What are the iconic car(s) of each decade?

[Vinsanity]

When you think of ___________ which car do you call to mind?

my list:
1940's: Ford Woody wagon, 1949 Mercury coupe
1950's: 1957 Chevrolet Bel-Air, 1959 Cadillac Eldorado
1960's: 1964-69 Ford Mustang, VW Beetle, Chevrolet Impala (all 60's body styles)
1970's: Datsun 240Z, AMC Pacer, 1977-79 Pontiac Trans Am
1980's: BMW E30 convertible, W126 Mercedes S-class, Delorean DMC-12
1990's: mid-90's Jeep Grand Cherokee, Lexus SC400
2000's: 2004+ Toyota Prius, Hummer H2

what are your choices?

[Tave]

When you think of ___________ which car do you call to mind?

my list:
1940's: Ford Woody wagon, 1949 Mercury coupe
1950's: 1957 Chevrolet Bel-Air, 1959 Cadillac Eldorado
1960's: 1964-69 Ford Mustang, Chevrolet Impala (all 60's body styles)
1970's: Datsun 240Z, 1977-79 Pontiac Trans Am
1980's: BMW E30 convertible, W126 Mercedes S-class
1990's: mid-90's Jeep Grand Cherokee, Lexus SC400
2000's: 2004+ Toyota Prius, Hummer H2

what are your choices?

That's not a bad list at all, though I'd switch the Cherokee and SC400 for a Ford Explorer and Honda Accord.

[Cookie Monster]

my list:
1940's: ?
1950's: ?
1960's: Ford Mustang, Corvette, Lincoln Continental
1970's: Datsun 510, 240Z, Ford F-150
1980's: BMW E30, Corolla AE86
1990's: Honda Accord, RX-7, Ford Exploder
2000's: Toyota Prius

[SVT666]

my list:
1940's: 1949 Ford Pickup, 1947 Ford Sedan, Willy's Jeep
1950's: 1957 Chevrolet Bel-Air, 1957 Ford Thunderbird
1960's: 1964+ Ford Mustang, 1960-1967 Chevy Corvette
1970's: 1970 Mustang Boss 429, 1970-1971 Plymouth Cuda, 1972+ Honda Civic
1980's: 1987+ Ford Mustang LX 5.0, Jeep Cherokee, 1987 Ford Taurus
1990's: 1991+ Ford Explorer, 1993+ Chevy Camaro, 1994+ Dodge Ram
2000's: 2003-04 Ford Mustang Cobra, 2005 Ford Mustang, 2005 Chevy Corvette Z06, 2009 Chevy Corvette ZR1, Nissan GT-R

[Minpin]

Figures you would have 5 mustangs on your list. 

[280Z Turbo]

1940's: 1949 Ford, 1946 Ford
1950's: 1955-57 Chevrolet Bel-Air, 1959 Cadillac Eldorado Biarritz
1960's: Ford Mustang, Volkswagen Beetle, Chevrolet Impala
1970's: First generation Z-car, AMC Gremlin, Ford Pinto
1980's: DeLorean DMC-12, Honda Civic
1990's: Ford Explorer, 2nd gen Ford Taurus
2000's: Hummer H2, Toyota Prius

[Vinsanity]

oh man, I totally forgot about the Beetle and the Delorean  ...gotta add those to my list

[FoMoJo]

When you think of ___________ which car do you call to mind?

my list:
1940's: "Shoebox" Ford
1950's: "Shoebox" Chevy
1960's: Mustang & GTO
1970's: CRAP
1980's: Foxbody Mustang
1990's: Explorer
2000's: Camry

what are your choices?

[SVT666]

Figures you would have 5 mustangs on your list. 

Every one of them are iconic to that decade though.  I also have 4 Vettes.  There were 2 different Vettes from 1960-1967.

