utilizing unused chassis numbers.<\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<h2>Auburn: Boattail Speedster 851 (1934)<\/h2>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.globalvillagespace.com\/tech\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/automotive-design-icons-how-each-major-car-brand-defined-its-visual-legacy-5.jpg\" alt=\" Boattail Speedster 851 (1934)\" data-copyright=\"Autocar\" \/>\n<\/p>\n<p>As glamorous as any pre-war Alfa Romeo, Hispano-Suiza or Mercedes, Auburn\u2019s straight eight series reached its lofty design zenith for the 1935 model year. Despite this achievement, Auburn ceased manufacturing in 1937.<\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<h2>Audi: TT (1998) <\/h2>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.globalvillagespace.com\/tech\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/automotive-design-icons-how-each-major-car-brand-defined-its-visual-legacy-6.jpg\" alt=\" TT (1998) \" data-copyright=\"Autocar\" \/>\n<\/p>\n<p>Clean-sculpted to the point of utilitarianism, the original TT combined modernity with an irresistible flavour of avant garde 1930s design, a theme abandoned in subsequent generations.<\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<h2>Austin-Healey: 100M (1955)<\/h2>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.globalvillagespace.com\/tech\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/automotive-design-icons-how-each-major-car-brand-defined-its-visual-legacy-7.jpg\" alt=\" 100M (1955)\" data-copyright=\"COYS\" \/>\n<\/p>\n<p>Still one of the most handsome two-seater sports cars ever, and purest in its early, folding windscreen form that turns it into a speedster. Crude mechanicals are part of the charm.<\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<h2>BAC: Mono (2011)<\/h2>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.globalvillagespace.com\/tech\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/automotive-design-icons-how-each-major-car-brand-defined-its-visual-legacy-8.jpg\" alt=\" Mono (2011)\" data-copyright=\"Autocar\" \/>\n<\/p>\n<p>This is the spare look of your 21st\u00a0century single seat roadster. There\u2019s not much bodywork, but what there is turns\u00a0<strong>compellingly shapely<\/strong>\u00a0the more you stare.<\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<h2>Bentley: Continental GT (2003)<\/h2>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.globalvillagespace.com\/tech\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/automotive-design-icons-how-each-major-car-brand-defined-its-visual-legacy-9.jpg\" alt=\" Continental GT (2003)\" data-copyright=\"Autocar\" \/>\n<\/p>\n<p>Among the most handsome Bentleys ever, and it shares a platform with a Volkswagen. It\u2019s decidedly more handsome than a Phaeton however and though big, does not look as unnecessarily large as its current successor.<\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<h2>BMW: 507 (1956)<\/h2>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.globalvillagespace.com\/tech\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/automotive-design-icons-how-each-major-car-brand-defined-its-visual-legacy-10.jpg\" alt=\" 507 (1956)\" data-copyright=\"BMW\" \/>\n<\/p>\n<p>Albrecht von Goertz\u2019s 1956 507 was as handsome as any contemporary Ferrari, but a costly build pushed its price too close to these exotics, killing the car after only 252 were built, and bankrupting BMW.<\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<h2>Bugatti: Type 57 Atlantic (1938)<\/h2>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.globalvillagespace.com\/tech\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/automotive-design-icons-how-each-major-car-brand-defined-its-visual-legacy-11.jpg\" alt=\" Type 57 Atlantic (1938)\" data-copyright=\"Bugatti\" \/>\n<\/p>\n<p>Extravagant, fantastical, sculptural and suggestive of exotic lives lived by the few, the Atlantic borders on the mythic. And the intrigue continues with the clamshell doors and the vertical fin continuing the split screen\u2019s vee.<\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<h2>Buick: Riviera (1963)<\/h2>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.globalvillagespace.com\/tech\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/automotive-design-icons-how-each-major-car-brand-defined-its-visual-legacy-12.jpg\" alt=\" Riviera (1963)\" data-copyright=\"GM\" \/>\n<\/p>\n<p>If the bearing of the Riviera seems heavy for a Buick, that\u2019s because it was originally destined to be a <strong>Cadillac <\/strong>or even a revived <strong>LaSalle<\/strong>. But it ended up as a beauty, nonetheless.