Benchmarks. The cars that define a vehicle class, not just for a short time but over several decades and across model generations. A Golf is a Golf. And an Opel Kadett, or Astra, is a Golf rival. There is perhaps no greater honour than to be considered the class benchmark, but sustaining that class leading position over time is not easy. Few manufacturers will have more than one class benchmark, so a very substantial share of a car manufacturer's R&D budget will be dedicated to the careful evolution of its benchmark model. Here's my take on the automotive benchmarks by class.
Perhaps no other car better reflects what a benchmark is than the Porsche 911. Ever since its introduction in 1963, the 911 has been widely considered the ultimate sports car for the self-made man. Of course expensive supercars such as Ferraris and Lamborghinis also draw widespread admiration and are desirable in their own right, but their more extreme looks also make them somewhat contested. It is the consistency of the 911's design, the supreme build quality, and the unique driving characteristics that make it the go-to sports car. The unmistaken boxer sounds completes the package in terms of desirability, whether it is a 1980 "930" generation 911 Turbo (here on the foreground, by Kyosho) or any of the later iterations (the 1994 "964", the 1997 "996", and the 1999 "997" generation Porsche 911 Turbo, all by Minichamps).
In the market for large executive cars - the so-called F-segment - the Mercedes-Benz S-class reigns supreme. Although also here there are plenty of desirable alternatives, such as the Jaguar XJ and BMW 7-series - the S-class is the unbeatable benchmark. Whether it is the 1959 "Heckflosse" generation (W111) with the typical tail fins that pioneered the use of crash structures with crumple zones and injection engines. Or the 1999 W220 S-class: the world's first car with radar-controlled cruise control. Each and every S-class was designed to showcase Mercedes-Benz's technological leadership and the very best build quality and driving refinement. Only in the mid-1980s did Mercedes-Benz seem to have lost its focus a bit. It was taken by surprise when BMW first mounted a V12 engine - normally the exclusive domain of Rolls-Royce, Bentley and Jaguar limousines - in a German top executive saloon: the 1986 BMW 750i. It decided to postpone the scheduled launch of its next-generation S-class, so it could offer a rival V12 model from the outset (the 600 SEL). Yet the W140 is perhaps Mercedes-Benz's least appealing S-class. Known as "Der Kathedral" it lacks the elegance of other S-classes.
The mid-size executive class - the so-called "E" segment - perhaps has no clear benchmark. Both BMW and Mercedes-Benz carry a lot of weight in this segment, with BMW's 5-series excelling in sporty driving dynamics and Mercedes' E-class taking the lead in driving comfort. For the station cars, however, I'd wager the Volvo Estate must be recognized as benchmark. Long before other brands offered large station cars Volvo had considerable success with its safety-focused, load-lugging Estate cars, often colloquially known as "tanks" for their reputation of indestructibility. It has in fact long been the de-facto choice for large families looking to travel in a solid, reliable car with ample space and safe handling. But where the Volvo Estate car really excels is in its classless appeal: anyone can be seen in a Volvo Estate. Great examples of Volvo's boxy station cars include the Amazon (white), the 240 (red), 740 (silver), 850 (yellow) and V70 (blue and black).
The D-segment is the vehicle class of the small executive car. Most would consider Volkswagen's Passat the lead among the pack of mainstream manufacturers, ahead of Opel with the Ascona and Vectra and Renault with the 12, 18, 21 and Laguna. Peugeot's 405 and 406 were perhaps the strongest non-premium contenders to fend off the Passat's market dominance. The undisputed benchmark in the D-segment, however, must be the BMW 3-series. Perhaps not typically as spacious as mainstream rivals, but unchallenged for its compelling combination of driving pleasure, unquestionable build quality, and desirable looks. I had the pleasure of owning an E46 318Ci Coupé (the blue car in the photo below) and later on an F32 420i Coupé, which both - it must be said - always managed to put a smile on my face. Just as the makers at BMW had intended. With rivaling cars from Mercedes-Benz and Audi favouring comfort over sporty handling, the 3-series closest rival in sprit is Alfa Romeo. Its Giulietta, 75, 155 and 156 saloons each combined stunning design, great handling and characterful engines to match - perhaps even surpass - the 3-series, albeit with compromised reliability and quality.
The compact car segment is often referred to as the "Golf class". In fact, the VW Golf towers miles above any rival as the undisputed benchmark of the C-segment. Ever since its introduction in 1974, the Golf has offered elegant but unpretentious design - with the thick C-pillar as one its hallmark design features - and a sturdy build. Just like the Volvo Estate, anyone could be seen in a Golf. Although the Opel Kadett was more popular, at least in the Netherlands, it lacked the classless appeal of the Golf. What's more, its engineering, most believed, was generally not as clever and thorough as a Golf's.
Volkswagen is also strong in the subcompact sector (the "B-segment") with the Polo, but arguably this is a relatively recent achievement. The first two generations of Polo were rather uninspiring cars that did not dominate their segment like the Golf did. The honour of benchmark among subcompact hatchbacks must go to both Renault and Peugeot which in essence invented the sector in the early 1970s and alternated the lead in producing the most charming, practical small hatchback. Renault took the lead first with its R5 decidedly more characterful than Peugeot's 104 (first row, picture below - both models by Norev). In the 1980s, however, the tables turned: Peugeot's "strong number" - the 205 - is decidedly the quintessential 1980s hatch. Its simple, elegant design put Renault's "Super-Cinq" in the limelight. The second-generation R5 was an evolution of the first-generation but not as charming as the original and not anywhwere near as commercially successful (second row, 205 by Minichamps, R5 by IXO). The Peugeot 205, however, appeared also a difficult act to follow. In the early 1990s Peugeot tried hard with the 106, but Renault did better. Its first-generation Clio was a bombshell success (third row, Clio by Norev; 106 by Vitesse); the 106 lived a life in the shadow of the 205, which remained in production for seven more years after the 106 was introduced. Last handover of the class lead - at least within my model car collection - is with the Peugeot 206. As likeable and characterful in my view as the 205, it was massively successful, more so than the second-generation Clio which - although still charming - could not match the desirability of the Peugeot (both models by Norev).
Finally, the A-segment. Although the Japanese and Korean car manufacturers also make cleverly engineered city cars, Fiat deserves full class honours for making small cars that not only make clever use of little space but also are full of character. Fiat's long line of small cars goes back of course to the 1957 "Nuova" 500 (and before that the 500 "Topolino"): a car so simple in its engineering and so easy to maintain that many still survive today (model by Vitesse). Maybe not quite as cute but still very endearing are the 1970s 126, here in blue (Starline Models), and the 1980s first-generation Panda, here in white (IXO). When I was growing up my friend's mum had such a car and I vividly recall the rear-bench - essentially a piece of cloth suspended between two metal bars - and how uncomfortable it was. The story ends here with the 1990s Fiat Cinquecento (model by Vitesse), here in fresh lime green. With its distinctive near-vertical tailgate and the foldable fabric roof of this Soleil version that mimics the original, the Cinquecento demonstrates Fiat did not lose its ablity to develop clever and original city cars. And luckily the story continues, beyond my collection, with the rebirth of the "retro" 500 and its practical bigger sister, the second- and third-generation Panda. The big question is of course if Fiat - and any of the other makers of benchmarks discussed above - can retain their leading position now that car design - with the emergence of electrical cars and autonomous driving - is living quite a transformation.
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