10 Cars That Were Ahead of Their Time

A decade before the Chevrolet Suburban Carryall appeared, the Ford Model T Depot Hack (produced by various coach builders all through the 1920s) defined the genre. This humble vehicle, designed to ferry guests between train stations and vacation resorts, is the progenitor of the modern SUV/crossover.

Produced from 1922 to '31, the Lambda introduced the world to the load-bearing monocoque body that didn't require a heavy separate frame. Nearly all modern passenger cars are unibody designs and can trace their origins to the Lambda.

Most armchair enthusiasts know the Chrysler Airflow (1934 to '37) only as a sales flop. This shortsighted view overlooks the Airflow's important contributions to modern automobiles. The Airflow was the first American vehicle to have its body—which was unit constructed, like the Lancia—refined in a wind tunnel (a quarter-scale unit operated by none other than Wilbur Wright of the Wright Brothers). But the engine placement was equally influential. Before the Airflow, contemporary vehicles had the engine placed behind the front axle. The Airflow pioneered engine placement above the front axle, a move that greatly enhanced interior packaging. The industry quickly followed Chrysler's lead.

Engineer William Stout created the iconic Ford Tri-Motor airplane. One of his lesser-known creations is the Stout Scarab, produced from 1935 to '38. The aero-influenced design (flush-mounted window glass) was pushed by a rear-mounted Ford Flathead V8. While the body (steel, aluminum and titanium) was innovative, the reconfigurable interior foreshadowed modern minivans two decades ahead of the Volkswagen Microbus and fifty years ahead of the Chrysler minivans.

Many enthusiasts consider the AMC Eagle and the beloved Audi Quattro as seminal vehicles because of their all-wheel-drive performance. Most are surprised to learn that the British builder Jensen sold an all-wheel-drive high-performance GT in 1966. The Jensen FF used a "Ferguson Formula" all-wheel-drive system. Its performance was further fortified with the Dunlop "Maxaret" mechanical ABS system (derived from the aircraft industry).

In contrast to American automotive trends of the '50s (longer, lower, wider and with bigger fins), Citroën was pointing the automotive world toward the future. The 1955 to 1975 Citroen DS was an aerodynamically styled front-wheel-drive, unibody chassis car with detachable sheet metal and a spacious interior. Such characteristics are shared with most high-volume vehicles today. The DS is also known for its French quirks, including the sophisticated (and almost always leaking) hydraulic system (using a blend of gas and oil) that could independently raise and lower any corner of the car to such a great extent that it made a spare tire jack unnecessary.

The Miura (1966 to '72) defined the modern supercar before the term, or class, existed. While the Ford GT40 (1964 to '69) and Ferrari 250 P (1963) race cars featured midengine designs, the V12-powered Miura was the first viable midengine, made-for-the-street production car.

The general populace might believe that GM killed the electric car when it canceled the EV1 program, ending the vehicle's short life (produced from 1996 to 1999, and recalled from all leases in 2002). The truth is that many industry insiders credit GM and its billion-plus dollars of investment spending with doing more to promulgate modern hybrids and electric vehicles than any other manufacturer. Engineers point to the EV1's use of nickel-metal-hydride (NiMH) batteries, inductive charging paddle and innovative regenerative braking algorithms.

Now an icon of the environmental movement, the first-generation Toyota Prius kicked off the modern hybrid era. While the diminutive two-seat Honda Insight beat the Prius into the U.S. market by seven months, the Toyota went on sale in Japan in late 1997.