The 20th and 21st Centuries have been characterised by a vast number of cars which have appeared and disappeared. Some of these vehicles have been unremarkable four-wheeled creations that arrived, departed, and scarcely left a trace on the automotive landscape.
Yet some have had a far more enduring influence and transformed the way we drive entirely. Earlier this year, respected motoring specialists Auto Express put together a list of the finest modern motors, with their champion a vehicle that was initially slated by Jeremy Clarkson.
The motor they selected was the Toyota Prius. Initially launched in 1997, it was amongst the first hybrid vehicles to reach the market, boasting a petrol engine and an electric motor.
Since then 5 million Priuses have been manufactured and sold globally with the iconic four door saloon becoming a favourite of the taxi industry.
Now in its fifth generation, the Prius was picked by Auto Express due to how it influenced other manufacturers; the Prius demonstrated regular fuel efficiency figures of 50mpg was achievable, reports the Express.
In their evaluation 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."
Yet the Prius hasn't always enjoyed such adoration, with former Top Gear host Jeremy Clarkson telling The Times: "It's s***. It started the rot which now means all cars are just annoying appliances."
The competition facing the Prius for the crown was fierce, with the Japanese saloon triumphing over such icons as the BMW MINI, the Nissan Qashqai (marking its 20th birthday this year), the Tesla Model S, the revolutionary Bugatti Veyron, and the cherished Mk1 Audi TT.
Every one of the 49 vehicles the Prius defeated possessed qualities that enabled them to shape the contemporary automotive world we inhabit today. While some created enormous waves upon their debut, the Prius has quietly - both literally and figuratively - embedded itself into British affections and the annals of motoring history.
Though Jeremy, 65, may harbour disdain for the Prius, others reckon the original iteration of the model could achieve modern classic status. Classic car insurers Hagerty and Richard Ingram have championed the Mk1 vehicle as a future classic that has steadily accumulated "classic potential", with growing appreciation of its influence now transforming it into a coveted prize.
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."
