49. 1990 Lexus LS 400: The Lexus LS 400 offered consumers luxury with a cheaper price – a feat few had done before 1990. (Photo: Altair78, Wikipedia)

48. 1996 Audi A4: As Edmunds notes, Audi was floundering prior to the debut of the Audi A4, but the car’s success helped to save the company’s brand. (Photo: John Drinkwater, Flickr)

47. 1984 Jeep Cherokee: The car is considered to be one of the best off-roaders built by Jeep, and like the A4, it helped save the company’s brand. It also created a market for compact SUVs. (Photo: IFCAR, Wikipedia)

46. 1992 Toyota Camry: The 1992 model was the third generation of the Camry, and it’s the model that cemented it as the standard for a family sedan. (Photo: Two Hundred Percent, Wikipedia)

45. 1976 Honda Accord: The Honda Accord changed Americans' impression of Japanese-made cars, and it helped Honda get into the marketplace of family sedans. (Photo: Geographer, Wikipedia)

44. 1987 Ferrari F40: Ferrari has had some legendary models, and the 1987 Ferarri F40 is certainly among them. The car packed plenty of power from its V8 engine that helped it get gracefully up to 200 mph. (Photo: Ben_In_London, Flickr)

43. 1970 Plymouth Hemi 'Cuda: Plymouth dropped a Hemi V8 engine into its 1970 Barracuda model to create the Hemi ‘Cuda. Since then, the model has been an icon from the muscle car era. (Photo: Mobilene, Flickr)

42. 1961 Lincoln Continental: This Lincoln model defined American luxury in the 1960s, and that styling helped make it a favorite with consumers. (Photo: MyOldPostCards, Flickr)

41. 1955 Ford Thunderbird: Do we need to say much about this car? Like some of the other cars on this list, it’s become an iconic classic car. (Photo: StephenHanafin, Flickr)

40. 1993 Honda Civic Coupe: This model offered consumer a cheap, well-styled and reliable car. What else do you need? (Photo: Sentience, Wikipedia)

39. 1992 Dodge Viper RT/10: The Dodge Viper brought back the muscle car with a model packed with a V10 engine that pushed out 400 horsepower. (Photo: Myke2020, Wikipedia)

38. 2004 Toyota Prius: The first generation of the Toyota Prius was a game changer, but the second generation helped to cement it as a good car that could also sip gasoline. (Photo: Larry Page, Flickr)

37. 1957 Lotus 7: This car packs a ton of power into a small frame. The car wasn’t very big, but as Edmunds put it, it "casts a big shadow over the world of automotive engineering." (Photo: Alex Jilitsky, Flickr)

36. 1973 Lancia Stratos: This car looks pretty strange, but it’s performance on the road was never in question. The car won the World Rally Championship from 1974 through 1976. (Photo: Giorgio Brida, Flickr)

35. 2006 Mercedes-Benz CLS-Class: The model introduced the four-door coupe to the market, and since then, it’s been a hit with American consumers. (Photo: Kenjonbro, Flickr)

34. 1984 Honda Civic CRX: Like many other models on this, the Honda Civic CRX helped spark the sports compact market. The car offered drivers a fun feel on the road without the pain at the pump. (Photo: TTTNIS, Wikipedia)

33. 1973 Lamborghini Countach: Lamborghini doesn’t do anything half way. This car had a V12 under the hood and didn’t skimp on any other details. (Photo: Ta7za, Flickr)

32. 1968 Mercedes-Benz 300SEL 6.3: The sedan uses a 6.3-liter V8 engines that gave the model the feel of a muscle car, but decades before it became the norm. (Photo: Pilot_micha, Flickr)

31. 1995 BMW M3: The car became a favorite with drivers because of the smooth feeling and quick feeling on the road. (Photo: Ninja M., Flickr) 

30. 1961 Jaguar E-Type: The Jaguar E-Type has been called one of the best-looking cars ever made, but it also didn’t skimp on power. Style and performance helped set it apart from other cars from that generation. (Photo: Jack_Snell, Flickr)

29. 1970 Datsun 240Z: The car helped get Japanese sports cars some respect, and it helped to make a name for the Datsun in the U.S. (Photo: Shoulder_rats, Flickr)

28. 1990 Mazda Miata MX-5: This is the best-selling sports car in history – surprised? (Photo: MSVG, Flickr)

27. 1990 Acura NSX: This car, which was branded as both an Acura and a Honda, helped make variable valve-timing systems standard and forced Ferrari to up its game. (Photo: Exxodus, Flickr)

26. 1975 Volkswagen Golf: The Golf helped to define the hatchback model. The car didn’t pack a ton of power, but it did pack some lively road feeling. (Photo: Doommeer, Flickr)

25. 1957 Fiat 500: The Fiat 500 made a name for small performance cars. It was also made a name for itself on the race track. (Photo: Moqub, Flickr)

