(EXPANDED FROM 1/2/2024)
A few years ago Michael Karesh (2023) of TrueDelta asked, “Which cars (model and year) from the Detroit Three since 1980 do you feel qualify as design icons?”
I would invite you to check out the debate on TrueDelta’s Facebook page. Also take a look at their website if you haven’t done so. This is a terrific source of consumer information about cars even though it has had fewer new posts of late.
But back to Karesh’s question. It strikes me as a good one for Indie Auto to percolate on because we have tended to focus more on vehicles from the postwar era, which I would define as 1946-79. To put some tighter boundaries on Karesh’s question, let’s focus on domestic cars and trucks from 1980-2000.
When I think about Detroit’s products during that time period I don’t come up with a whole lot of designs which strike me as iconic. At least to my eyes, the U.S. automakers were mostly playing catch up with foreign firms. But I did develop a top-five list in ranked order.
I did not choose any vehicles from General Motors even though it was the most aggressive in downsizing its passenger-car lineup in the early-80s. Ironically, GM arguably lost design leadership to Ford in the mid-80s and Chrysler in the 1990s. Might this have contributed to GM’s dramatic loss of market share during that time period (go here for further discussion)?
How do my rankings and those of initial commentators compare with yours? Note that, like Karesh, I am focusing on design rather than other considerations such as performance or reliability.
1. 1983-2000 Chrysler minivans: Practicality returns
The postwar period was so heavily dominated by lower, longer and wider styling that Chrysler’s minivans represented a radical break with the past. Unlike the traditional truck-based van, the Dodge Caravan and its corporate siblings the Plymouth Voyager and the Chrysler Town & Country were small enough to fit in a garage and comfortable enough to function as a family car.
These were cash cows for Chrysler, but they received relatively little updating in the 1980s. Management was more focused on ill-fated efforts to launch the two-seat TC and revive the Imperial (go here for further discussion). However, once the minivans were redesigned in 1996, they arguably represented the most aesthetically important Chrysler design of a well-regarded lineup.
Yup, I am arguing that that the third-generation minivan was a more iconic design than, say, the Chrysler LHS, 300M or Dodge Ram. That’s because its ultra-clean greenhouse and side styling represented a more radical design departure than the automaker’s other 1990s cars.
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2. 1986-95 Ford Taurus: The family car gets swoopy
The Ford Taurus may not have been the first aerodynamic domestic car, but it was arguably the most influential one. The Taurus single-handedly redefined the mid-sized family car by killing once and for all the boxy look that had defined the genre for decades.
Ford designers even took the radical step of largely eliminating the traditional grille above the bumper. That was particularly risky for a high-volume family sedan rather than a sporty coupe.
Indie Auto commentator Jeff Kennedy has rightly noted that the Taurus was “really an evolution of what Audi had been doing.” I would add that Ford designers under Jack Telnack managed to give the car an “international” look while adding a distinctly American flavor. To my eyes the design still looks remarkably fresh even today.
3. 1983-88 Ford Thunderbird: Just say no to brougham
The 1983 Thunderbird represented the beginning of Ford’s U.S. design renaissance. The car’s Europeanesque aerodynamics were an abrupt break with the squared-off brougham look that had epitomized the T-Bird for years. The popularity of the new models paved the way for the Taurus and redefined how American personal luxury coupes should look.
The 1983-86 Thunderbirds were the most influential, but a 1987 partial reskinning was arguably a more polished design. Among the improvements were newly-flush side glass and more rounded contours.
4. 1993-99 Jeep Grand Cherokee: Car-like SUV is born
The Jeep Grand Cherokee was arguably the first American sport-utility vehicle to offer more car-like qualities such as a lower body and unitized construction. The first-generation models, which were built from 1993-98, were more urbane than the lower-priced Cherokee on which they were based.
A restyling in 1999 gave the Grand Cherokee even more car-like qualities, such as a more rounded, aerodynamic shape. This nameplate would prove to be the basic template from which other higher-end SUVs would model their entries.
5. 1997 Ford F-150: A brief detour from the alpha truck
Big U.S. trucks have traditionally sported some of the most cliched styling in the auto industry — boxy, brutalist and hyper-masculine. The 1997-2003 F-150 was a detour from that with its unusually rounded, aerodynamic and beta contours.
Ford hedged its bets on this approach by introducing in 1999 an F-Series Super Duty line of pickups with a more traditional look, replete with a massive squared-off grille and angular sheetmetal. And then, when the F-150 was restyled in 2004, 2009 and 2015, the truck inched back to a more alpha look.
The 1997 F-150 wasn’t just important as a styling statement — it also hinted at the direction U.S. trucks would need to go if their aerodynamics were to be substantially improved. I find it noteworthy that a quarter century later the F-150 is a brutalist monstrosity in comparison. This illustrates how retrograde American truck design has become.
NOTES:
This story was originally posted on Jan. 2, 2024 and expanded on Oct. 31, 2025. Product information from manufacturer, auto editors of Consumer Guide (2006) and Wikipedia (see below).
Share your reactions to this post with a comment below or a note to the editor.
RE:SOURCES
- Auto editors of Consumer Guide; 2006. Encyclopedia of American Cars. Publications International, Lincolnwood, Ill.
- Karesh, Michael; 2023. Facebook post 10:03 a.m., Dec. 27.
- Wikipedia; 2023. “Dodge Caravan,” “Ford F-Series,” “Ford Taurus,” “Ford Thunderbird,” “Jeep Grand Cherokee.” Accessed Jan. 2.
