Our pick of the 150 cars that changed the world

Experienced motoring writer Dave Morley’s new book Road Masters: 150 Cars That Changed The World takes an interesting cruise through motoring history.

And it is all “very Dave”.

For the book, which features the five most important cars from 30 major car makers around the world, is fun.

And it is both an analysis of pivotal cars, and also a very human look at how we use cars and what they mean to us.

The 150 cars include European prestige manufacturers (Lamborghini, Ferrari, Porsche, Mercedes-Benz), British luxury brands (Bentley, Rolls-Royce), American classics (Ford, Chrysler, General Motors) and Japanese makers (Toyota, Suzuki, Mitsubishi, Honda) and more.

Among the cars in the book are stars of the screen, like the Ford Falcon GT-HO Phase 3 from Australian action movie Running On Empty, the Lamborghini Countach from The Wolf Of Wall Street and the Fiat 500 from Disney Pixar animation, Cars.

Cars came into Dave’s own life early. Now 60, he grew up in country New South Wales and was soon behind the wheel. His father was a police officer, and Dave has said that being in the police car with his dad when he was off duty is a big childhood memory.

Off duty, one of the family cars was a yellow V8 HQ Holden — another big memory.

Dave’s writing career began with newspapers, before he moved into full-time motoring writing. He wrote for car magazine Motor for decades, and has written many books, including the classic Great Aussie Car Fails, and co-hosted the TV show Outback Car Hunters.

And Dave’s own vehicle for country runs is an 80 series Toyota Land Cruiser (as is mine, incidentally). Vehicles like that prove, well, the importance of vehicles like that. Without them, you simply couldn’t get to where you want to be.

And, of course the 80 series is in the book, along with 149 other cars that changed the world.

This engaging 248-page hardback book was published on May 1, 2025, by Hardie Grant Explore and is $45. It’s available through book shops and online.

Here, our motoring team has taken their pick of cars included in Road Masters: 150 Cars That Changed The World, with a picture from the book.

OLGA DE MOELLER

Volvo P1800 ES

No secrets. I’m a Volvo driver. Why the P1800? Well, Simon Templar in The Saint drove a Volvo P1800 and I love the frameless glass tailgate that was resurrected in the C30 hatchback I nearly bought in 2006. Still wish I had.

Ferrari 250 California

Just the name spells freedom for me. Sure, it was an American-market roadster and I just want to drive it up the Pacific Coast Highway in late spring.

Lamborghini Miura

Never mind some early examples exploded in flames at the most inconvenient of times, but I can’t resist the naturally aspirated V12 engine. This is where the modern, mid-engine supercar concept started.

MOGENS JOHANSEN

VW Beetle

The Beetle is a true classic. Sure, some early models of the “people’s car” had a bit of a reputation for catching fire, but to be fair, the same can be said of a certain make of EVs. I loved the look and the unique sound of these fun little cars.

Volvo PV 544

The Volvo PV 544 was the equivalent of a Holden FJ in Denmark where I grew up. They were everywhere . . . my father owned one and I have many fond childhood memories of trips in it.

Citroen DS

The futuristic design had me intrigued from the first time I saw one. It was, and still is, like no other car. It had a unique hydropneumatic suspension system which was self levelling and the driver could vary the ride height depending on how much clearance was needed. True French weirdness.

STEPHEN SCOURFIELD

Audi UR Quattro

It was most definitely a “breakthrough” car in its day. All-wheel drive? In a road car? Backed up by those rallying credentials. This “original Quattro” was truly a wolf in sheep’s clothing. As Dave Morley writes: “Motorsport success at a global level is often enough to elevate a road car to hero status and get it into the pages of this book. But when the car in question also rewrites the book for road-going vehicles and creates a whole genre that is still revered to this day, then the chances of seeing it here are very good indeed. So it is here. Because the original Audi Quattro of 1980 is just such a car.” And I drove one of the very first Quattros, and can still feel that car, through the wheel, in my hands.

Mazda RX-7 Series 1

I’ll start by coming clean. I had a white Mazda RX-7 Series 1 (albeit with twin Weber carburettors) and loved it. I loved the spin of that compact, lightweight Wankel rotary engine. The car came from the brilliant brain of Mazda lead designer Matasaburo Maeda.

Toyota Land Cruiser 80 Series

It is 1990. I’m in the Finke River in Central Australia on a sizzling hot day, and the insect noise is so loud that the Japanese technicians stationed along our drive route are wearing ear defenders. True. I’m on the Australian launch of the Land Cruiser 80 Series, at this moment when Toyota off-roaders turn a corner. The 80 series moved from leaf springs to coils and came with the choice of engines — a 4.0 litre inline-six petrol (which lots of drivers put on gas), and the classic 4.2 litre inline-six diesel engine. With a locking centre differential and low-range transfer case, it was (and is) a capable off-roader — with no electronics.