[3.0L V6]

1960s: Chevrolet Impala, VW Beetle, Ford Mustang
1970s: Honda Civic, Ford Thunderbird, 1974+ Chevrolet Camaro, AMC Gremlin, AMC Pacer
1980s: Ford Taurus, 1982+ Camaro, Honda Accord, Chrysler K-car, Chrysler minivan
1990s: Ford Explorer, Chrysler minvian, Honda Civic, late 90s Ford pickups/late 90s Chevrolet pickup, Jeep Grand Cherokee
2000s: Ford/Chev pickups, Hummer H2, Toyota Prius, Toyota Camry, Honda Accord, Honda CR-V, Toyota RAV-4

[Vinsanity]

ah yes, the Pacer definitely deserves a place on my list as well. The Gremlin can stay in the fugly chest where it belongs

[2o6]

1940's - Ford Business Coupe
1950's - Chevy Coupe/Bel Air, Nash Metropolitan
1960's - Mazda Cosmo Sport, Ford Mustang
1970's - Nissan Skyline, Datsun 240z, Honda Civic CVCC
1980's - Dodge Caravan, Ford Taurus
1990's - Dodge/Plymouth Neon, Ford Explorer, Toyota Rav4
2000's - Toyota Prius/Honda Insight

[sandertheshark]

As per the original question:

1900's:


Stanley Steamer (1906)

1910s:

Cadillac Type 53 V8 Cabriolet (1916)

1920s:


Bentley Speed Six (1929)

1930s:


Auburn 852 Speedster (1936)

1940s:


Packard Super Clipper (1947)

1950s:


Buick Skylark Convertible (1954)

1960s:


Chevrolet Corvette Stingray (1969)

1970s:


Dodge Challenger R/T (1971)

1980s:


Lamborghini Countach 5000QV (1985)

1990s:


BMW M5 (1993)

2000s:


Aston Martin V12 Vanquish

[Raza]

Stutz Bearcat.  For every decade.

[Eye of the Tiger]

Stutz Bearcat.  For every decade.

Bullshit. It didn't even exist before the 1910's.

[Eye of the Tiger]

My list:

1940's: Mercer Raceabout
1950's: Mercer Raceabout
1960's: Mercer Raceabout
1970's: Mercer Raceabout
1980's: Volvo 760 Turbo Wagon
1990's: Mercer Raceabout
2000's: Mercer Raceabout

[Raza]

Bullshit. It didn't even exist before the 1910's.

You didn't even exist in before the 1910s.

[Eye of the Tiger]

You didn't even exist in before the 1910s.

Your mom.

[Raza]

Your mom.

Your mom.

[Eye of the Tiger]

Your mom.

Your mom's mom's mom.

[Byteme]

1901-1910  Curved Dash Olds
1911-1920  Model T
1921-1930  Model A
1931-1940  Packard V12
1941-1950  Willys Jeep
1951-1960  57 Chevy Belaire
1961-1970  64-1/2 Mustang
1971-1980  Toyota Corolla
1981-1990  Ford Taurus
1991-2000  Ford Explorer 

[Eye of the Tiger]

1901-1910  Curved Dash Olds
1911-1920  Model T
1921-1930  Model A
1931-1940  Packard V12
1941-1950  Willys Jeep
1951-1960  57 Chevy Belaire
1961-1970  64-1/2 Mustang
1971-1980  Toyota Corolla
1981-1990  Ford Taurus
1991-2000  Ford Explorer 

You picked Corolla for the 70's? z0mg
I guess I wasn't alive then, so wtf do I know.

[93JC]

Yeah, I don't know about that one. I think I would have said "Oldsmobile Cutlass that ended up a rustbucket piece of shit by 1980".

[Byteme]

Yeah, I don't know about that one. I think I would have said "Oldsmobile Cutlass that ended up a rustbucket piece of shit by 1980".

If we all picked the same cars it wouldn't be very interesting.   

I picked the Corolla as representative of the rise of the small foreign car in the late 70's.  My dad bought a turd brown 78 Corolla.  Damn thing was like a cockroach, it just wouldn't die.

[the Teuton]

1901-1910  Curved Dash Olds
1911-1920  Model T
1921-1930  Model A
1931-1940  Packard V12
1941-1950  Willys Jeep
1951-1960  57 Chevy Belaire
1961-1970  64-1/2 Mustang
1971-1980  Toyota Corolla
1981-1990  Ford Taurus
1991-2000  Ford Explorer 

I like your list up through 1930, but there are a few I'd change.