<\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<h2>Cadillac: 1959 Cadillac Eldorado Biarritz Convertible (1958)<\/h2>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.globalvillagespace.com\/tech\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/automotive-design-icons-how-each-major-car-brand-defined-its-visual-legacy-13.jpg\" alt=\" 1959 Cadillac Eldorado Biarritz Convertible (1958)\" data-copyright=\"GM\" \/>\n<\/p>\n<p>The fins were the highest they\u2019d ever been, the bullet tail lights redolent of the rocket age, and an interior packed with luxury technology with power for everything. The \u201959 represented Cadillac and parent General Motors at their heights of self- confidence \u2013 perhaps America itself too.<\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<h2>Chrysler: Town &#038; Country Newport (1950)<\/h2>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.globalvillagespace.com\/tech\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/automotive-design-icons-how-each-major-car-brand-defined-its-visual-legacy-14.jpg\" alt=\" Town &#038; Country Newport (1950)\" data-copyright=\"Autocar\" \/>\n<\/p>\n<p>A brand mostly associated with mediocrity today, it\u2019s easy to forget Chrysler once had an upmarket image and one that launched many innovations that became commonplace. And it had cars that had stature, shown most by this model, enhanced by its real wood and the majesty of its long hood, turning the necessity of housing a straight eight into virtue.<\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<h2>Chevrolet: Corvette Stingray (1963)<\/h2>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.globalvillagespace.com\/tech\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/automotive-design-icons-how-each-major-car-brand-defined-its-visual-legacy-15.jpg\" alt=\" Corvette Stingray (1963)\" data-copyright=\"Autocar\" \/>\n<\/p>\n<p>GM design chief Bill Mitchell\u2019s \u201959 Stingray concept car turned showroom eye magnet. Developed in secret because GM had banned racing, it saved the \u2018Vette from early extinction.<\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<h2>Citro\u00ebn: DS (1955)<\/h2>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.globalvillagespace.com\/tech\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/automotive-design-icons-how-each-major-car-brand-defined-its-visual-legacy-16.jpg\" alt=\" DS (1955)\" data-copyright=\"Citro\u00ebn\" \/>\n<\/p>\n<p>Much car design of the 1950s was American influenced. Not the DS, which was shaped by an Italian sculptor and the wind. It levitated as well, to the accompaniment of space age clicks and whirrs.<\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<h2>Cord: 812 (1937)<\/h2>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.globalvillagespace.com\/tech\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/automotive-design-icons-how-each-major-car-brand-defined-its-visual-legacy-17.jpg\" alt=\" 812 (1937)\" data-copyright=\"Autocar\" \/>\n<\/p>\n<p>Front-wheel drive packaging allowed a floor low enough to eliminate running boards, the headlamps were hidden pop-ups and the Cord\u2019s elegantly boxy prow produced a beautiful car of tomorrow. Unreliability killed it, but the shape was repeatedly revived by others.<\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<h2>Dodge: Charger R\/T (1968)<\/h2>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.globalvillagespace.com\/tech\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/automotive-design-icons-how-each-major-car-brand-defined-its-visual-legacy-18.jpg\" alt=\" Charger R\/T (1968)\" data-copyright=\"Autocar\" \/>\n<\/p>\n<p>A quintessential \u201860s muscle car, but one of finesse, from the clean-flanked Coke bottle waist to the sleek, fat-pillared fastback and hidden headlamps, the Richard Sia-designed Charger is a handsome legend.<\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<h2>Duesenberg: Boattail Roadster (1932) <\/h2>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.globalvillagespace.com\/tech\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/automotive-design-icons-how-each-major-car-brand-defined-its-visual-legacy-19.jpg\" alt=\" Boattail Roadster (1932) \" data-copyright=\"Autocar\" \/>\n<\/p>\n<p>Duesenberg\u2019s aristocratic Model J chassis was the basis for many extravagantly elegant pre-war American cars but only briefly, the model launched in 1928, shortly before the 1929 Wall Street Crash. Many celebrities bought them, but the marque folded in 1937.<\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<h2>Ferrari: 250 GTO SWB (1959)<\/h2>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.globalvillagespace.com\/tech\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/automotive-design-icons-how-each-major-car-brand-defined-its-visual-legacy-20.jpg\" alt=\" 250 GTO SWB (1959)\" data-copyright=\"Autocar\" \/>\n<\/p>\n<p>At first sight its lines seem simple, but the more you look, the more complex it becomes, from the fuselage front wings to the haunched rear, from slashed air extractors to delicate front quarter bumpers. Exquisite.