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In honor of Independence Day, we're bringing back this 2015 story on the greatest American cars of all time. Did your favorite make the list?America may not have invented the automobile. That honor goes to German engineer Karl Benz and his Patent Motorwagen of 1886. But America quickly made the automobile its own. By 1904 the United States led the world in automobile sales and production, and by 1913 80 percent of all the cars made in the world were made right here. American automakers — there were 253 of them active in 1908 alone — were pioneering new technologies and new vehicles at an astonishing rate.So as we celebrate the Fourth of July, why not celebrate the 10 greatest American cars of all time? You can define greatness is many ways, but these are all automobiles that were hugely influential in terms of their technology, design, engineering, and their impact on society and popular culture. These are machines that changed our world.There are other cars that are perhaps equally deserving of inclusion on this list. So let the arguments begin. If you think we've missed an all-time great, let us know.Ford Model THenry Ford's Model T was produced for 19 years, from 1908 to 1927, and almost 15 million were made, with prices falling from $825 to $260 by 1925 as Ford refined the mass-production process. But the Model T was more than just a car. It put America on wheels and so changed the way Americans worked, the way they lived, and the way they played. Shopping malls, motels, planned suburbs with affordable housing, well-paid manufacturing jobs, and an emerging middle class eager to enjoy the perks of prosperity — this was modern, 20th-century America, and the Model T helped create it all.Ford Model 18Launched in 1932, the Ford Model 18 was the first mass-market car in the world with a V-8 engine, and created a paradigm for American cars that continues to this day. In the 1930s Ford V-8s were prized for their performance—gangster John Dillinger wrote to thank Henry Ford for building "as fast and sturdy a car as you did"—and after World War II they formed the backbone of the nascent hot rod movement, being cheap, plentiful, and easy to modify for extra performance. With '32 Fords—Deuce Coupes—still regarded as the most desirable of all hot rods, this is a car that's remained a pop-culture icon for more than 80 years.Duesenberg Model SJAlso launched in 1932, the Duesenberg Model SJ was the antithesis of the cheap and cheerful Fords and Chevys most Americans drove through the depths of the Depression. The Duesenberg SJ was, simply, a hand-built, money-no-object supercar, the 1930s equivalent of a Bugatti Chiron. With their twin-cam, four valves per cylinder, supercharged straight-eight engines, Duesenberg SJs were said to be capable of 104 mph in second gear and 140 mph in top; in 1934 a lightweight roadster averaged 135 mph for 24 hours on the Bonneville Salt Flats. Just 36 SJs were built between 1932 and 1935. Gary Cooper and Clark Gable owned the only two short-wheelbase SSJ Duesenbergs ever built.Jeep MB"The Jeep, the Dakota airplane, and the landing craft were the three tools that won the war," claimed Dwight D. Eisenhower, Allied Supreme Commander during World War II. More than 700,000 Jeeps had been built by the war's end, giving Allied troops overwhelming superiority of movement on the ground. Post-war, the tough, nimble, go-anywhere Jeep enjoyed a second, more peaceful career as a recreational vehicle, establishing the nexus between capability, style, and functionality that still underpins 21st-century car buyers' love affair with crossover vehicles. The Jeep is the car that saved democracy. And it was the seminal SUV.Oldsmobile "Rocket" 88Rock 'n' roll began with a song about a car: Elvis Presley was still driving a gravel truck when 19-year-old Ike Turner walked into a tiny studio owned by Sam Phillips in Memphis in 1951 and recorded "Rocket 88," a paean to the fastest American sedan you could buy at the time, the Oldsmobile 88 powered by the 135-hp Rocket V-8 engine. Launched in 1949, the