ADVERTISING & BROCHURES:
- oldcarbrochures.org: Dodge Caravan (1984, 1996); Ford F-150 (1997); Ford Taurus (1987); Ford Thunderbird (1983, 1987); Jeep Grand Cherokee (1999)
The 1993 -present Dodge/Ram pickup trucks. The 1993 Dodge Ram pickup truck was launched dropping into the Detroit Auto Show, with big rig styling and interiors that did not imply torture chamber as the others did. It’s been over 30 years and the others in the US domestic market have yet really to catch up. I hate the stupid brand name change, however. I still call them Dodges. Screw you Sergio.
1990 -present Ford Explorer. By the time Taurus II was released, Explorers and F150s were carrying the financial load for the corporation and they essentially lost interest in cars. But, over multiple generations, and a few serious gaffes, this SUV has been the benchmark for SUVs in the US. Ford does a great job keeping this vehicle relevant and folks keep scooping them up.
1993-1999 Chrysler LH sedans. Chrysler regained the styling crown back from Ford for the mid sized car category. The cars drove well and had excellent specs. There were some reliablity issues and a few design gaffes (headlights, cough, cough) but an excellent design and automobile. It also had sophomore yips, but not nearly as disastrous as the Taurus.
2000-2010 Chrysler PT Cruiser. This car absolutely epitomizes the retro craze of the early 2000’s in the US. It was so successful that GM hired away the designer on the product line and had him style a Cobalt wagon to compete with it. It outlived all other retromobiles with the exception of the Neue Beetle. It was actually a rather practical vehicle, a reboot of the original minivan, but wrapped in 1938 Ford styling.
2001-2005 Pontiac Aztek. This is the precursor to many of the current-day CUVs. FWD or AWD, based on a car chassis, with multiple configurable interior options. It predicted the styling trends of cars 15 years into the future of it’s introduction date in 2000. Chris Bangle may take a lot of stick for BMW ‘Flame Surfacing’, but this car made ugly fashionable. (Note: I’ve owned three Azteks. I’d own another one, given the chance.)
In no particular order but based upon design not the quality or technical of the car.
1. 3rd generation Camaro. A fabulous design by Jerry Palmer. It showed that GM still had real talent at the Design Center.
2. The LH ChryCo line, although my personal preference is the later Chrysler 300. A different approach to what the large car should look like. This showed how Chrysler Corporation had ascended as the dominant leader in design by having a strong VP of Design (Tom Gale) with the corporate support of Iacocca and Lutz.
3. Ford Taurus brought the softer look to the US market. Some of this surfacing is really an evolution of what Audi had been doing. By this time Ford Design, under Jack Telnack, had overtaken GM as the trend leader.
4. Ram truck as it changed the design language for the look of a truck.
5. For number 5 I am struggling as there are cars I like but question if they are so distinctive as to deserve mention.
The Chrysler minivan was notable as a package concept but the wrapping of that package was incredibly underwhelming.
The 4th generation Seville is a superb execution of design but I don’t think it forged new ground.
I want to recognize Chuck Jordan’s time as VP Design at GM but unfortunately his best work was in the concept cars that got watered down too much when it translated into the production car. The best example of this is the California Camaro concept and what became the 4th generation Camaro/Firebird.
Since I hate retro design as how to find the future by looking in the rearview mirror instead of looking out the windshield I will not include any of that ilk.
Maybe one can look at the original Viper roadster and coupe and see how much fun they had to have been for the designers. Forget all the normal restraints and just create something you thought would never be allowed to see production.
I agree with many of the suggestions, especially the Taurus.
The first thing that popped into my head was the Oldsmobile Aurora, though it didn’t really expand the automotive universe in the same way as the minivan or the Jeep Cherokee.
The 1997 Ford Truck-Hated it! It looked weak compared to its competitors. I remember the first one I saw in the fall of 1996, I was with my brother in law, neither one of us liked it, and my brother in law was and still is a devoted Ford guy.
I figured that my take on the 1997 F-150 would not be popular but I honestly think that American trucks need to get a whole lot more aerodynamic — and this design hinted at a direction they could go. Alas, since that time trucks sold in the U.S. have mostly gone in the other direction — veritable bricks on wheels. So I’m partly coming at this topic from more of an engineering standpoint. However, I have never found aesthetically appealing the overly chunky and aggressive look of recent trucks (and SUVs).
Point taken on the aerodynamics. I loved the generation before it and also the one after. I have a 09 F150, it looks like a mini truck compared to the trucks they are selling today, I don’t like those either. My gold standard for Ford truck styling was the 67-72. In stock form, you could actually reach over the bed to retrieve items without the use of a side step or climbing in the bed.
The one that popped into my brain was the Fox-bodied Mustang
Here are my picks – lets go. 1st – 1980 Ford Mustang – coupe and sedan . a purposeful and masterful small car. Few surpassed.
2 – Cadillac De Ville 1986 – Radically downsized and simplified luxury car. Banished forever the over blown whale on wheels . Created a whole genre – CTS CT4 CT5 and many others today.
3 Continental Mark V1 1980. Responsibly downsized and fuel efficient – 4 speed trans. But as impressive to look at as any Lincoln before it. And opera windows. Influenced the many colossal SUV’s so common today.
4 Mercury Grand Marquis 1980. Downsized sensible much cleaner prototype of the medium priced car . Influenced Chrysler 300 . Endured for next 2 decades
5 1995 Lincoln ”Contempra” Continental. Graceful sporty and sophisticated Luxury sedan. Later took on Jaguar influences.
I agree with Steve’s list except I consider the 1994 Dodge Ram to be more iconic than the 1997 F150 as the Dodge was the first of the hyper alpha styled pickup trucks that are common today. Or if the list were expanded to 2001, I would consider the 2001 F150 Super Crew to be iconic as that is the most common pickup truck body style today.