<\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<h2>Fiat: 500 (2007) <\/h2>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.globalvillagespace.com\/tech\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/automotive-design-icons-how-each-major-car-brand-defined-its-visual-legacy-21.jpg\" alt=\" 500 (2007) \" data-copyright=\"Fiat\" \/>\n<\/p>\n<p>No-one can deny that retro doesn\u2019t sell when the designers get it right, and they certainly did with this remake, which has lasted years. Cute, well detailed and hides the transposition of engine from rear to front painlessly.<\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<h2>Ford: GT40 (1966)<\/h2>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.globalvillagespace.com\/tech\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/automotive-design-icons-how-each-major-car-brand-defined-its-visual-legacy-22.jpg\" alt=\" GT40 (1966)\" data-copyright=\"Autocar\" \/>\n<\/p>\n<p>It might be low in height at 40inches, but it\u2019s high in stature with its multiple Le Mans wins and like the Lamborghini Miura, this Ford shaped the direction of supercar development.<\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<h2>Honda: S360 (1962)<\/h2>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.globalvillagespace.com\/tech\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/automotive-design-icons-how-each-major-car-brand-defined-its-visual-legacy-23.jpg\" alt=\" S360 (1962)\" data-copyright=\"Autocar\" \/>\n<\/p>\n<p>Strictly speaking this prototype shouldn\u2019t make the cut but we\u2019re going to cut a special deal for this impishly pretty little sports convertible that was Honda\u2019s first car \u2013 and what an effort it was.\u00a0 It weighed just 510kg, which was probably fortunate as it just had a 356cc engine.<\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<h2>Hyundai: Sonata (2013)<\/h2>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.globalvillagespace.com\/tech\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/automotive-design-icons-how-each-major-car-brand-defined-its-visual-legacy-24.jpg\" alt=\" Sonata (2013)\" data-copyright=\"Autocar\" \/>\n<\/p>\n<p>Truth be told, the words beauty and Hyundai are uneasy bedfellows, so in this case we\u2019ll settle for \u2018handsome,\u2019 and we reckon this Sonata fits the bill. Flowing lines means it\u2019s an easy look from any angle.<\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<h2>Infiniti: Q60 (2016)<\/h2>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.globalvillagespace.com\/tech\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/automotive-design-icons-how-each-major-car-brand-defined-its-visual-legacy-25.jpg\" alt=\" Q60 (2016)\" data-copyright=\"Autocar\" \/>\n<\/p>\n<p>Infiniti\u2019s designs haven\u2019t always bothered automotive beauty parades, which is why the second generation Q60 stands out: bold and confident, it shows its muscles with delicacy. \u00a0<\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<h2>Jaguar: E-Type Series 1 Coupe (1961)<\/h2>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.globalvillagespace.com\/tech\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/automotive-design-icons-how-each-major-car-brand-defined-its-visual-legacy-26.jpg\" alt=\" E-Type Series 1 Coupe (1961)\" data-copyright=\"Autocar\" \/>\n<\/p>\n<p>It\u2019s over six decades since this car\u2019s beauty robbed us of our breath, and still the E-Type is widely considered to be the most beautiful car ever. That it appeared roughly half-way through the evolution of the car to date perhaps begs questions of car design since.<\/p>\n<p>Jaguar\u2019s Malcolm Sayer takes much credit for the roadster\u2019s shape, but it was metal craftsman Bob Blake, an American from North Dakota, who fabricated the coupe.<\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<h2>Jeep: Grand Wagoneer (2022)<\/h2>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.globalvillagespace.com\/tech\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/automotive-design-icons-how-each-major-car-brand-defined-its-visual-legacy-27.jpg\" alt=\" Grand Wagoneer (2022)\" data-copyright=\"Jeep\" \/>\n<\/p>\n<p>Can Jeeps ever be beautiful? Should they, even? This is another company where handsome is the place to aim for, and we reckon the current Grand Wagoneer has this to a tee. It has elegance, and none of the unpleasant overtones of aggression that blights so many in the luxury SUV class.<\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<h2>Kia: EV6 GT (2021)<\/h2>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.globalvillagespace.com\/tech\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/automotive-design-icons-how-each-major-car-brand-defined-its-visual-legacy-28.jpg\" alt=\" EV6 GT (2021)\" data-copyright=\"Autocar\" \/>\n<\/p>\n<p>It only seemed the day before yesterday that owning a Kia could make you the target of jokes from your friends; no longer \u2013 it competes with BMW and sometimes beats it too. And one way it\u2019s been doing this is by considerably upping its visual game in recent years, so we give no apologies in choosing a current model, in this case the EV6 GT which to our eyes is a triumph of the crossover class, looks-wise.