Rocket-powered 88 was America's first muscle car, proving almost unbeatable in stock car racing through 1951. The record "Rocket 88" was an unexpected hit, and the royalties enabled Phillips to start Sun Records, the label that gave musicians such as B.B. King, Jerry Lee Lewis, Johnny Cash, and, of course, Elvis their starts.Chevrolet Corvette Making its debut in 1953, the Corvette is 10 years older than Porsche's 911, and every bit as iconic. Like the Rolling Stones, the Corvette has had a patchy track record—the asthmatic 165-hp C3 of the mid-'70s is the equivalent of disco-era Mick and Keef phoning it in. But when it's been good, the Corvette has been breathtaking. The beautiful Bill Mitchell-designed C2 Sting Rays, particularly the fuel-injected 327s with four-speed manual transmissions, were arguably better cars than the contemporary Jaguar E-Type, while today's mid-engine C8 is a true high-performance sports car with leading-edge technology and performance equaling that of rivals costing two or three times the price.Ford Mustang The Ford Mustang not only created a new automotive genre—the ponycar—but was also one of the first cars designed for a specific demographic. When Ford's Lee Iacocca realized the first wave of baby boomers were coming of driving age, and that they would want to drive something very different from the big, soft land yachts their parents loved, product planner Hal Sperlich proposed wrapping mundane Falcon mechanicals in sporty sheetmetal. The Mustang proved an overnight sensation, with more than 1 million sold in the first 18 months of production. But performance that truly matched the style wasn't really unlocked until the Shelby GT350 appeared in 1965, establishing the formula that has kept the Mustang alive for more than 50 years.Ford GTHenry Ford II thought he had a deal. Nine months of negotiation were over, and on July 4, 1963, he was planning to be in Maranello, Italy, signing a $10 million deal with Enzo Ferrari that would give Ford Motor Company a half share in the storied Italian sports car maker. A Ferrari-Ford sports car was already being planned, with an Italian V-12 engine in an American chassis. But the deal never happened—Enzo Ferrari pulled out at the last minute. An enraged Henry then authorized the development of the Ford GT40, with the express goal of humiliating Enzo's blood-red racers in the Le Mans 24 Hour race. Which it did, convincingly, in 1966. The icon inspired two generations of successors, including the latest Ford GT powered by a twin-turbocharged V-6.Plymouth Voyager, Chrysler Town & Country, and Dodge CaravanOthers had toyed with the concept, notably VW's Microbus of the '60s and Lancia's 1978 Megagamma, but it was Lee Iacocca and Hal Sperlich—the same team who'd made the Mustang happen at Ford 20 years earlier—who at Chrysler in 1983 revealed the perfect combination of size, seating, and drivability that came to define a new segment-busting family vehicle, the minivan. Within a decade almost every mainstream automaker offered a minivan in the U.S., making traditional station wagons obsolete. The segment has declined in recent years, but the basic formula established by Chrysler remains the definitive one: front drive, sliding side doors, and a highly flexible seating package for seven or eight passengers.Tesla Model SThe mere fact the Tesla Model S exists at all is a testament to innovation and entrepreneurship, the very qualities that made the American automobile industry the largest, richest, and most powerful in the world. We've not yet become a nation of bankers or burger-flippers. America can still make things. Great things. But what marks the Tesla Model S as one of the all-time great American cars is that it has single-handedly changed the tenor of the conversation about electric vehicles. The Model S made electric cars cool for auto enthusiasts. How? It's good-looking and quick. Very, very quick. In Plaid guise, we clocked the Model S at just 2.07 seconds to 60 mph. That's monumentally impressive—the quickest production vehicle we've ever tested, and an American-made EV at that.

