which manufacturer/model year produced the best cars?

ditchdigger beat me to the Fiats.

I'd like to say BMW, any year you choose. I'll randomly choose 1987: 3 series, including the M3 5 series, including the M5 6 series coupes, FTW 7 series, for the executive types No stupid SUVs in the lineup, either.

'87 was a great year for both Toyotas and BMWs. i think those are both spot-on.

Mazda...tossup among:

1989 (323 GTX, RX-7 GTUs, introduction of the miata, even though they were 1990's)

1994 (Miata (1.8L and R pckg), BP-powered Protege, KL-powered MX6 & 626, RWD 929, FD RX-7)

2010 (2, 3, MS3, RX-8, much-improved NC Miata)

maroon92 wrote: The "no drifter should be without" Corolla GT-S

Heh, funny you should come up with this pic. The guy who owns that car is on another forum I visit. His family bought it new in 1987, which is when that was taken.

Good choices on Toyota '87 and Porsche '89 guys. Pretty much nothing on those lists that I don't like.

I would add Lotus in '96: last year of the Elan S2 (sort of - they were all built in '95 but some were sold as '96es), first year of the Elise, first year of the Esprit V8 and the Esprit Turbo had all of the bugs ironed out and gained intercooling.

Maybe this should have been filed with the No Hot Link thread, but then we wouldn't all be drooling over our keyboards as we try to trump these offerings.

Throw me the keys and title to ANY of those already shown (except the red-white-blue AMC's) and I'd be happy for a long time.

Maybe not the best, but certainly one of the coolest looking line ups, 1966 VW.

I'd almost forgotten the V-dubs...cool pix!!

1959-1961 Jaguar. XK150, Mk2 and Mk IX.

http://jalopnik.com/5611821/what-brand-had-the-best-one+year-model-lineup

Looks like Jalopnik has a writer that lurks around this forum...

For Honda, 1989

For some reason, none of my hotlinks worked, but you can find pictures yourself

All in all, the cars were pretty good looking, inexpensive, versatile, handled well, and you could do anything you wanted to them

Steven

Mazda during the 1993-1995 US model range.

1.6 and 1.8 Miata

3rd gen RX7

Protege

Miller cycle engines etc

Also more recently, in the 2006+ model year

Mazda3, Mazda6 +Mazdaspeed models of those cars

NC Miata

RX8

There is only one answer: Ford Model T. It changed society, production, economics, helped bring about the rise of cities, etc......and without it, none of this conversation would be taking place.

1990 Yugos

Fuel injection became available, as did a ragtop.