<\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<h2>Lamborghini: Miura (1970)<\/h2>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.globalvillagespace.com\/tech\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/automotive-design-icons-how-each-major-car-brand-defined-its-visual-legacy-29.jpg\" alt=\" Miura (1970)\" data-copyright=\"Autocar\" \/>\n<\/p>\n<p>Not quite the first mid-engine road car, but the Miura fired the gun on a half-century\u2019s supercar development. Few of this breed has since matched its voluptuous beauty, though unlike the Miura most remain glued to the ground at speed.<\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<h2>Land Rover: Range Rover (1970)<\/h2>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.globalvillagespace.com\/tech\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/automotive-design-icons-how-each-major-car-brand-defined-its-visual-legacy-30.jpg\" alt=\" Range Rover (1970)\" data-copyright=\"Autocar\" \/>\n<\/p>\n<p>The beauty of functional form is clear to see in the original Range Rover. View the prototypes before and after the design process, and you\u2019ll see that the finishing touches were applied with ground-breaking flair.<\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<h2>Lexus: LF-A (2011)<\/h2>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.globalvillagespace.com\/tech\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/automotive-design-icons-how-each-major-car-brand-defined-its-visual-legacy-31.jpg\" alt=\" LF-A (2011)\" data-copyright=\"Autocar\" \/>\n<\/p>\n<p>It remains amusingly absurd that the unbelievably dramatic LF-A is also perhaps the most un-Lexus model of them all \u2013 and that\u2019s before you\u2019ve turned it on to hear that screaming V-10 in full verve. And they say Toyota is dull\u2026<\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<h2>Lincoln: Mark II (1956)<\/h2>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.globalvillagespace.com\/tech\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/automotive-design-icons-how-each-major-car-brand-defined-its-visual-legacy-32.jpg\" alt=\" Mark II (1956)\" data-copyright=\"Rex Gray\" \/>\n<\/p>\n<p>A marque that has spent too much of its 100+ year history in Cadillac\u2019s shadow, Lincoln\u2019s designs deserve to be better noted. We\u2019re going for this 1956 Continental \u2013 and yes we know this is strictly speaking not a Lincoln, but it really is\u2026 We love the confident scale of this machine, its expansive hood going to a bold snout, and its criss-cross grille.<\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<h2>Lotus: Elan (1962)<\/h2>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.globalvillagespace.com\/tech\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/automotive-design-icons-how-each-major-car-brand-defined-its-visual-legacy-33.jpg\" alt=\" Elan (1962)\" data-copyright=\"Autocar\" \/>\n<\/p>\n<p>The \u201cif it looks right, it is right\u201d clich\u00e9 surely applies to the first Elan, whose form and detail were perfect enough to heavily inspire Mazda\u2019s MX-5.<\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<h2>Maserati: A6G CS Berlinetta (1953)<\/h2>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.globalvillagespace.com\/tech\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/automotive-design-icons-how-each-major-car-brand-defined-its-visual-legacy-34.jpg\" alt=\" A6G CS Berlinetta (1953)\" data-copyright=\"Autocar\" \/>\n<\/p>\n<p>Maserati\u2019s racer-turned-road-car A6G series yielded many desirable coachbuilt designs, among the best of them Pininfarina\u2019s exquisite GCS coupe. Delicate of line, the power of its 2.0-litre six is confirmed by a dramatic pair of side exit exhausts.<\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<h2>Mazda: RX-7 Mk3 (1991)<\/h2>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.globalvillagespace.com\/tech\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/automotive-design-icons-how-each-major-car-brand-defined-its-visual-legacy-35.jpg\" alt=\" RX-7 Mk3 (1991)\" data-copyright=\"Mazda\" \/>\n<\/p>\n<p>Mazda has long made cars that stand out compared to many other Japanese designs, and with the third RX-7 it succeeded effortlessly, with sensuous curves that are a rival for anything from Italy, then or now.<\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<h2>McLaren: F1 (1994)<\/h2>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.globalvillagespace.com\/tech\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/automotive-design-icons-how-each-major-car-brand-defined-its-visual-legacy-36.jpg\" alt=\" F1 (1994)\" data-copyright=\"McLaren\" \/>\n<\/p>\n<p>The odd detail apart the F1 still looks contemporary now, the subtle packaging of its aerodynamic features allowing it a calm fluency of lines missing from most modern supercars.