The 2023 Chevrolet Colorado is a brand-new midsize pickup truck. If you're thinking, "well, that's obvious," you're right. But we do point it out because, when Chevy resurrected the previously compact Colorado as a midsize truck for 2015, it introduced a not-quite-as-new rig, a modified version of a truck it had been selling for years in global markets such as Thailand and Brazil.Alas, with a Silverado-derived frame, American-market-specific powertrains and cabin appointments, the Colorado was hardly some cobbled-together beast. The outgoing pickup is one of the best midsize pickups out there—to be accurate, it is the best, despite its age. Snatching an existing truck from Thailand proved to be such a savvy move that Ford basically did the same thing when it brought back the once-compact Ranger from the dead as a larger midsize truck—and Colorado competitor—for 2019. Given how the old Colorado was in some ways already several years old when it landed stateside eight years ago, the 2023 Colorado's ground-up newness, therefore, is one of its biggest standout features.New Is as New DoesJust looking at the new Colorado, the styling clearly benefited from this redesign. Where the old Colorado was soft-edged and fairly generic-looking, in keeping with the more budget-conscious global model, the new truck adopts a bold, assertive new look that positively screams "America, truck yeah!"Chevy moved the front axle forward, lengthening the wheelbase 3.1 inches in the process and shortening the front overhang. The net effect is a longer, more horizontal hood and improved approach angles for the nose, a boon off-road. The designers capitalized on this blocky new shape with a Silverado-like mug with slim headlights and bold inserts that give the impression of a full-width, full-height grille yawning from the bumper to the hood. (Also like on the Silverado, that mug is slightly different on nearly every trim level.) Along the body sides, there is a deeper channel cut into the door skins, which help visually puff out the squared-off fender bulges front and rear.Another big change? The previous-generation Colorado's entry-level extended-cab body style was pitched in the dustbin. You can now only purchase the Colorado as a four-door crew cab with a short bed (5-foot, 2-inch bed). Chevy says this move simplifies things on its manufacturing end, but primarily gets in line with the configuration that attracted the most buyer interest on the last Colorado. One Little Engine that CanAlso simplifying the lineup is the 2023 Colorado's move to a single engine choice. A 2.7-liter turbo I-4 engine replaces the old Colorado's entry-level 2.5-liter I-4 (which was limited to base Work Truck models anyway), 3.6-liter V-6, and 2.8-liter turbodiesel I-4 options. This engine isn't entirely new; it was introduced a few years ago on the larger Silverado 1500, and strategy-wise, it is comparable to the Ford Ranger's single, lineup-wide 2.3-liter turbo I-4 engine.Unlike the Ranger's four-cylinder, the Colorado's is available in three states of tune, offering up at least some choice. Entry-level Colorado Work Truck and LT models make 237 hp and 259 lb-ft of torque. Optional on those Colorados and standard on the Z71 and Trail Boss models is a 310-hp, 390-lb-ft version. And limited to the range-topping Colorado ZR2 (which we've covered in depth here), the ultimate off-road iteration of the new truck, is a 310-hp, 430-lb-ft 2.7-liter I-4. Chevy says that, for the most part, the power differences are achieved via tuning of the computers, though the lowest-output version has some minor hardware differences. Every Colorado mates its 2.7-liter I-4 to an updated eight-speed automatic transmission.Fuel economy estimates for the new engine are forthcoming, but the power story—both compared to the old Colorado and its primary competitors—is interesting. With 310 hp in top guise, the Colorado is the most powerful midsize pickup you can buy. Granted, the old V-6 held the same title (in both the Colorado and its GMC-badged twin, the Canyon), with 308 hp; the now-discontinued diesel engine produced a mighty 369 lb-ft of torque, but that figure's easily eclipsed by the midrange 2.7-liter I-4. Even the new base models generate nearly as much torque than the old V-6, albeit at a higher rpm (5,600 vs. 4,000). The higher-output 2.7s deliver their peak torque at just 3,000 rpm.The 2.7-liter turbo is a truck engine through and through, having been designed from the outset for duty in the full-size Silverado (and playing an unusual secondary role in the Cadillac CT4-V). In the smaller, lighter Colorado, it should prove quite burly. It also includes standard cylinder deactivation, which can shut down two cylinders under light loads. Yep, that means this'll be the only (temporarily) two-cylinder midsize pickup you can buy.Five Grades, Mostly Off-RoadEven though the Colorado comes in Work Truck, LT, Z71, new-to-Colorado Trail Boss, and hardcore ZR2 guises, all five models share key standard features, including a new (sharp-looking) 11.3-inch touchscreen with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, an 8.0-inch fully digital gauge cluster, eight bed tie downs, and a segment-exclusive electronic parking brake. Chevy