General Motors
A 1957 Chevrolet Bel Air.
- Car models may span generations, but their design is constantly evolving, with new innovations by certain trailblazing vehicles paving the way for changes to occur in both form and style.
- More than anything, cars are a reflection of culture and the national zeitgeist.
- Every year has had a new car emerge which added its own flair to the auto industry.
- Here are the coolest cars from each year between 1950 through 2018.
No decade of car design is ever the same. Models may span generations, but their design is constantly evolving, with new innovations by certain trailblazing vehicles paving the way for changes to occur in both form and style.
Over time, specific brands differentiate themselves from the competition, usually with a new vision of what a car can look like and how it can improve the driving experience. Think about the effect of the 1980 Audi Quattro, as it pioneered four-wheel-drive and its boxy shape paved the way for a new modernity to emerge in automotive bodies.
More than anything, cars are a reflection of culture and the national zeitgeist. For example, the BMC Mini, which defined 1960s British pop-culture, or to the 1977 Pontiac Trans Am, arguably the greatest "muscle car" ever made by an American automaker.
Going one step further, watch how your mind is immediately brought back to the 1980s when you take one look at the DeLorean DMC-12 and the Ferrari F-40. Simply put, cars are capstone statements for their times.
Similarly, cars can also point to changing consumer patterns and emerging societal trends. For instance, the 2010s were an era when plug-in hybrids like the Chevy Volt and all-electric vehicles like Tesla's Model X appeared in the market, demonstrating a new eco-conscious shift as the ramifications from climate change became an increasingly prominent force in our lives.
Every year a new car has emerged which added its own flair to the auto industry.
For those seeking to go on a time-travel odyssey, take a look below at nearly 70 years of automotive history, as we profile the coolest cars from each year between 1950 through 2019.