<\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<h2>Mercedes-Benz: 300 SL Gullwing (1954)<\/h2>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.globalvillagespace.com\/tech\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/automotive-design-icons-how-each-major-car-brand-defined-its-visual-legacy-37.jpg\" alt=\" 300 SL Gullwing (1954)\" data-copyright=\"Autocar\" \/>\n<\/p>\n<p>It isn\u2019t only the doors. The slender blisters crowning each wheelarch, the fine metalwork of the grille, the air extractors in the front wings and above all, the low, long-bonnet proportions make an arresting beauty of this car.<\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<h2>MG: MGA (1955)<\/h2>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.globalvillagespace.com\/tech\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/automotive-design-icons-how-each-major-car-brand-defined-its-visual-legacy-38.jpg\" alt=\" MGA (1955)\" data-copyright=\"Autocar\" \/>\n<\/p>\n<p>We reckon the MGA is the prettiest car to ever wear an MG badge. It\u2019s also the car that made America fall for the small roadster in general and MG in particular \u2013 and no wonder.<\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<h2>Mini: Cooper S (2001)<\/h2>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.globalvillagespace.com\/tech\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/automotive-design-icons-how-each-major-car-brand-defined-its-visual-legacy-39.jpg\" alt=\" Cooper S (2001)\" data-copyright=\"Autocar\" \/>\n<\/p>\n<p>The older it gets, the more of a triumph this total rework of the 1959 original seems. It\u2019s unmistakably redolent of its inspiration, yet entirely modern and like its forebear, perfectly proportioned.<\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<h2>Mitsubishi: 3000GT (1990)<\/h2>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.globalvillagespace.com\/tech\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/automotive-design-icons-how-each-major-car-brand-defined-its-visual-legacy-40.jpg\" alt=\" 3000GT (1990)\" data-copyright=\"Mitsubishi\" \/>\n<\/p>\n<p>Mitsubishi decided it needed to change its image, and designed itself a junior Ferrari. Unfairly forgotten now, it\u2019s one of the stand-out Japanese designs of the \u201890s.<\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<h2>Morgan: 3 Wheeler (2012)<\/h2>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.globalvillagespace.com\/tech\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/automotive-design-icons-how-each-major-car-brand-defined-its-visual-legacy-41.jpg\" alt=\" 3 Wheeler (2012)\" data-copyright=\"Autocar\" \/>\n<\/p>\n<p>This is automotive allure of the alternative kind, and not only because of the wheel shortfall. The vintage engineering concept, fine detailing lend this upturned tub of a car an arrestingly functional beauty.<\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<h2>Nissan: R390 GT1 (1997)<\/h2>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.globalvillagespace.com\/tech\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/automotive-design-icons-how-each-major-car-brand-defined-its-visual-legacy-42.jpg\" alt=\" R390 GT1 (1997)\" data-copyright=\"Nissan\" \/>\n<\/p>\n<p>Beauty is not a word you always associate with Nissans of the past or present, but we reckon its R390 racer fits the bill, with its sensuous curves expressive of speed. Just one road car was made alongside several racers, and it was designed by the Britons <strong>Tony Southgate<\/strong> and <strong>Ian Callum,<\/strong> alongside <strong>Yutaka Hagiwara<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<h2>Oldsmobile: Toronado (1966)<\/h2>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.globalvillagespace.com\/tech\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/automotive-design-icons-how-each-major-car-brand-defined-its-visual-legacy-43.jpg\" alt=\" Toronado (1966)\" data-copyright=\"Autocar\" \/>\n<\/p>\n<p>It\u2019s big, huge even, and thus has presence, but size isn\u2019t the Toronado\u2019s only arresting feature. Exquisite proportions, pillarless elegance and spare detailing are as much a triumph as its front-drive powerpack.<\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<h2>Peugeot: 504 Cabriolet (1970)<\/h2>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.globalvillagespace.com\/tech\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/automotive-design-icons-how-each-major-car-brand-defined-its-visual-legacy-44.jpg\" alt=\" 504 Cabriolet (1970)\" data-copyright=\"Autocar\" \/>\n<\/p>\n<p>We reckon the 504 Cabriolet is the most beguilingly desirable Peugeot ever made, made more so by the fact that it so clearly outshines the rather dowdy other 504 models available. Still sensational today, it must have stopped the traffic in 1970.