says the base Work Truck and mid-grade off-road Trailboss models share a more "rugged aesthetic that is ready for work and play" inside, which we take to mean more basic, abuse-resistant, and plastickier cabin materials. The LT swaps in silver trim, plusher accents, and a leather-wrapped steering wheel, while the Z71 gets a "sportier ambiance" with black and red accents and a mix of cloth and vinyl on the seats.Again, like the newly bold exterior, the Colorado's interior goes from uninspired to competitive, with a brash, full-width dashboard panel and its round outboard air vents giving us plenty of Camaro feels. The new touchscreen perches in the middle, tombstone-style, but close to the steering wheel for what looks like a comfortable reach. There are more upmarket details throughout, though most examples—the stitching on the dashboard and padded panels around the center console—are limited to the higher trim levels. And like the Camaro, the central air vents are buried low on the dash; that pays off for the ergonomics of the climate controls, which nestle up under the touchscreen, but is probably not great for airflow above chest height for front-seat occupants. A drive mode selector lives on the left of the console on models so equipped (mostly the off-road models), pushing the shifter to the right.Other differences between the models are clearer from the outside. The Work Truck gets an all-black-plastic face like the larger Silverado WT, 17-inch steel wheels, and that's pretty much it. LT models distinguish themselves with more streetable 17-inch wheels and tires, more body color elements on the front end, and more chrome. Finally, there are the trio of off-road versions, ranging from the relatively tame Z71 to the Trail Boss (which gets a 2.0-inch suspension lift and burlier tires) to the ZR2 (which sits 3.0 inches higher than WT/LT/Z71 models and has a wider track). The grille and bumper treatments get wilder the closer to the ZR2 you get, with the ZR2 out-crazying the rest of the lineup with flared fenders, meaty bumpers, and even an available bed-mounted roll bar with lights and beadlock-capable wheels via a special-edition Desert Boss package.Off-road equipment varies from optional four-wheel-drive on the WT and LT to a standard limited-slip rear differential (standard on Z71 and Trail Boss) to power-locking front and rear diffs on the ZR2, which also once again rides on Multimatic DSSV spool-valve, frequency selective dampers. Those fancy shocks passively take the edge off the worst terrain with valving that slows faster inputs and handles slower amplitudes more softly. The net result is better wheel control over washboard surfaces and more controlled bump stop events. Ground clearance tops out at an outstanding 10.7 inches for the ZR2, with the Trail Boss standing 9.5 inches off the deck and the other Colorados perched at 7.9 to 8.9 inches.If you're thinking Chevy's inclusion of three off-road models and switch to more aggro styling and the single crew-cab bodystyle signals an intent to chase after adventurous types with the new Colorado, you're right. The automaker also hopes the new truck bed's available 110-volt household outlet, motorcycle-tire indents in the forward bed wall, and newly available in-tailgate storage will appeal to weekend warrior types. That tailgate storage, in particular, carries whiffs of the Honda Ridgeline's in-bed "trunk," an underfloor, watertight cubby with a drain that doubles as a cooler. The Colorado's lockable, weathertight hollow tailgate is less useful, probably, but at 45 inches wide and 4 inches deep can still probably be stuffed with ice and some cold snacks.If Chevy can keep the current truck's decent road manners and roomy interior in place while improving things with the new 2.7-liter engine and expanded off-road offerings, consider the 2023 Colorado a ringing success. But it'll have stiff competition: Ford is on the cusp of launching its also-all-new 2023 Ranger, and Toyota's sales-leader Tacoma is about to be redesigned, as well. We'll see how the new Colorado shakes out when it goes on sale midway through 2023.2023 Chevrolet Colorado Specifications BASE PRICE $28,000-$50,000 (est)  LAYOUT Front-engine, RWD or 4WD, 5-pass, 4-door truck ENGINE 2.7L/237-310-hp /259-430-lb-ft turbo DOHC 16-valve I-4 TRANSMISSION 8-speed auto CURB WEIGHT 4,750-5,300 lb (mfr) WHEELBASE 131.4 in L x W x H 213.0-213.2 x 84.4 x 78.8-81.9 in 0-60 MPH 7.0-7.5 sec (MT est)  EPA CITY/HWY/COMB FUEL ECON TBD  EPA RANGE, COMB TBD miles ON SALE Spring 2023 Show All

Late last year, we spent a couple hours peppering GM engineers with questions during a development drive of the 2023 Chevrolet Corvette Z06, then we interviewed a different set of engineers during a photo shoot of the car and its LT6 engine. Now Chevy has presented a 3.5-hour deep-dive webinar divulging even more of the enabling race-inspired technology behind the world's most potent naturally aspirated production-car engine. We've done our best to boil it down to 23 slides crammed full of the most essential knowledge—nuggets you'll need to explain to your pals at the pub why America's supercar has earned a place as one of history's greatest combustion-powered sports cars.