Innovative Cars of History

1. Tucker Torpedo

This was a great example of the big guys getting scared of the innovative little guy and putting him out of business. But with innovative features, packaging and styling the Tucker Torpedo could have been a good step forward for the industry. It would not have taken the big three that long to catch up. In fact it would have made them better. But instead, they chose as they usually do to do as little as possible instead of evolving. Doesn't this sound like the Volt again?

2. VW Beetle

This car was so successful, it remained very similar throughout its lifetime - they rode that gravy train for 50 years! What would the next, better version of the Beetle look like? It wasn't the New Beetle. This car was a modern look-alike, but not an improvement. It was a totally different car that looked similar - that's not the point. The point would be to take the best attributes of the original and make an all new one - but better.

3. Citroen 2CV

This car is just plain goofy - but it was made for the average farmer in France - the French Model T maybe? It was reliable, cheap and easy to fix. Does that concept even exist anymore? No it doesn't.
This was also a very successful car that lasted in similar trim for 40 years! And to this day, it's still wacky...what would the next one have looked like? Actually, is there even a possibility that a similar car will ever be made again - by any company? The answer is a likely no.

Cars are too disposable now and are not meant to last very long. They're designed to last long enough to give the impression they're getting more reliable but the fact is, you cannot open the hood anymore and do anything in there. You have to take it to the dealer for any little thing and at some point will cost you soooo much money to fix - why not just walk over to the showroom and pick out a new one?

4. Citroen DS

The Citroen DS was also an innovative car as a whole. But if you just look at it as a styling exercise, this is an amazing car. This car came out in 1955 - and that means it was likely started around 1950. This car looks so modern even today - like it belonged in George Jetson's real car garage next to his flying saucer. And this one lasted a measley 20 years!

5. Aptera

The Aptera is yet to be released but is something I'm very excited about. Yes, it's an electric Hybrid which I've mentioned also produces emissions from the production of electricity. BUT, this is the first modern Hybrid with any sales potential that actually looks like it was designed to be aerodynamic. Well ok, it really was designed to be aerodynamic. So despite it being an electric car (or gas hybrid) it tries to use as little energy as possible unlike the Volt or even the Prius which are no where near as efficient. Imagine if this becomes the new benchmark for 5 seat Hybrids of the future...

6. Renault Concepts


These concepts are mainly here because of the styling possibilities. This era of Renault design is one of the best in recent history. Even the ones that were produced would still be considered more innovative than anything else on the road. Renault would have been so far ahead of everyone and could have kept innovating. BMW would have looked like another conservative old brand compared to Renault. Two problems: The first is they didn't bring the production versions to market very well. And second, they don't sell Renault's here in the U.S. - bummer. The worst part is, Renault has scaled back their forward thinking design language and have now settled back in with something resembling a VW - another conservative brand with lots of potential.

7. SAAB 92001

The Saab 92001 concept was a striking car in it's day. It was the birth of the Saab automobiles to come and designed by Sixten Sason, was the beginning of the iconic Saab profile. It was a very aerodynamic design based on the profile of the airplane wing and the production versions were quite similar considering there was no front wheel openings on this concept!

8. Volvo 3CC/ Pininfarina Nido


These two cars are of note because they utilize two similar interior safety concepts. Actually, the idea is similar to something I came up with when I was 14 - only slightly more appropriate. The idea is basically during a head-on collision, the interior seating is "floating" and will move on its own. This is beneficial because it absorbs even more energy than crumple zones alone. This in turn, lessens the affects on the body during this type of collision. The Volvo had additional features that assisted with this motion as well as other innovative interior features. The main difference between these two and my concept was the Volvo and Nido don't eject the passengers in the sled!

9. GM Autonomy


The GM Autonomy Skateboard is probably the biggest innovation in recent automotive history - period. The idea alone could change the face of the automobile industry. Too bad its a GM. I don't want to keep harping on GM but this is the one thing GM should be really trying to figure out - and maybe they are? But as I mentioned in the Volt post, I truly do not think they would do this for the right reason. Therefore it would not be done correctly and its effectiveness and impact would be greatly diminished. Of course most of this technology relies on new infrastructure which GM is not willing to invest in unless it guarantees them a monopoly - just like when they crushed most of the light rail in the U.S.

In 1949, executives at all companies involved were convicted of a criminal conspiracy to destroy light rail systems across the nation. The individuals involved were fined $1 each for their crimes. The companies were fined about $5,000 each, which was little more than a rounding error in the $30-$50 million in profits they earned from making mass transit less accessible.

Don't expect GM to change now...

10. Luigi Colani Trucks


What can I say? The Colani trucks (above) are the epitome of out-of-the-box thinking. Luigi Colani is known for some wacky ideas but the aerodynamic qualities of these semi-trucks are outstanding. And the reason these have not been adopted by any company is beyond me. The coolest truck by far that looks anything remotely like these is the Renault Radiance (shown). But you'll notice this Renault truck is more like a modern truck than it is like the Colani ones. The Colani design more closely resembles a modern bullet train which is a highly efficient way to move air around this long, thin shape.

So what can we take away from this look at some of the most innovative cars of history? I think that innovation should be pursued if for nothing else than it obviously pays dividends! The Beetle - 50 years, the 2CV - 40 years, the DS - 20 years, so on and so forth. This also applies to other products where innovation has led to a very prosperous future and a bunch of followers.

So keep trying to convince your boss to innovate and not follow. Remind them of these cars as well as others you may know - what are better motivators than sales and money? And you can sit back and feel good about not following others...