Some really cool observations on this thread.
Totally agree with the Explorer. I remember working for Ford when I was a kid and the first time I drove one I was like...wow, this thing is really what everyone needs. Something that isn’t a mini van. And boom! It took a few years but other manufacturers finally caught up.
I’d say pickup trucks have significantly changed the entire landscape of the automotive industry. Toyota Tundra was huge...they took a step into the ring and really made everyone kind of up their games. The F-150 went from being a pickup truck, to a family hauler. Same for the Ram and Silverado. This is today’s mini van.
I’d throw the Prius in there somewhere - I don’t know if it’s the first hybrid but it’s certainly the most successful.
The family haulers...Camry and Accord. Always dueling it out, each year.
Let’s see...for GM I’d put the Tahoe in there. They were at a point where they really fell behind in the SUV segment and the Tahoe changed that real quick. Bigger, more expensive and yet they sold like hot cakes. Would have sold a lot more if not for the high price tags - can’t tell you how many people I’ve heard say...would’ve bought the Tahoe but it was just too **** much money. And then they end up buying a Grand Cherokee. Come to think of it, the Grand Cherokee was a game changer, remember when they first came out? Everyone bought one. I still see them EVERYWHERE! And they are nice looking. People love them. An American SUV that you can take anywhere...up the side of a mountain or pulling up front at the country club. Not many of them can do that.
Oh I’d also add this...Kia/Hyundai. Has anyone upped their games like these two the last five years? Jesus. The Telluride??? Had to be the hottest SUV in America last year - you couldn’t even buy one - tried to wait until they went on sale. Never happened. Dealerships were like, yeah these aren’t ever going on sale, in fact people are paying more than list prices. A bidding war for Tellurides? A bidding war for anything rolling off the lot at a dealer? Aside from maybe the new corvette, I just never imagined such a thing.