The Evolution of Iconic Car Models in History

From its first launch to now, which vehicle has consistently been released and become the representative model of the brand?

Maintaining a model without discontinuation for several decades carries significant meaning in the automotive industry. This vehicle serves as the brand’s representative, proving its technological prowess, performance, price, and sales volume in multiple areas.

For these reasons, it’s rare to find a vehicle that has recorded a long history with just its name and is still consistently produced to this day. Let’s look at the first models of these vehicles, which have decades of history, and see what they look like now.

The Defender, which has minimized design changes since 1983

The Land Rover Defender, a representative multipurpose four-wheel-drive SUV from the UK manufactured for military purposes in 1983, has maintained its traditional appearance without changing its name or adopting significant design changes. It proved its fame by selling about 70,000 units annually from 1985 to 2015.

The first-generation Land Rover Defender had a 2.2L diesel engine and a 5L supercharged V8 gasoline engine. Depending on the length of the vehicle, it was named Defender 90, Defender 110, and Defender 130. The current Defender maintains its identity while introducing the new Land Rover’s design language, preserving the look of the original model.

The G-Class, which started as a military vehicle and became the world’s best SUV,

The Mercedes-Benz G-Class is an off-roader that was first released in 1979. The Mercedes-Benz G-Class lineage started in 1979, but the G5 was manufactured in 1937. The first-generation G-Class served as a military vehicle for various armies worldwide. It was even reportedly used as a command vehicle in North Korea.

Since its first launch, the design has remained almost unchanged, and it remains famous as a timeless vehicle under the name G-Class. True to its type as a body-on-frame SUV, the car itself is extremely sturdy and robust. The powertrain offers a choice of gasoline and diesel engines, with a unique feature being that the gasoline model sells more than the diesel model.

Early model of the Land Cruiser.

The Jeep of Japan, the Land Cruiser, was created during the Korean War.

The four-wheel-drive SUV that symbolizes Japan’s Toyota, the Land Cruiser, has been produced even longer than the models mentioned before. It is so symbolic that it is called the Jeep of Japan, and it is known for its lack of breakdowns and high durability, embodying the unique advantages of Japanese cars. This vehicle has a close connection with Korea, as the outbreak of the Korean War in 1950 led to the US military government ordering Japan to manufacture light trucks. The history of the Land Cruiser began when Japan produced the Jeep BJ, equipped with a 3.4L 6-cylinder gasoline engine.

Although not officially imported into Korea, the Land Cruiser always attracts attention whenever a new model is released. The current model has a V6 3.5L twin-turbo engine and a V6 3.3L diesel engine. We have briefly examined the initial and current models of these famous cars that have been consistently produced since their first launch.