the best car manufacturers in the world

[messerschmitt owner]

Ok, read a thread on another forum and it got me thinking. What are the best car manufacturers in the world - not the biggest or the most profitable, but those who have consistently stretched our ideas of car design and engineering

 

My choice would be:

 

1. Citroen - without a doubt, one of the most innovative of all car companies, always thinking outside the box, providing the masses with unitary construction, front wheel drive, hydropneumatic suspension, wind-tunnel testing, etc. Let's think about the great Citroen designs: Light 15, Big 15, ID, DS, 2CV, CX, BX, SM. As well as the downright beautiful, the company has uncompromisingly made the ugliest mass-market cars ever, yet people bought them in their thousands.

 

2. Lotus - uncompromising sports car manufacturer that has stayed with its roots since the very first car was made - overall, lightweight sports cars that handled well - making some great cars including the Elise, the Elan, and the Esprit.

 

Lamborghini - a tractor manufacturer that took on the might of Ferrari and made achingly beautiful cars like the Muira and Countach.

 

Also-rans for me include Ford - not for their mass-market saloons but for the flashes of brilliance and for the rally sport department, Fiat, the maker of the best small cars ever, and British Leyland, for daring to be different on a budget - hydrolastic suspension, badge engineering, a decent series of good engines, including the under-rated and much-maligned K Series - a tunable and easily fixed but powerful engine that, but for a few million in engine development, could have been one of the world's great engines. Lancia were also on my list - but I think I'm happy with the above three - they'd provide a city car, a sports car, a family car, an estate car and a supercar and I could live with them.

 

What would your three be and why?

[Station]

I'd agree with Citroen and Lotus and BL. All 'sucessfully' going against the grain in a way.

[Alexg]

Morgan and Bristol - For producing old designs at silly money, but hand built to your requirements.

[lancashireclamper]

The 3 J's have it for me,

Jensen, British Craftsmanship, American V8's unusual styling.

Jaguar, Imagine watching The Sweeney or any other UK Tv show or Gangster Film of the 70's without them.

Jowett, The Javelin and Jupiter, need I say more.

[Cavcraft]

Citroen have to be up there and also agree with Lotus. Not sure I'd agree with Ford or Jaguar though, really because they're some of their offerings for the last few years have been pretty shit.

[barrett]

Fairthorpe.

[Richard]

Earnshaw.

[Mr H Sceptre]

Rochdale

[Guest]

Isuzu. No, seriously.

 

They're the oldest car manufacturer in Japan, and have a seriously crazy streak at odds with their sensible shoes image. Witness the Nagisa amphibious car and the VehiCross off roader. They have a habit of putting concept cars into production (witness the Piazza and the aforementioned VehiCross) and were the first Japanese manufacturer to offer diesels, a diesel coupe (the 117 Coupe in 1981) and were ahead of Toyota and Honda in introducing a twin cam engine to their domestic market.

 

Volvo have never really done anything particularly interesting, although the majority of their cars have been decent. Even when they manage to drop the reliability bollock (like with the 480) the cars concerned end up memorable. Their contributions to safety are noteworthy though. SAAB are somehow more commendable than Volvo. I'd nominate them over the lads from Gothenburg.

 

Let's see.

 

BMW? Honda?

 

If anyone thinks Vauxhall and VW are worthy, you need your heads seeing to. Name me one innovation or stand out car they've come up with. And the Beetle doesn't count, because it was a mishmash of earlier Czechoslovakian and Austrian designs (namely that of Tatra and Steyr) put together by Mr.Porsche with a deranged fascist as a paymaster.

 

But the Golf Mk4 did ensure that soft touch plastic and gay blue dashboard lighting went to the top of every manufacturer's interior priority list. So that's OK.

 

Also, Alfa Romeo.

[barrett]

Rochdale

 

Now now, they built one of the best looking British sportscars of ever.

 

Seriously now, I think Tatra might be up there.... okay the post war cars were frighteningly complex, not exactly reliable and liable to kill you without warning, but for a such a small manufacurer to persist on making wildly futuristic luxury cars throughout an incredibly bleak political regime that frowned on both luxury and individual thought is simply amazing. The pre-war cars practically shaped worldwide automotive design for years to come, and they were virtually the only early 'aerodynamic' cars to be aerodynamically sound.

