Seven decades of innovative cars and ways to rank them
The very first time we attempted to identify “the” car of a particular year was in our November 1949 issue. Instead of rounding up early 1950 model cars and putting them through a rigorous testing regimen, we looked back at the year that had been and selected among the cars that had been on sale for a year, some of which we’d driven.
This was only our third issue, and we’d only “tested” two cars—an MG TC and a Studebaker Starlight Coupe (if you consider eyeballing the speedometer and clicking a stopwatch “testing”). Oh, and the aforementioned “we” wasn’t a dozen staffers arguing. Rather, it was a single freelance writer named John Bond. Yes, the John R. Bond, who would later go on to edit and publish Road & Track magazine. As we still do today, we laid out the ground rules at the top of the piece:
NOTE: In this article, automotive enthusiast John Bond was asked to describe his idea of the most advanced of the 1949 models. Before making his selection, he considered all models, ranging from the Jeepster through the Lincoln, and gave serious thought to the engine, appearance, and handling characteristics. His final choice may be subject to controversy, but definitely has merit.—Editor
The story consisted of a single two-page spread that included one illustration of the car (no photo), two illustrations comparing the new and predecessor engines’ exterior size envelopes and crank/rod/piston assemblies, and a confusing chart comparing horsepower/ cubic inch, pounds/horsepower, stroke/ bore ratio, and “B.M.E.P.” (the meaning of which readers were left to divine without Google’s help).
هذه القصة مأخوذة من طبعة September 2019 من Motor Trend.
ابدأ النسخة التجريبية المجانية من Magzter GOLD لمدة 7 أيام للوصول إلى آلاف القصص المتميزة المنسقة وأكثر من 9,000 مجلة وصحيفة.
بالفعل مشترك ? تسجيل الدخول
هذه القصة مأخوذة من طبعة September 2019 من Motor Trend.
ابدأ النسخة التجريبية المجانية من Magzter GOLD لمدة 7 أيام للوصول إلى آلاف القصص المتميزة المنسقة وأكثر من 9,000 مجلة وصحيفة.
بالفعل مشترك? تسجيل الدخول
2023 GMC Canyon
MC, the luxe-truck division of General Motors, has long struggled to differentiate its products from mechanically similar Chevrolets.
2023 Ford F-Series Super Duty
The heavy-duty truck world moves more slowly than other pickup classes, and progress comes in spurts. Take the Ford F-Series Super Duty, whose recent refresh included softer-edged styling, a new entry-level gas-fed V-8, a new high-output 6.7-liter turbodiesel V-8, and myriad small improvements like new bedside steps. Is it still basically the same truck as before? Absolutely, but it’s also a better Super Duty, however incrementally.
2024 Chevrolet Silverado HD
When Chevrolet unveiled its all-new 2020 Silverado HD lineup, it set the truck world ablaze, and not in a good way.
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YOUR ICON OF ICONS: CHEVROLET CORVETTE
Was there ever any doubt? MotorTrend readers are largely American, and as much as we love Jeeps, Mustangs, and F-150s in this country, the Corvette has been “America’s sports car” for nearly as long as this publication has existed. That’s why you chose it via our online vote as the most iconic car of the past 75 years.
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