Hooniverse Asks- What Car had the Greatest Positive Impact on its Brand?

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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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78 responses to “Hooniverse Asks- What Car had the Greatest Positive Impact on its Brand?”

  1. Kris_01 Avatar
    Kris_01

    Umm, "… when the financial onus of shifting back to civilian production and a less than desirable model range… conspired to drive the company over the edge"?
    Nope. It was Henry Ford's steep descent into madness in the early '30s. WW2 government production kept the company going in spite of the financial holocaust that had been going on since the days of the Model A. By the time Hank the Deuce took over, corporate billing was figured out by multiplying a given figure by the number of inches of paper in the stack of bills!
    Remember, in the late 40's automakers sold every car they made due to pent-up demand.

  2. muthalovin Avatar

    Even though a brands halo car often hurts the bottom line rather than helps, it is important to get people interested in the brand itself.
    So, yeah, NSX. If the Acura dealer has one of these, I will be in the door, and may leave with a used up RSX or something.
    <img src="http://www.importautosantee.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/Screen-Shot-2012-07-24-at-11.12.04-PM.png&quot; width=550>

    1. POLAЯ Avatar
      POLAЯ

      Some say, Acura themselves changed the way North Americans looked at Japanese auto manufacturers, and with a sleight of hand managed to have most hardcore domestic fans blame Toyota for everything!

  3. Wolfie Avatar
    Wolfie

    Mustang did a lot for Ford Motor when it came out,and still does.

    1. JayP2112 Avatar
      JayP2112

      I was hoping Ford would spin Mustang into a sub-brand with Mustang GT, SVO, Capri, Falcon, Cobra… with various 4, 6 and 8 cylinders with coupe, sedan and wagon variants.
      Why you not use my idea FORD???

      1. buzzboy7 Avatar
        buzzboy7

        Why can't we have another SVO? Lighten up the mustang(the current gen weighs 3500+lbs), trim the fat(size wise) and give it the ecoboost 4 cylinder.
        I'll go back to dreaming.

        1. JayP2112 Avatar
          JayP2112

          It's pretty well known there will be an ecoboost 4 in the Mustang. If that supplants the V6 or becomes another tier, we'll see.
          Another rumor is the Mustang will be made available in Europe and might have something "Capri" about it.

          1. buzzboy7 Avatar
            buzzboy7

            According to Top Gear's "The News" it looks like Europe will get the Mustang.
            I really couldn't care less about the engine options. I just want to see a smaller mustang. Things are huge, especially beside an old one.
            That just puts us on the standard hooniverse "cars are getting bigger, uglier and heavier" ran though, so I'll stop.

    2. OA5599 Avatar
      OA5599

      Shelby did a lot for Mustang when it came out, and, as a brand, still does.
      <img src="http://files.conceptcarz.com/img/Ford/65_Shelby_GT350R_FstBck_DV-06-ARM_02.jpg&quot; width=500>

      1. Wolfie Avatar
        Wolfie

        You could say that Mustang did a lot for Shelby.

        1. OA5599 Avatar
          OA5599

          Perhaps, but the Cobra was an earlier, and I'd say greater success story for him.

  4. IronBallsMcG Avatar

    My answer should have been the G8.

  5. smalleyxb122 Avatar
    smalleyxb122

    WRX (particularly, the STi). Virtually every Subaru owner I’ve known relishes whatever is shared between their car and the Pleiades-badged flagship. Got a Legacy, or a Forester? It’s like a WRX with more room! Base Impreza? It’s just a de-tuned WRX! I can’t think of another flagship that has the same effect manufacturer-wide.
    <img src="http://images.thecarconnection.com/lrg/2013-subaru-wrx-sti_100408398_l.jpg&quot; width=500>

    1. engineerd Avatar

      New guy at work as an STI. I like the new guy at work.

    2. buzzboy7 Avatar
      buzzboy7

      If only I could get a Forester STi in the US.

      1. danleym Avatar
        danleym

        I had a class with a guy who would talk about his WRX. A lot. He made sure you knew he had a WRX. I saw him in the parking lot one day, getting out of a Forester. I said to him "I thought you had a WRX." He very tersely replied "well its mostly a WRX under there with everything I've done to it."
        Ok, I've got no beefs with that- a highly modded Forester is pretty cool. By why pretend it's something it isn't? Tell me you've got a badass Forester and you'll win more points than when you tell me you have a WRX and I find out you don't.

