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Top 10 Cars with the Longest-Enduring Nameplates

Dante Alighieri was an intriguing fellow, a man before his time. His most acclaimed work is the Divine Comedy, an epic poem that I hold dear to my heart. In Paradiso Canto XXVI, Dante tells us that the “customs and fashions of men change like leaves on the bough, some of which go and others come.” He couldn’t have been more accurate.
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1935 Chevrolet Suburban1935 Chevrolet Suburban1935 Chevrolet Suburban1935 Chevrolet Suburban1935 Chevrolet Suburban1938 Volkswagen Beetle (Typ 1)1938 Volkswagen Beetle (Typ 1)1938 Volkswagen Beetle (Typ 1)1938 Volkswagen Beetle (Typ 1)1938 Volkswagen Beetle (Typ 1)1941 Willys MB Military Jeep1941 Willys MB Military Jeep1941 Willys MB Military Jeep1941 Willys MB Military Jeep1941 Willys MB Military Jeep1947 Unimog1947 Unimog1950s Unimog1950s Unimog1950s Unimog1948 Ford F-Series1948 Ford F-Series1948 Ford F-Series1948 Ford F-Series1948 Ford F-Series1951 Toyota Jeep BJ (Land Cruiser)1951 Toyota Jeep BJ (Land Cruiser)1951 Toyota Jeep BJ (Land Cruiser)1951 Toyota Jeep BJ (Land Cruiser)1951 Toyota Jeep BJ (Land Cruiser)1953 Chevrolet Corvette1953 Chevrolet Corvette1953 Chevrolet Corvette1953 Chevrolet Corvette1953 Chevrolet Corvette1954 Mercedes-Benz 300 SL1954 Mercedes-Benz 300 SL1954 Mercedes-Benz 300 SL1954 Mercedes-Benz 300 SL1954 Mercedes-Benz 300 SL1959 Mini1959 Mini1959 Mini1959 Mini1959 Mini1960 Ford Falcon (XK)1960 Ford Falcon (XK)1960 Ford Falcon (XK)1960 Ford Falcon (XK)1960 Ford Falcon (XK)
Dante developed the idea in the 14th century, which is all the more impressive considering that trends keep on coming and going. You can understand the scope of what the Father of the Italian language said if you take a minute and think about how warfare, linguistic barriers, and transport have changed over the course of approximately 700 years.

We are in a continuous change, yet history repeats itself over and over again. This reasoning explains how Ray-Ban kept reinventing the Aviator sunglasses every decade since the 1930s. The point I’m trying to make is that some things never go out of fashion. This maxim also applies to everything, including the automotive industry. Ever wondered why most carmakers insist on bringing retro back? It’s because it’s cool.

This is autoevolution, so the question is, which cars have withstood the test of time? I’m not referring to cool cars like the Lancia Stratos, nor I am talking about the most popular cars ever made. I am most interested in telling you what are the oldest nameplates that have been in continuous production ever since the first model rolled off the assembly line.

Having said that, I must mention that a few emblematic nameplates didn’t make the top 10 either because they arrived too late or because of intermittent production. These cars are the Rolls-Royce Phantom, the Land Rover, the Porsche 911, and the Ford Mustang. Without further ado, let’s begin:

Chevrolet Suburban (production started in 1933)

1935 Chevrolet Suburban
Yes, this is not a joke. The full-size SUV based on a pickup truck platform you can buy from a Chevrolet dealer these days started its life as a station wagon bolted on a commercial frame. The year was 1933 when that happened. Fast-forward to 2016 and here we are today, in the presence of the twelfth generation of this do-everything vehicle.

From its humble beginnings in the midst of the Great Depression, the Suburban soldiered on. The outgoing model was presented to the media in 2013, eight decades after the first Suburban was made. A lot has changed over that time, but the essentials haven’t been altered.

The Chevrolet Suburban and platform brother GMC Yukon XL are built around large families and their belongings. Seating for nine people, up to 121.1 cubic feet (3,429 liters) of cargo volume, what more do you want from this thing? 4x4 and a V8? The Suburban can do that as well.