1931-1940  the big Mercedes-Benzes
1941-1950  Willys Jeep, '49 Merc, Tucker Torpedo
1951-1960  57 Chevy Bel Air, '59 Biarritz, 300SL Gullwing, Porsche 356
1961-1970  64-1/2 Mustang, GTO, Jag E-Type
1971-1980  Toyota Corolla, Pacer
1981-1990  Ford Taurus, Countach, F40, DeLorean
1991-2000  Ford Explorer, Diablo, McLaren F1, Accord

[omicron]

1901-1910  Rolls-Royce Silver Ghost
1911-1920  Ford Model T
1921-1930  Bentley Speed Six, Austin Seven
1931-1940  Duesenberg J/SJ/SSJ
1941-1950  Holden 48-215, Jaguar XK120, '49 Ford
1951-1960  FJ Holden Special, '59 Cadillac Eldorado Biarritz
1961-1970  64¹/₂ Mustang, HK Holden Monaro, Mini Cooper S
1971-1980  XY Falcon GTHO Phase III, VB Holden Commodore, Honda Civic

I could probably add thousands more to the '60s list.

[Nethead]

Byteme has a pretty good list, although in there should be the VW Beetle (designed in the 'Thirties, IIRC, but may not have entered production until later), the Ford F-1 (first of the F-Series pick-ups) of 1948 and continuing--and no list of icons could possibly be complete without a Porsche 911.  And what list is worth a shit without a 427 Cobra?

Thunderbirds thru 1963 deserve a spot (especially the '55s thru '57s), as does the '63 thru '67 Stingrays (first of the Corvettes to have the handle "Stingray").  The Datsun 240Z cannot be overlooked. 

The Studebaker Avanti?  The Pantera?  This might be reaching--both were fabulous cars but with little effect upon their times.  OTOH, the Ford (of the US) Falcon sold over 400,000 units in its introductory year and led to the Valiant, the Dart, the Chevy II, the Tempest, and the Comet--and maybe others--but hardly merits mention at all...

And I would add the 1973 Datsun PL620!

[Byteme]

Byteme has a pretty good list, although in there should be the VW Beetle (designed in the 'Thirties, IIRC, but may not have entered production until later), the Ford F-1 (first of the F-Series pick-ups) of 1948 and continuing--and no list of icons could possibly be complete without a Porsche 911.  And what list is worth a shit without a 427 Cobra?
 


Thunderbirds thru 1963 deserve a spot (especially the '55s thru '57s), as does the '63 thru '67 Stingrays (first of the Corvettes to have the handle "Stingray").  The Datsun 240Z cannot be overlooked. 

The Studebaker Avanti?  The Pantera?  This might be reaching--both were fabulous cars but with little effect upon their times.  OTOH, the Ford (of the US) Falcon sold over 400,000 units in its introductory year and led to the Valiant, the Dart, the Chevy II, the Tempest, and the Comet--and maybe others--but hardly merits mention at all...

And I would add the 1973 Datsun PL620!

Note that I left my personal favorite off of he list as well. 

And I did include the Falcon, sort of.  The 64-1/2 Mustang was based on the Falcon.

[Nethead]

Note that I left my personal favorite off of he list as well. 

And I did include the Falcon, sort of.  The 64-1/2 Mustang was based on the Falcon.

Byteme:  DON'T --repeat DON'T--include the US Falcon--the Nethead here only included the lowly Falcon to illustrate how misguided it would be to include any vehicles just because they had great sales (at least for a while) and generated numerous copies by their competitors!

Including a Mustang is not even "sort of" including a Falcon--and that's a  GOOD  thing!!!  Falcons were as basic as transportation could get in 1960 America--anything less would have been a wheelbarrow.  But the Falcon proved that there was a market for a US-built economy car--note that first-year sales were over 400,000 units--a total for first-year sales that may only have been exceeded by the Mustang (I don't track first-year sales of all the car models, so this may no longer be true).

Once again, your list is thoughtful and shows you know whereof you speak!  Good job!