  6. alex Avatar
    alex

    Original Subaru WRX

  7. Peter Tanshanomi Avatar
    Peter Tanshanomi

    <img src="http://www.saab99turbo.com/images/saab-99-turbo-registry2.jpg"&gt;
    Prior to this, a Saab was no more than a slow, utilitarian vehicle for quirky college professors.

    1. OA5599 Avatar
      OA5599

      No, you're thinking of the KV. The Saab was the slow, racing vehicle for quirky college professors.
      <img src="http://atomictoasters.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/SAAB-1-700×418.jpg&quot; width="500">

      1. mdharrell Avatar

        Now that's a good-looking car.

  8. Maymar Avatar
    Maymar

    <img src="http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5121/5374191464_b7fdb55293_z.jpg&quot; width=500 /img>
    Well, for a few years, it was the entire VW brand, and for decades after that, it was metaphorically the VW brand. The chassis was spun off into a wider range of cars, it set the template for what a VW was (solid, German, equally quirky and sensible), even the DDB advertising inspired their advertising well into the 21rst century. Plus, being able to produce it for roughly a lifetime in Brazil and Mexico have helped the VW brand overall.
    <img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7169/6609779009_f9385d6982_z.jpg&quot; width=500 /img>
    It also doesn't hurt that the Beetle has had a massive positive impact on a second brand.

    1. OA5599 Avatar
      OA5599

      When your brand starts out recognized as Hitler's Car, built with slave labor from concentration camp prisoners, pretty much anything you do afterwards will be seen as a big marketing improvement.
      <img src="http://s2.hubimg.com/u/99721_f520.jpg&quot; width=500>

    2. duurtlang_ Avatar
      duurtlang_

      I'd argue it's the Golf. The Beetle was the first car of the brand, so picking that is almost cheating. That, and they sold more Golfs than Beetles. <img src="http://s1.blomedia.pl/autokult.pl/images/2011/12/volkswagen-golf-i.jpg&quot; width="600">

  9. Number_Six Avatar
    Number_Six

    The 2006 Hyundai Sonata: it was the first time the Korean automaker's sedan was seriously compared to the Honda Accord, etc, and its 5 year warranty helped it gain real traction in the marketplace. For the first time the company was a player and not an oddity for cheapskates.
    <img src="http://trialx.com/curetalk/wp-content/blogs.dir/7/files/2011/06/cars/2006_Hyundai_Sonata-2.jpg&quot; />

  10. Vavon Avatar
    Vavon

    30 years ago the 205 saved Peugeot from bankruptcy and turned their image around from stuffy to awesome…
    <img src="http://db2.stb.s-msn.com/i/FB/BAC484BA487AC4731711B6114A2AC7.jpg"&gt;
    And now Peugeot is in exactly the same position as 30 years ago … Will the 208 be able to pull it off again?

  11. Manic_King Avatar
    Manic_King

    WRX is taken, how about Evo then, only bright star in the sea of Mitsu's mediocrity.
    <img src="http://www.evolution-8.com/images/pics/evo8-rally2.jpg&quot; width="589">
    Or maybe Dakar winning Pajeros:
    <img src="http://carinpicture.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/Mitsubishi-Pajero-Dakar-2004-Photo-03.jpg&quot; width="589">

  12. engineerd Avatar

    <img src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/6d/Lincolnblackwood2.jpg&quot; width="500">
    Crap. I seem to have misunderstood the question.

    1. muthalovin Avatar

      Damn, this was my runner-up answer. And hey, look, it's towing something (boat, methinks).

      1. engineerd Avatar

        A small boat. Or jet skis.

        1. muthalovin Avatar

          Okay, lets put or minds into that of a Blackwood owner. Methinks jet skis, but am unsure.

          1. Alcology Avatar
            Alcology

            another blackwood.

          2. engineerd Avatar

            A trailer made from the bed of another Blackwood.

          3. Alcology Avatar
            Alcology

            I tried finding one, but no luck. Ever want to have fun, go check out blackwood forums. Questions about what they haul in the bed and even a forum thread, "are there any orginal owners left?" Youch.