<\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<h2>Porsche: 911 (1963)<\/h2>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.globalvillagespace.com\/tech\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/automotive-design-icons-how-each-major-car-brand-defined-its-visual-legacy-45.jpg\" alt=\" 911 (1963)\" data-copyright=\"Autocar\" \/>\n<\/p>\n<p>It gives pleasure from every angle you inspect, its delicacy of line ever more appealing in this age of perpetually enlarging cars. And that includes the 911.<\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<h2>Pontiac: GTO Judge (1969) <\/h2>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.globalvillagespace.com\/tech\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/automotive-design-icons-how-each-major-car-brand-defined-its-visual-legacy-46.jpg\" alt=\" GTO Judge (1969) \" data-copyright=\"Autocar\" \/>\n<\/p>\n<p>A look of broodingly curvaceous menace distinguished this special edition GTO, standard kit including a potent Ram Air V8, heavy duty suspension, a blacked out grille, a spoiler and (surprisingly subtle) stripes. A classy slice of muscle.<\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<h2>Renault: Caravelle (1958)<\/h2>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.globalvillagespace.com\/tech\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/automotive-design-icons-how-each-major-car-brand-defined-its-visual-legacy-47.jpg\" alt=\" Caravelle (1958)\" data-copyright=\"Autocar\" \/>\n<\/p>\n<p>It may have only been modestly powerful, but the dainty lines of the Caravelle made it an enduring design that pleases to this day.<\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<h2>Rolls-Royce: Boat Tail (2021)<\/h2>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.globalvillagespace.com\/tech\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/automotive-design-icons-how-each-major-car-brand-defined-its-visual-legacy-48.jpg\" alt=\" Boat Tail (2021)\" data-copyright=\"Rolls-Royce Motor Cars\" \/>\n<\/p>\n<p><strong>Sensuous dignity<\/strong>,\u00a0<strong>luxuriant grace\u00a0<\/strong>and arrestingly bold\u00a0<strong>nautical detail\u00a0<\/strong>distinguish the coachbuilt Boat Tail, the three individuals buying one contributing substantially to its essence.<\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<h2>Seat: 850 Sport Spider (1966)<\/h2>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.globalvillagespace.com\/tech\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/automotive-design-icons-how-each-major-car-brand-defined-its-visual-legacy-49.jpg\" alt=\" 850 Sport Spider (1966)\" data-copyright=\"Seat\" \/>\n<\/p>\n<p>For a long time Seat was a company that produced modest everyday cars, so the arrival of this distinctly impractical sports car was a surprise \u2013 and a good looking one too.<\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<h2>Skoda: Felicia (1959)<\/h2>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.globalvillagespace.com\/tech\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/automotive-design-icons-how-each-major-car-brand-defined-its-visual-legacy-50.jpg\" alt=\" Felicia (1959)\" data-copyright=\"Ralf Roletschek\" \/>\n<\/p>\n<p>Communist-era cars weren\u2019t supposed to be handsome \u2013 they could leave that to the West. So the Felicia\u2019s delicate details are what delights here; certainly a car that could have come from France or Italy.<\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<h2>Subaru: 360 (1958)<\/h2>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.globalvillagespace.com\/tech\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/automotive-design-icons-how-each-major-car-brand-defined-its-visual-legacy-51.jpg\" alt=\" 360 (1958)\" data-copyright=\"Subaru\" \/>\n<\/p>\n<p>Subarus are more usually associated with practicality and speed, not looks, so it\u2019s perhaps notable that its best looking car was also its first.<\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<h2>Suzuki: Cappucino (1991)<\/h2>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.globalvillagespace.com\/tech\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/automotive-design-icons-how-each-major-car-brand-defined-its-visual-legacy-52.jpg\" alt=\" Cappucino (1991)\" data-copyright=\"Autocar\" \/>\n<\/p>\n<p>Making a credible sports car that fit the strict Kei car rules was not easy, but Suzuki pulled it off; nice to look at, it was a sizzling drive too.<\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<h2>Tesla: Model S (2012)<\/h2>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.globalvillagespace.com\/tech\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/automotive-design-icons-how-each-major-car-brand-defined-its-visual-legacy-53.jpg\" alt=\" Model S (2012)\" data-copyright=\"Autocar\" \/>\n<\/p>\n<p>The Model S\u2019s clean, sensuous lines have stood the test of time, and indeed it\u2019s still more or less unchanged 12 years later. Oh, and by delivering a decent drive and range for the first time in an electric car, it changed the world too.