The 20th and 21st Centuries have been defined by a great number of cars which have come and gone. Some of these cars have been featureless four-wheeled boxes that came, went, and barely left a mark on the surface of the automotive algae.
However some have had a much longer lasting impact and changed the way we drive altogether. Earlier this year, renowned automotive experts Auto Express compiled a list of the greatest modern cars, with their winner a vehicle that was originally panned by Jeremy Clarkson.
The car they chose was the Toyota Prius. First launched in 1997, it was one of the first hybrid cars to go on sale, featuring a petrol engine and an electric motor.
Since then 5 million Priuses have been built and sold around the world with the iconic four door saloon becoming a darling of the taxi world.
Now into its fifth generation, the Prius was chosen by Auto Express because of how it influenced other carmakers; the Prius proved regular fuel efficiency scores of 50mpg was possible.
In their assessment the publication concluded: “The Prius made the industry follow, and saw off VW’s attempt to fight back with diesel.
“And, while the electric transition struggles to go mainstream, hybrid powertrains still do their bit to reduce emissions – the motivation that made Toyota greenlight the Prius project in the mid-nineties.
“All this makes the Prius the most significant car of the modern era – and helped elevate Toyota into the world’s most valuable legacy car maker.”
However, the Prius wasn’t always the beloved icon it now is with former Top Gear presenter Jeremy Clarkson telling The Times: “It’s s***. It started the rot which now means all cars are just annoying appliances.”
The competition the Prius was up against to take the title was stiff with the Japanese saloon beating such legends as the BMW MINI, the Nissan Qashqai (celebrating it's 20th anniversary this year), the Tesla Model S, the groundbreaking Bugatti Veyron, and the beloved Mk1 Audi TT.
Each of the 49 cars the Prius beat had attributes that allowed them to play a key role in the modern automotive sphere and landscpae we exist in today. Whilst some made a massive splash when they came out, the Prius has quietly - literally and metaphorically - wormed its way into the UK's hearts and the pages of history.
Whilst Jeremy, 65, may dislike the Prius, there are others who believe the first version of the model could become a modern classic. Classic car insurers Hagerty and Richard Ingram have praised the Mk1 car as being a future classic that has quietly gone about its business gaining “classic potential” with wider recognition of its impact now making it a lusted after asset.
Mr Ingram explained: But the car’s back-story is fascinating, and its impact on modern motoring is unquestionable. Being a Toyota, it’ll last as good as forever too, so it’ll be as much a classic in another 25 years as original fuel-sipping superminis like the Honda Civic and Renault 5 are today.
“The Prius is just one example of a car quietly gaining classic potential – our guide to the next modern classics explores several others following a similar trajectory.”