24. 1949 Ford: The 1949 Ford would set the style for post-war design with its lower body. The car would also ditch running board and fenders. (Photo: Chad Horwedel, Flickr)

23. 1969 Porsche 917: This model is credited with the fastest lap time at the Le Mans race, and it won the race two years. Those credentials are enough to make it one of the top 50 best cars of all-time. (Photo: Jack_Snell, Flickr) 

22. 1989 Nissan Skyline GT-R: The car wouldn’t ever be officially sold in the U.S., but that didn’t stop Americans from driving it. The car was the first GT-R with all-wheel drive, which has become the norm now. (Photo: Daft Photos, Flickr)

21. 1987 Porsche 959: The car packaged a six-speed transmission, all-wheel drive and turbo charged engine. The car reimagined what a sports car should be. (Photo: Stephenhanafin, Wikipedia)

20. 1987 Buick Grand National: The Buick Grand National became a common model on the streets of the 1980s, and there’s no question why it was so popular. It has plenty of power from its V6 engine and good styling. (Photo: SigmaEye, Flickr)

19. 1973 Pontiac Trans Am Super Duty: It’s been dubbed the last muscle car of the classic era. It had a 310-horsepower 455 Super Duty V8 engine under the hood. (Photo: Ehisforadam, Flickr)

18. 1967 Chevrolet Camaro: The 1967 Camaro was General Motors response to the Ford Mustang, and it certainly didn’t strike out with consumers. Drivers loved the car, and it quickly became a favorite. (Photo: Collector Car Ads, Flickr)

17. 1964 Pontiac GTO: This has been called the first true muscle car. It packed a V8 under the hood that helped give it plenty of power. (Photo: Jack_Snell, Flickr)

16. 1963 Chevrolet Corvette Sting Ray: The car is considered one of the greatest sports cars ever built, and it’s no surprise that it’s one of the best cars ever made. (Photo: Jack_Snell, Flickr)

15. 1964 Ford Mustang: The first version of the Mustang and became an icon for Ford. Do we need to say more? (Photo: Ford In Europe, Flickr)

14. 1949 Oldsmobile 88: This car helped define performance for the next decade. Its 303-cubic-inch Rocket V8 engine help boost its horsepower to 165. (Photo: Hugo90, Flickr)

13. 1938 Bugatti Type 57S Atlantic: Like Lamborghini, Bugatti are about style and performance. The 1938 Bugatti was one of the most advanced of its time and also one of the most beautiful. (Photo: Georg Schwalbach, Flickr)

12. 1908 Cadillac: The model helped launch the Cadillac brand, and it was the first with interchangeable parts. Think where we would be without it? (Photo: Stradablog, Flickr)

11. 1966 Lamborghini Miura: Some have called this one of the best models Lamborghini has ever made. The styling and performance were ahead of its time. (Photo: Createordie, Flickr)

10. 1968 BMW 2002: The model helped drivers know a sedan didn’t mean a crappy car. The model gave drivers plenty of fun on the road. (Photo: Pilot_micha, Flickr)

9. 1908 Ford Model T: Do we really have to say anything about this car? You can’t name the 50 best cars of all-time without mentioning the one that started the whole revolution. The 1908 Model T was the first affordable car for consumers. (Photo: Jack_Snell, Flickr)

8. 1928 Duesenberg Model J: The car is considered to be the first supercar. It packed 265 horsepower from its straight-8 engine. Note: The car pictured is actually a 1930 model. (Photo: Morven, Wikipedia)

7. 1962 Ferrari 250 GTO: The GTO is considered the best car Ferrari ever built. Too bad the company only made 39. (Photo: Georg Schwalbach, Flickr)

6. 1955 Mercedes-Benz 300SL Gullwing: Edmunds called this Benz the greatest model ever built by the luxury car maker. It also was the sports car standard for the 1950s. (Photo: Gregory Moine, Flickr)

5. 1964 Porsche 911: Like the Benz Gullwing, this is the best Porsche ever produced. It packed power with styling to give drivers everything they could dream of. Shown is the 1965 model (Photo: Dave Hamster, Flickr)

4. 1938 Volkswagen Beetle: The air-cooled Beetle is one of the most beloved cars of all-time. Note: The car pictured is the 1937 model. (Photo: Georg Schwalbach, Flickr)

3. 1955 Chevrolet: The greatest Chevy ever built packed a 265-cubic-inch V8 engine under the hood that made it rival even a Ferrari. (Photo: GB_packards, Flickr)

2. 1959 Austin Mini: This model went by a couple different names, but it was a winner under whatever branding. It would become a blueprint for mainstream modern cars, Edmunds wrote. (Photo: Kayels, Flickr)

1. 1932 Ford V8: Americans love performance, and this is the first car that paired performance with an affordable price tag. (Photo: Liftarn, Flickr)