          4. danleym Avatar
            danleym

            Oh, that's fun. I found a few quotes I have to share.
            "How many of you drive your Blackwood or Mark LT as a daily driver? I use my Blackwood as a weekend toy to drive to car shows or Sunday drive. Very seldom drive it during the week. Some might say its a waste to use a truck this way but I always enjoy firing up the Blackwood on the weekends."
            Answer to the previous post: "Toy… 08 Mark LT. Doesn't see rain, snow, cold weather. It sits in a garage covered until the nice summer days. Even then really only drive it for special occasions."
            "I do not know. It was registered to a lady there. the interior is nearly perfect and the outside has some surface scratches that I hope a buffer will resolve. I added wheels and boards and a video/dvd/back up camera. I really enjoy the truck so far. I wish I knew the story. The engine compartment is spotless. so how do you aquire the surface scratches with everything else showroom new???? I intend to call her to inquire."

          5. danleym Avatar
            danleym

            Here's the best:
            "Parts must really be getting hard to come by for these trucks"

          6. Alcology Avatar
            Alcology

            This stuff is just insane. I guess we now know who buys these "trucks"

  13. Sjalabais Avatar
    Sjalabais

    Let me give a pat on the back of the Volvo 140.
    <img src="http://en.volvo-club.cz/graphics/gallery/full/1_140.jpg"&gt;
    This was a huge development for a small car company, and it broke with every existing design principle for Volvo – while it still sported some existing mechanics. First car with two circuit disc brakes (and, yes, those discs look like they belong to a commercial truck), a boxy shape that would define the company for decades, unparalleled safety and a break with the company's beloved rallye history – in favour of uttermost rationalism.
    Imho, the Volvo 140 is one of the most significant cars of all times, it was well-developed and is still the foundation of what Volvo is perceived like today. Yet, the model has always been in the shadows of the gorgeous Amazon (for which their guts might be salvaged) and the mighty 240 (which is just a decades long exercise in improvement). Hail the 140!
    [youtube 029nFGSzZZY http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=029nFGSzZZY youtube]

    1. mdharrell Avatar

      You're right about it being in the shadows. A little over a decade ago when I had mine, the local private Volvo shop told me they didn't carry any parts specific to the 140 series and didn't want to work on them. They preferred to turn them away from the shop altogether. They supported "classic" Amazons and "abundant" 240s, but the 140 was, to them, not important in either sense.
      I decided to go elsewhere (and much farther away) even for the stuff they did carry.

    2. Alff Avatar

      Hail,indeed. My family had three of these great cars.

  14. OA5599 Avatar
    OA5599

    Without the 350 GT, the Lamborghini brand would still be associated with tractors.
    <img src="http://pictures.topspeed.com/IMG/crop/200806/lamborghini-350-gt-14_800x0w.jpg&quot; width=500>

  15. danleym Avatar
    danleym

    Until the AMX came along, AMC (or Rambler, as they had been known) was known for small economy cars. There had been a few attempts to insert some performance, like the Marlin, but they didn't really catch on. The Javelin was available a few months earlier, but wasn't as much of an out and out sports car as the AMX. The AMX was when AMC stopped being solely associated with economy. And for a few years, AMC had some serious racing successes, with AMXs on the drag strip (especially the 52 factory race prepped SS/AMXs) or Javelins on road courses. And I think the AMX had the longest lasting impact on AMC- today, anyone under 40 who hears AMC (and knows who they are) is likely to think of a muscle car, whether it's an AMX, Javelin, or even a Gremlin with a 401 under the hood. The economy car image may stick with some who are older and remember when the earlier Ramblers were new, and some less car inclined folks may just remember the Pacer from Wayne's World, but I think the AMX did a pretty incredible job of putting AMC on the muscle car map.
    <img src="http://luxedb.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/AMC-AMX-car-6.jpg&quot; width=500>

    1. danleym Avatar
      danleym

      And here's an SS/AMX because racecar:
      <img src="http://info.prestoliteperformance.com/newsletters/2013/automotive/011013/PetesPatriot-600.jpg&quot; width=500>

    2. Irishzombieman Avatar
      Irishzombieman

      GAH! Clicked the wrong thumb. Somebody upvote this for me please.

      1. jeepjeff Avatar
        jeepjeff

        Crap. Sorry man, I upvoted it for me before I saw your post.

    3. OA5599 Avatar
      OA5599

      Though admittedly it was never intended to be a big mover in terms of sales, the SC/Rambler was at the dragstrips before the AMX.
      <img src="http://d2om8tvz4lgco4.cloudfront.net/archive/x213519739/g2440000000000000003274caae4d623a5155088ea220e0844bd1a87bcb.jpg&quot; width=500>

      1. danleym Avatar
        danleym

        AMX came out in 68. SC/Rambler wasn't out until 69. You could get a V8 in an American before the SC/Rambler, but they weren't as potent and weren't marketed the same way. The SS/AMX didn't come out until 69, I don't know whether that or the SC/Rambler were the first out.