[Torsten2001]

For me it HAS to be BMC

[warren t claim]

Lancia. For bringing us the Lambda.

 

Independant front suspension with shock absorbers and the first monocoqe bodyshell.

[Albert Ross]

Bristol... After all, they recycle their own cars. What could be better?

[Guest Leonard Hatred]

Pyonghwa

[ProgRocker]

Citroen for me, possibly FIAT as well.

 

I have borrowed a couple of Citroen books from my local library. One on the DS (& includes the SM) & the 2CV. Both are fantastic reads.

[Pete-M]

Porsche, for the 911. Anything that goes like a supercar but is more reliable than most Golfs has to be a good thing, but building them properly and not allowing them to get all big'n'bloaty is just superb. Still instantly recognisable and gorgeous after close to 50 years too. I do love 911s.

 

Other honourable mentions to;

 

Fiat, for their small cars. If only they could build them properly.

 

Bristol, for using the right materials for the job and putting huge amounts of thought into everything they do. Oh, and for ignoring the press whenever possible.

 

Jaguar. For building the stedded up thug of a limo that sits on my driveway, and for making cars that feel special.

 

Pre-BMW Rolls Royce / Bentley. For over engineering and not giving a toss.

 

Mercedes - for the W126 alone.

 

Ford - for Capris, Cortinas, Sierras, Granadas, RWD Escorts, Transits, Kas and the 1.7 Puma.

 

GM - for the small block V8.

 

Tatra - for pretty much everything they've ever done. From the Beetle to their huge great trucks. The engineering in 'em is always superb.

[stoterstangen90]

Tatra

[eddyramrod]

Cadillac, for so many innovations I don't know where to start! And style too!

 

Cord, for making a front-wheel-drive car that actually looks good.

 

Citroen, for the DS if nothing else, even allowing for the ghastly old engine they flung in. But then there was the SMmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm.... Who can forget Burt Reynolds in The Mean Machine, flinging it around in front of assorted American police cars?

 

Can I have more? Morgan, for changing as little as possible for what, 70 years now? Longer, perhaps? Ford, for the Mk1 Granada and 3.0 Capri (guess what TV I was raised on!). Volvo, for the immensely, supremely capable 240 and 740 series. Land-Rover, because they combine the virtues of Morgan and Volvo, with added 4x4!

[HMC]

I recon for a qualified answer you have to look at things in period, againts the norms and standards of the time- for instance

Lancia in the fiftes and sixties- advanced, cost no object engineering and great looking cars that often set the template for the future, Aurelias, Flaminia, Flavia

Fiat in the seventies- amazing range of advanced compacts, saloons and the iconic 130 coupe and saloon (Just dont mention dodgy Russian reclaimed steel)

[Vin]

/\/\/\ I'd also add that the Fiat 128 is probably one of the most important cars of EVAR.

[Mr Lobster]

I reckon you could make a case for virtually any manufacturer as to why they are 'the best' as most have at one time or another innovated in some way and done things better than the competition at some point.

[scruff]

The Rover Co Ltd

[Guest Leonard Hatred]

I reckon you could make a case for virtually any manufacturer as to why they are 'the best' as most have at one time or another innovated in some way and done things better than the competition at some point.

 

Aye, good summing up of the utter redundancy of this thread.

[messerschmitt owner]

 

Aye, good summing up of the utter redundancy of this thread.

nice to see you in a good mood today

[Autoplas]

I reckon you could make a case for virtually any manufacturer as to why they are 'the best' as most have at one time or another innovated in some way and done things better than the competition at some point.

 

Aye, good summing up of the utter redundancy of this thread.

 

+1

[ProgRocker]

But then there was the SMmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm.... Who can forget Burt Reynolds in The Mean Machine, flinging it around in front of assorted American police cars?

 

I recalled the other day having seen the start of some American film from the 70s that featured a Citroen SM...it must be that one!

[eddyramrod]

That'll be it, I can't think of any other. Was it a brown one, thrashing around a town park making monkeys of the local bobbies?