We’re a quarter of the way through the 21st Century, and in the last 25 years the car industry – and the cars we drive on the roads – have undergone a dramatic transformation. So for an upcoming special issue of Autocar we’ve decided to celebrate the 25 most significant cars of the past 25 years.
The Autocar team has drawn up a list, featuring one car from every year from 2001 until 2025. We weren’t looking for the best, fastest or biggest-selling: we’ve judged them purely by the impact they had on their firms, the industry and car buyers.
You’ll be able to read our picks in a special Autocar feature in September, but we’re keen to hear what you think the most significant car from the past quarter century is.
Is it the huge-selling Ford Focus or Volkswagen Golf? A groundbreaking EV such as the Nissan Leaf or Tesla Model 3? The record-setting Bugatti Veyron or Lotus Evija? A retro comeback hit like the Mini hatch or Fiat 500? Or a high-riding sales smash such as the BMW X5 or Kia Sportage?
Let us know what car you’d pick and why in the comments, and we’ll run some of the best as part of our special feature.