Volkswagen Beetle (production started in 1938)

1938 Volkswagen Beetle \(Typ 1\)
I know the Beetle traces its roots back to Nazi Germany. Jewish auto designer Josef Ganz formulated the need for this car, but Adolf Hitler stole his idea. The central figure of the Holocaust contracted a gentleman named Ferdinand Porsche in 1934 to design and build it.

The preposterous birth of the Volkswagen ends with Porsche stealing almost every detail from the second Tatra V570 prototype. Google that Czechoslovakian creation, then compare it to the VW. Coincidence? I think not. In 1965, however, Volkswagen agreed to pay Tatra one million Deutsche Marks for all patent infringements.

Production of the Beetle started in 1938 and continued until 2003. The modern Beetle landed in 1998, changing the arse-engined and RWD layout to front-engined and FWD. Look on the bright side of the matter, though - the contemporary Beetle is a pretty funky machine.

Jeep (production started in 1941)

1941 Willys MB Military Jeep
The Jeep as we know it today started life as a military vehicle in 1941. Built by Willys-Overland and Ford under the names of Model MB and Model GPW, the military slang for this 4WD utility vehicle is Jeep. Care to guess how the term became fixed in public awareness?

It was early 1941 when Willys-Overland staged a press event in Washington D.C. to prove the off-road prowess of the Model MB. The test driver had to go up capitol hill with a reporter on board to tell the story. That test driver heard the military personnel on the scene refer to the Model MB as the Jeep. When asked by the reporter what’s the name of the car, the Willys-Overland test driver replied: “It’s a Jeep.”

A year later, the term was included in a dictionary of military slang entitled Words of the Fighting Forces. From 1945 onwards, Willys-Overland adapted the Jeep for civilian use. Compared to a Model MB, the CJ-1 adds a tailgate, drawbar, and a redesigned canvas top. At the present moment, Jeep is owned by Fiat Chrysler Automobiles and is the best-selling American car brand in the world.

Unimog (production started in 1947)

1947 Unimog
From a technical point of view, the Unimog isn’t a car, but it has been in continuous production since ’47, the year David Bowie and the CIA were born. Thanks to its go-anywhere capability, the Unimog went as far as rainforests, savannas, deserts, Antarctica, you name it.

Its off-road prowess is legendary. Originally designed to be used in agriculture, the Unimog became even more versatile after Daimler took over manufacturing in 1951. The Unimog story took off when the three-pointed star began to dominate the front grille of the gentle giant.

Except the 404 S series from 1955, all Unimog models made by Daimler have a diesel engine under the hood because diesel equals torque and torque is good for all-terrain chores. Maybe it’s the portal axles, I don’t know what it is, but I always wanted to drive a Unimog.

Ford F-Series (production started in 1948)

1948 Ford F\-Series
As far as pickup trucks are concerned, nothing stands out from the crowd more than the F-Series. The first generation was just a car-based workhorse, but FoMoCo realized the potential of the F-Series, which is why succeeding generations got more and more truck-like.

Now at its thirteenth generation, the Ford F-Series is at the top of the full-size pickup truck game thanks to military-grade aluminum and diversity. From unpretentious work truck to an F-150 Limited that tops $60,000, there’s a light-duty F-Series for each and every one of us.

The Super Duty series follows the same recipe, yet things can get properly expensive if you’re not careful with the options list. The pickup has come to define the American way and the F-Series has become America’s favorite truck. For 33 consecutive years and counting.

Toyota Land Cruiser (production started in 1951)

1951 Toyota Jeep BJ \(Land Cruiser\)
Believe it or not, the Toyota Land Cruiser is based on a Bantam MK II military vehicle found by the Imperial Japanese Army in 1941 somewhere in the Philippines. After it was brought back to Japan, the army commissioned Toyota to build something similarly capable.

The Toyota AK10 was born, but this model acts as the spiritual predecessor of the Toyota Land Cruiser. It was 1951 when the real deal started production. The Toyota Jeep BJ is nothing more than an all-terrain vehicle made to Willys-Overland’s exact specifications.

