Question of the Week: What’s the top First Car Ever Built By an Automaker?—WINNER’S UPDATE
WINNER’S ANNOUNCEMENT:
We’re back to announce the winner for our Question of the Week, where our winner will receive their laurels in the form of a $25 credit for a hat or T-shirt from the BaT Gear Store.
This week, we asked: What’s the best first car ever built by an automaker?
Thanks to everyone who threw their suggestions into the ring! This week, the Volkswagen Beetle and the Tesla Roadster were tied in nominations, and instead of turning to the thumbs, we’re exercising our Editorial Privilege to break the tie by picking the nomination that intrigued us most—the Tesla Roadster! BaT member @JPSO86 was the first to mention it:
“You could make a strong argument for the Tesla Roadster.
It got the ball rolling on electric vehicles again and launched Elon’s wealth making career”
Tesla, though the firm has become synonymous with Elon Musk, was founded by Martin Eberhard and Marc Tarpenning in July 2003. In fact, the Roadster’s origins began when Eberhard was inspired after driving AC Propulsion’s electric sports car, the tzero, for the first time. Tesla would go on to work with Lotus while licensing AC Propulsion’s electric powertrain technology. The result was a car that changed how enthusiasts viewed EVs and what electric sports cars could become. Congratulations, @JPSO86! Check your email to claim the prize.
Now, let’s take a look at some other popular nominations from this week’s discussion thread:
“It has to be the Volkswagen Beetle.”
The Beetle’s successes certainly came in the millions over the years.
“Porsche 356. Putting the engine in the back must have been the right choice because they’re still doing it today.”
“Easy, CSX2000 260 Cobra built by Shelby American in 1962.”
“McLaren F1, obviously.”
“The 1886 Benz-Patent Motorwagon. Got the ball rolling and, well, here we are….”
Image: Car and Driver
It certainly did! Our compatriots over at Car and Driver test drove a replica of Benz’s original automobile back in 1986—check it out!
“Koenigsegg…”
The CC8S was bonkers.
“Meyers Manx. Bruce turned out the first one in 1964. No other car has ever been copied as many times. If imitation is the surest form of flattery then the world was totally in love with Mr. Meyers
https://meyersmanx.com/pages/the-original-dune-buggy“
“Lamborghini’s first effort, the 350 GT.
The 350 GT was dramatically restyled from the 350 GTV, and Lamborghini sold 150 examples—not bad for a first-timer!
“The 1920-1929 Lincoln Model L. Very luxurious v8 driven, well engineered cars. When the post WWI economy made them go bankrupt, Henry Ford purchased them for their engineering prowess and prestige. Since so many were made with bespoke bodies, the model L didn’t advertise model years, just improvements that had been made. The Model Lincoln K might be better known, but the Model L was competitive with Pierce-Arrow, Cadillac, Packard, and Stutz and put Lincoln on the map right out the gate.”
“From the standpoint of the success of the manufacturer based on its first car I nominate the original Ford Model A (1903), Its sales generated a profit and first business success for Henry Ford. The rest is automotive history.”
The LS400—yes! The project took 1,400 engineers, 2,300 technicians, 60 designers, $1 billion dollars, and 2.7 million hours to develop. It raised the bar, to say the least.
That’s it for this week’s Question of the Week! Thanks again to everyone who participated, and congratulations once again to our winner, JPSO86. We’ll be back with a new question soon.
ORIGINAL POST:
Welcome to the BaT Question of the Week! For those unfamiliar, here are the rules: we ask an automotive-themed question, and the author of our favorite answer from the comments is awarded a $25 credit to the BaT Gear Store.
Everybody has to start somewhere. Companies like Peugeot and Toyota evolved into car manufacturers, while others were formed with the express intent of making four-wheeled vehicles. Regardless of their beginnings, an automaker’s first car often set the tone for everything that followed, and arguably, some did it better than others. So this week, you get to tell us:
What’s the best first car ever built by an automaker?
Image: BMW Group Classic
Tell us your suggestions in the comments, and give a thumbs-up to any nominations that grab your attention. We’ll announce the winner on Monday.
“The 1950 Saab 92. Transverse front engine, front wheel drive, strong unibody construction and a very cool aerodynamic shape. Way ahead of its time.”
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JIMMY commented on Question of the Week: What's the Best First Car Ever Built By an Automaker?—WINNER’S UPDATE
“Not a first for the automaker per se, and not their first in the luxury segment, but time has proven the Lexus LS400 to have knocked it out of the park.
Or the 1959 Rupp Dart Kart.”
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Ben commented on Question of the Week: What's the Best First Car Ever Built By an Automaker?—WINNER’S UPDATE