Among enthusiasts of any topic, picking a top-10 list is like picking a fight. Whether you're talking baseball, physics or cars, so many factors influence the finalists that consensus is hard to come by. The following list attempts to balance a number of characteristics. Foremost, we valued design, packaging and engineering innovations that would influence the automotive industry as a whole. Many significant cars, therefore, didn't make the list. For example, the 1957 to '59 Ford Skyliner was a forerunner to today's retractable hardtops. We didn't think that innovation was important for making the list, but it certainly deserves an honorable mention. Ditto for the first cars sold with airbags, various full-size 1973 Chevrolet and Oldsmobile models. Consider the following list a conversation starter to be used at your next BBQ. You have 125 years of cars to consider.

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