        1. OA5599 Avatar
          OA5599

          You are right. I was misremembering 1970 as being the first AMX model year instead of the last. The contemporary styling cues of the AMX vs. the boxier SC, and the AMC nameplate vs. Rambler probably reversed the timeline in my mind.

          1. danleym Avatar
            danleym

            Understandable. For all the reasons you mentioned, plus the fact that it was 45 years ago, it's a pretty easy mistake to make.

  16. tiberiusẅisë Avatar

    You think the K-Car was a piece of crap, try driving one of these. However, calling it a car that built a company is an understatement. It was the car that built the industry.
    <img src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/74/1910Ford-T.jpg&quot; width="500">

  17. Kogashiwa Avatar
    Kogashiwa

    <img src="http://www.ridelust.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/02/toyota-prius.jpg&quot; width="600">
    Nope, not in this crowd! But in the eyes of the general public for whom cars are a necessary evil, the second gen Prius made Toyota synonymous with the environmentally conscious choice, both virtuous and thrifty – however much truth was/is behind that is irrelevant. It also established them as the leaders in hybrid tech and who doesn't like high-tech?
    (For my part I'm sincerely hoping that in 20 years hybrids will be seen as a transitional abberation and nothing more.)

    1. IronBallsMcG Avatar

      Even if we don't want it to be true, it's still a legit answer.

    2. muthalovin Avatar

      Yeah, I was going to go for this answer, but I took the cowards way out. +1.

      1. Kogashiwa Avatar
        Kogashiwa

        Well I was going to post the NSX if you hadn't already, but no one beats you for speed of NSX posting, so, there's that.

  18. OA5599 Avatar
    OA5599

    <img src="http://bringatrailer.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/06/1957_Chevrolet_Corvette_Fuelie_Racer_Engine_1.jpg&quot; width=500>
    Corvette was pretty much a flop with the Blue Flame 6 when it came out, and while the 55-56 models were greatly improved with the introduction of the SBC, the real image boost came in 1957 with the optional one-horsepower-per-cubic-inch Fuelie engine. Engine output at that ratio is now fairly commonplace, but 50+ years ago, it was enough to turn the model from a former also-ran to a legendary halo car.

    1. IronBallsMcG Avatar

      I like this answer because almost every other answer is the introduction of the model itself, rather than the update.

  19. marmer01 Avatar
    marmer01

    Runners-up: Original Taurus. Early-90's wide-body Camry. Late-80s Lebaron convertible. Dodge Intrepid and its variants. Original Chrysler minivan.
    E-for-effort consolation prize: Olds Intrigue, Pontiac G8, Pontiac Solstice/Saturn Sky
    Winner: Late-90s B5 Passat. It made Volkswagen both aspirational and a reasonable choice for the non-enthusiast.

    1. JayP2112 Avatar
      JayP2112

      The B5 Passat made the B5 Audi A4 a cheaper proposition with platform sharing.
      At least in the US, the A4 saved Audi from going "Alfa".

      1. marmer01 Avatar
        marmer01

        I agree, although I didn't want to always be talking about Audi. 😉 Yes, the A4 saved Audi in the US. On the other hand, the B5 Passat was an updated, and frankly more solidly contented version of the platform. Larger, with features like seat memory, under-door lights, ventilated glove box, and a few other things the A4 didn't have.

  20. wisc47 Avatar
    wisc47

    Some would say the Beetle probably had more of an overall impact on the VW brand and they'd be correct. However, it's the GTI that gave VW its practical yet sporty image. This kept buyers still interested in VW after the glory of the Beetle wore out. In fact, this was the first car to prove that you could have your cake, and eat it too.
    <img src="http://all-carz.com/data_images/volkswagen-golf-1500-mk1/volkswagen-golf-1500-mk1-07.jpg"&gt;

  21. P161911 Avatar

    Prior to 1955 Chevrolet was known as GMs cheap and economical brand, with never more than a straight six engine, while Buick, Olds, and Pontiac had V-8s or straight 8s. Suddenly Chevys were HOT.
    <img src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/a1/1955_Chevrolet_Bel_Air_PAS346.jpg"width=500&gt;

  22. Devin Avatar
    Devin

    <img src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_szY6czURhx0/TPkv4ftXluI/AAAAAAAADSU/exkNl92Dk68/s1600/57PlymouthAd.jpg&quot; width="500">
    Also, suddenly Plymouths are not cars for grandmas, but cool and desirable.

