When folks talk about ‘great autos’ what precisely do they mean? Great automobiles can come in all styles and sizes, from ultra exotic Ferrari’s to the lowly Beetle, so there’s clearly no precise formula to which a great automobile can be built. Mythical vehicles do all have one thing in common, and that’s something unique which makes them stand out from the competition. Whether or not it’s astonishing performance or a big fanbase, they all have their own immediately recognizable identity.

The first steps to a great car vehicle are started by any quantity of folk, enthusiastic reviews by motoring newshouds, personal recommendation by owners, intense media attention, high visibility flick roles, or merely by capturing the imagination of the general public.

Pretty much every model from makers like Lamborghini, Ferrari and Porsche could in some shape be thought to be a great auto, but it is the genuine icons of motoring e.g. the Testarossa, Countach and 911 that stick in everybody’s mind, why?

The Testarossa was one of the most exaggerated and angled Ferrari’s in history. The vehicle was specially geared for the materialistic 80′s and many designers consider it to be one of those coarse Ferrari’s of all time. But to this day say ‘Ferrari’ to any person and nearly necessarily the Testarossa are among the first models to spring to mind. It is its formidable excess that makes it a great.

The Countach epitomises Lamborghini’s grotesque design philosophy, stupid rear perspectives, utterly irrational ergonomics and radical wedge proportions were the characteristics which helped guarantee the Countach’s place in the auto Hall-Of-Fame, there’s nothing quite so unrealistic.

Porsche from another perspective has formed the legendary 911 over decades, refining and transforming the automobile into one of the most reasonable and competent super cars in the world. The 911′s pre-eminence was assured by its long running sales performance, relative accessibility and natural good looks.

But what about vehicles like the Volkswagen Beetle? This automobile has all the incorrect ingredients. First off it was designed by Adolf Hitler, not a great start. It’s got a really basic air cooled engine, and that was built to be so common and basic everybody might have one. Well, here’s where it differs significantly from most automobiles. The Beetle was SO well-liked and cheap, its in-built simplicity which permitted for many alterations, proved to be its major attraction. A big fan-base has built up round the Beetle, following its surfer-cool street cred image. The Beetle lives in a place where performance isn’t a problem, customization and easygoing easy fun is.

So engineering, style, performance, character and charm all play a role in making a great vehicle, you do not want every one of them, but you do need one. But how about a story. One of the most vital ingredients of a great auto is a good story, one which folk can relate to or find engaging, and thus remember for keeps.

The tale of the Ford GT40 immediately springs to mind. The GT40 was a nice looking automobile but it is the David and Goliath story, thrashing Ferrari 4 times consecutively at Le Mans in the late 60′s is one which many have heard, and it is among the GT40′s outlining features. The tale completes the vehicle. If it had lost 4 times in a row would its place in history be as assured?

So what of future icons? Sadly modern firms are increasingly influenced by margins and official red tape, this is true for the car world more than nearly any other market. Huge company’s frequently pre-plan a models lifespan so they can sell the subsequent model 1 or 2 years along the line. Barely an environment conducive to manufacturing legends. Nonetheless some makers, particularly the smaller makers, depend on high quality as one of their major selling points. To start lowering their standards, to far would be market suicide.

The conclusion therefore is that there’s no formula, prophecies are inconsistent, and there’ll always be some ‘great autos’ rising. We do not know precisely what they’re yet. Nevertheless it is us, the general public, who finally decide.