To mark it’s 100th anniversary Tuesday, General Motors chose these as its 10 best vehicles:
1910 Cadillac Model 30 – first enclosed car
1912 Cadillac – first electric starter
1927 Lasalle – designer Harley Earl’s first creation
1930 Cadillac V-16 – world’s first V-16
1936 Opel Olympia – first German unibody car
1952 Saab 9-2 – Saab’s first production car
1955 Chevy Bel Air – it’s all in the uncluttered design
1953 Chevrolet Corvette – first American sports car
1964 Pontiac GTO – the first muscle car
1996 EV1 – first modern electric
But Detroit Free Press columnist Mark Phelan begs to differ, choosing:
1901 Curved Dash Oldsmobile – first mass-produced car in the U.S.
1912 Buick – established Buick in China, the marque’s top market
1948 Cadillac – first with fins, thanks to Mr. Earl
1947 Chevrolet Suburban – first workhorse and family vehicle and inspiration for Chevy HHR
1959 Cadillac Eldorado – the ultimate in U.S. auto design and fins
1967 Chevrolet Camaro – Mustang fighter
1991 Saturn SL/SC – proved GM could make a good, small car
1999 Chevrolet Silverado – engineering marvel that brought in the cash for everything from caddy’s revival to the Chevy Volt
2002 Cadillac CTS — Put Caddy back on luxury map
2004 Chevrolet Malibu – bland on the outside but the equal of the Honda Accord and Toyota Camry inside and the basis for the acclaimed 2008
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See related story, “100 to 1 / Odds are the No. 1 U.S. automaker will be around for a while — slimmer but nimble enough to turn on a global dime,” Transportation section, Page 1