  23. dculberson Avatar
    dculberson

    1st gen LS400 took Toyota, and Japanese in general, from a joke of a luxury car manufacturer into a world powerhouse. They went from being laughed at by Mercedes to eating their lunch in one fell swoop. The car proved that not only could they make a luxury car, it would be more reliable and easier to live with than any of the competition.
    <img src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/c/c3/Lexus_LS_400_UCF10_I.jpg/640px-Lexus_LS_400_UCF10_I.jpg"&gt;
    It didn't break any new ground with its styling, but it absolutely slaughtered people's expectations – of Toyota, of Japan, and of luxury cars in general. Every generation since has held the top sales slot of any luxury marquee's flagship model. Zero to top seller in one generation, that's impressive to me.

  24. pj134 Avatar
    pj134

    <img src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/2c/Mazda_cosmo_sport.jpg&quot; width=500>
    Without this, I think Mazda would never have developed the identity they now carry.

  25. muthalovin Avatar
    1. MVEilenstein Avatar
      MVEilenstein

      I can't believe $kaycog hasn't posted this already.

    2. $kaycog Avatar
      $kaycog

      I'm late to the party, but this is my choice! 😀

      1. MVEilenstein Avatar
        MVEilenstein

        🙂

    3. OA5599 Avatar
  26. Irishzombieman Avatar
    Irishzombieman

    For me, the Nissan GT-R. Not that I ever had a bad opinion of Nissan–I've been a fan of the Z cars for the whole of their existence*. I love the fact that Nissan put their halo car out under their own name and not their marquis brand.
    I don't begrudge Toyota their Lexus LFA, or Honda their Acura NSX, but this car ain't like either of those. In spirit, more a broadsword than a rapier. And though I've always liked Nissan, I liked Nissan more after they built this car.
    <img src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-2PAwOAX7f-o/UKP7nzzvr1I/AAAAAAAAEec/GzjRUIRbgEE/s1600/nissan-gtr+1.jpg&quot; width=450>
    *With maybe a little break in the late 90s until I got used to the shoe shape and decided to like them retroactively.

    1. pj134 Avatar
      pj134

      Just don't forget they tried to push the GT-Rless version of the Skyline on us under Infiniti…
      <img src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/e4/NISSAN_SKYLINE_COUPE_V35.jpg&quot; width=500>

  27. Peter Tanshanomi Avatar
    Peter Tanshanomi

    That's not a turbo, though.
    <img src="http://tanshanomi.com/temp/turbo-winner.jpg"&gt;

    1. Sjalabais Avatar
      Sjalabais

      Haha, indeed! I am slow mover anyway.

  28. quattrovalvole Avatar
    quattrovalvole

    Subaru was known for its quirky econoboxes in the late 80s, so it was natural for them to launch a flagship with jet fighter style windows. Wait, what?
    <img src="http://25.media.tumblr.com/dacca0d3a6edc6af2d1e59ab56d7558a/tumblr_mfmgawMfml1rzleuao1_500.jpg"&gt;

  29. Tomsk Avatar

    Before the 2002, BMW was merely the builder of stodgy German luxury cars (and quirky microcars) for people who had somehow forgotten about or never heard of Mercedes-Benz. After the 2002, BMW was (and still by and large is) the synonym for "sport sedan."
    <img src="http://theinterrobang.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/bmw-2002.jpg&quot; width="500">

    1. scroggzilla Avatar
      scroggzilla

      While it's true that the 2002 broke BMW in the North American market, the Neu Klasse saloons pulled them back from the financial abyss of the early 60's.
      <img src="http://www.finkbuilt.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2008/12/2000.jpg"&gt;

  30. duurtlang_ Avatar
    duurtlang_

    1934 Citroën Traction Avant. It built their innovative image, and it started their FWD-only tradition. It's also unibody and the front was independently sprung (front: torsion bar and wishbone). They even introduced a hatchback option in the late 1930s. The car bankrupted the company at first, but it started their legendary image.
    <img src="http://www.jilleshelmantel.nl/images/25mrt08/Citroen_Traction_Avant_1934_04.JPG&quot; width="600">

    1. pj134 Avatar
      pj134

      So sexy…

      1. slr5000 Avatar
        slr5000

        For the times, it was such as evil, low slung bastard.