Not all automotive brands are defined by a single model – hell, even Tesla is attempting to erase that stigma – but many brands have introduced models that have changed perceptions about the company, or have even saved them from financial ruin. I’d like you to contemplate the original K-Car for a moment, the Dodge Aries and Plymouth Reliant. Not exactly a stellar pair by any stretch of the imagination, but when you consider both the number of variants pulled from that platform, as well as the fact that the Chrysler Corporation’s very existence depended upon their success, you have to admit that they were pretty impactful products.
Ford too have almost bought the farm on a few occasions, notably in the late forties when the financial onus of shifting back to civilian production and a less than desirable model range of lightly warmed over pre-war cars conspired to drive the company over the edge. The 1949 Ford, which was a watershed model in both design and feature, brought the company back from the brink, saving them to fight for another day, or 60 years.
A single model can have such positive influence on a brand, either redirecting the company’s persona, or just making a butt-load of money for the brand. Cars can have negative impacts as well, and we’ll cover that tomorrow, but today I want your opinion on which cars or trucks have had the greatest positive impact on their brands, and why you think that’s so.
Image source: Hemmings
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