<\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<h2>Toyota: 2000 GT (1967)<\/h2>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.globalvillagespace.com\/tech\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/automotive-design-icons-how-each-major-car-brand-defined-its-visual-legacy-54.jpg\" alt=\" 2000 GT (1967)\" data-copyright=\"Autocar\" \/>\n<\/p>\n<p>Just 351 examples of this straight-six powered machine were made, but enough to establish it as Japan\u2019s first credible sports car \u2013 and a nice looking one too.<\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<h2>TVR: T350 (2002)<\/h2>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.globalvillagespace.com\/tech\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/automotive-design-icons-how-each-major-car-brand-defined-its-visual-legacy-55.jpg\" alt=\" T350 (2002)\" data-copyright=\"Autocar\" \/>\n<\/p>\n<p>The TVRs of the Peter Wheeler years were singularly bold, flaunting almost willfully odd design details that often exposed the big boys for not thinking hard enough. And there was raw beauty to them, too.<\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<h2>Vauxhall: High Performance Firenza (1973)<\/h2>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.globalvillagespace.com\/tech\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/automotive-design-icons-how-each-major-car-brand-defined-its-visual-legacy-56.jpg\" alt=\" High Performance Firenza (1973)\" data-copyright=\"Autocar\" \/>\n<\/p>\n<p>Yes indeed, Vauxhall could and did build an aggressive looking coupe once, and to our eyes a rather handsome one too.<\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<h2>Volkswagen: Karmann Ghia TC (1971)<\/h2>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.globalvillagespace.com\/tech\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/automotive-design-icons-how-each-major-car-brand-defined-its-visual-legacy-57.jpg\" alt=\" Karmann Ghia TC (1971)\" data-copyright=\"Autocar\" \/>\n<\/p>\n<p>The Porsche-esque Karmann Ghia TC is a rare find in Europe. It was built in Brazil in the 1970s but was never officially exported from South America. Designed by Carrozzeria Ghia in Italy, the stylish coup\u00e9 has a 1584cc flat-four engine slung behind the rear axle.<\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<h2>Volvo: P1800 (1961)<\/h2>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.globalvillagespace.com\/tech\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/automotive-design-icons-how-each-major-car-brand-defined-its-visual-legacy-58.jpg\" alt=\" P1800 (1961)\" data-copyright=\"Autocar\" \/>\n<\/p>\n<p>While it is tempting to give the Volvo award to one of its slab-sided, muscular station wagons, we have to give it to the wonderful P1800, as handsome today as when it was born.<\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":74967,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"Default","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2,137],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-74966","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-featured","category-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.globalvillagespace.com\/tech\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/74966","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.globalvillagespace.com\/tech\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.globalvillagespace.com\/tech\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.globalvillagespace.com\/tech\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.globalvillagespace.com\/tech\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=74966"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.globalvillagespace.com\/tech\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/74966\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":74968,"href":"https:\/\/www.globalvillagespace.com\/tech\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/74966\/revisions\/74968"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.globalvillagespace.com\/tech\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/74967"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.globalvillagespace.com\/tech\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=74966"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.globalvillagespace.com\/tech\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=74966"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.globalvillagespace.com\/tech\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=74966"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}