Three years later, Toyota technical director Hanji Umehara was inspired by the Land Rover to create the Land Cruiser name. Despite the rebranding, nothing much was changed from the original design. If it weren’t for the 1941 Willys MB Jeep, the Toyota Land Cruiser and the Land Rover wouldn’t have existed. And the rest, as they say, is history.

Chevrolet Corvette (production started in 1953)

1953 Chevrolet Corvette
I apologize to the men and women who make the Viper, but it’s the Corvette that deserves the title of America’s supercar. With 650 ponies and more torque than most can handle, the Corvette Z06 is one hell of a machine. Even Hellcat owners tremble when they hear the name.

Mind you, the seventh-generation Corvette is extremely different from the C1. When it debuted at the 1953 New York Auto Show, the first-gen Corvette was nothing more than a convertible with a solid rear axle and a straight-6 engine with not too many bragging rights. It was the 1955 model year that introduced a 4.3-liter (265 cu.in.) V8 to the Corvette.

It was the first small-block V8 made by Chevrolet. Like all firsts, this one was flawed. The golden bowtie couldn’t give the 265 a proper provision for oil filtration. Because it relies on an add-on filter mounted on the thermostat holding, the 265 cu.in small block can be capricious.

Mercedes-Benz SL-Class (production started in 1954)

1954 Mercedes\-Benz 300 SL
When it was introduced, the Mercedes-Benz 300 SL (W198) was a car of many firsts. The gull-wing doors are the defining details of the car that came to be known as the Gullwing. The 300 SL was the fastest production car in the world thanks to a top speed of 260 km/h (161 mph).

The 3.0-liter M198 direct fuel injected engine was interesting and all, but without it, Mercedes-Benz wouldn’t have built the W198. It was Max Hoffman, the official importer of Daimler-Benz in the United States, that suggested to the upper echelon of the company to make a street version of the W194 race car. Yes, that W194 that won the 24 Hours of Le Mans.

Some say that beauty is only skin deep, but the Mercedes-Benz 300 SL Gullwing is more than meets the eye. The current generation of the SL, on the other hand, is just a grand tourer with a retractable hardtop.

Mini (production started in 1959)

1959 Mini
Citroen may have built the car that popularized front-wheel-drive, but it is the Mini that perfected the concept. Even though is was developed to be an economy car, the Mini proved to be a hoot to drive. But let’s ignore all that go kart-like handling mumbo jumbo you’ve certainly heard before.

What is really interesting about the Mini is the packaging. Sir Alec Issigonis, the designer, was obsessed with that word. It is the industry’s term for efficient accommodation. This is why the original Mini was equipped with a space-saving transverse engine and rubber cones instead of springs. That’s interesting and all, but the real magic of the Mini is that it is the first considered to be socially classless.

Everyone in the UK could afford one back in the Swinging Sixties, even those snobs with the in crowd. Other than capitalizing the nameplate, the BMW-made MINI differs from the original because it was developed as a premium product from the get-go and it is being marketed as one.

Ford Falcon (production started in 1960)

1960 Ford Falcon \(XK\)
The 1964 1/2 Ford Mustang may be based on the platform of the Ford Falcon, but that’s not the Falcon I have in mind. I am referring to the Falcon made and sold in Australia, the one that is scheduled to end production later this year. It is tearjerking, but all good stories come to an end. Eventually.

In the late 1950s, Holden was on a roll in the Land Down Under and Ford sucked its thumb because Aussies weren’t convinced by the Zephyr. Therefore, the Blue Oval needed a proper Oz-grade car to rival General Motors-owned Holden. A factory was built in ’59 and the Falcon was born.

I could go on and ramble about what made the first generation a hit in Australia, but I don’t wish to bore you with that. Instead, I’ll pose a question: what car does Max drive in the first Mad Max movie and what car does the baddie drive in the opening scene? Yes, Max chose the Ford Falcon over the Holden Monaro. I think I made my point.
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About the author: Mircea Panait
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After a 1:43 scale model of a Ferrari 250 GTO sparked Mircea's interest for cars when he was a kid, an early internship at Top Gear sealed his career path. He's most interested in muscle cars and American trucks, but he takes a passing interest in quirky kei cars as well.
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