Design Essay: What Makes an Icon?

‘Icon’; a word which is often thrown around flippantly, especially in the automotive world, with many a car being touted as ‘iconic’ in one way or another. However, since the Oxford English Dictionary defines an icon as “a person or thing regarded as a representative symbol or as worthy of veneration,” it’s clear that true icons will always be rare, in any given field. Not everyone or everything can be iconic, or else the title would lose all significance.

This leads to the inevitable question of ‘which cars are true icons?’

This is at once very easy and very difficult to answer effectively. Despite the above definition, what actually constitutes an icon is often subjective, and there are many tiers and categories of iconic status.

NISMO 400R – ’90s GT-Rs are hero cars… but only for a certain crowd

For instance, there are those which are seen as ‘worthy of veneration’ but only within a certain demographic or subculture. The Nissan Skyline GT-R, as an example, is the darling of the so-called ‘PlayStation generation’ thanks in part to the likes of Gran Turismo, but would non-gamers / non-enthusiasts even recognise one? Perhaps the term ‘cult car’ is more fitting here…

The harrowing H2 is widely remembered… as a tacky mistake

Then there are those which are widely recognised, but for all the wrong reasons – the Hummer H2, for instance, whose ‘in-your-face’ image ran so counter to the zeitgeist in 2010 that General Motors unceremoniously axed it (along with the Hummer brand itself following a failed sale). Additionally, there are those which perfectly encapsulate a particular time or place only – like the Cadillac Eldorado which epitomises the spirit of 1950s America like perhaps nothing else, but also utterly fails to translate into other settings (except maybe Cuba).

Instrument of Nazi progaganda, turned world-famous movie star

Beyond these though, there exists another type of icon, whose appeal transcends generations, fashion and national/cultural boundaries. They’re easy to name and recognise; who wouldn’t know a Volkswagen Beetle for example? Despite unfortunate beginnings, the ‘Bug’ became the best-selling car design of all time, spanned seven decades in production and even starred in a Disney film series. The Beetle remains wildly popular today and is a ‘representative symbol’ not just of its genre and brand, but arguably also of ‘the car’ full-stop.

Jeep – the synonym for all-terrain utility

Talking of ‘representative symbols’, how often do you hear the word ‘Jeep’ used to mean ‘off-road vehicle’? Surely testament to the iconic status of the original Jeep, now known as the Wrangler. Other cars falling into the same category include the original Mini, Volkswagen Type 2, Porsche 911, Fiat 500, Aston Martin DB5 and Jaguar E-Type; all of which defined their segments and brands (and even became national symbols), have almost universal recognition (even amongst non-car enthusiasts) and remain popular and relevant today. Vehicles like these are perhaps best defined as ‘enduring icons’.

Volkswagen somehow struck the right chord twice

The value of these enduring icons is clearly not lost on car manufacturers and designers. The Beetle, Mini and 500 have all been reinvented for the modern era to great commercial success, the 911 and Wrangler continue to define their respective brands and Jaguar is forever referencing the E-Type – never more so than with the current F-Type. Furthermore, Volkswagen has teased us endlessly with reimagined Type 2s, and its latest I.D. Buzz may yet be the car to revive the companies’ reputation, post-Dieselgate.

Type 2 just about the only icon not ‘revived’ yet… for now…

There are a couple of issues however, the first being that many manufacturers have already mined their back-catalogues for icons to reinvent – once they’ve all been extracted and rehashed, then what? Secondly, what about those newer brands, like Lexus or Infiniti, with a distinct lack of heritage to exploit? How can they make up for lost time? Is it possible to consciously and deliberately create new icons? And if so, how?

Can you transfer an icon onto a new, unrelated platform? Many have tried…

Perhaps the best way to answer this is to take a closer look at the aforementioned group of enduring icons and how they gained admittance to this exclusive club. While it could be argued that they ‘got lucky’, were in the ‘right place at the right time’, or were just very well marketed, there is clearly more to it than this. Some, like the Mini and Jeep, were highly innovative, some were uniquely accessible like the Beetle and 500, and others provided extraordinary driving pleasure, like the 911.

All were distinctive aesthetically too, with instantly recognisable silhouettes and ‘faces’. Interestingly, this group all feature round headlights, akin to human eyes, helping anthropomorphise their appearance and add character.

Cinquecento had a cute ‘face’ despite minimal graphics

Consistency is also a recurring theme; all these icons enjoyed long production spells, virtually unchanged (Beetle) or else following a very evolutionary design path (911), allowing them to gradually permeate the collective human consciousness – something which also applies to many (although not all) of the long running car nameplates (Golf, 3-Series, Range-Rover, Corvette, etc.) which could also be considered icons in their own right.

Beyond all that, what seems to separate the enduring icons from the rest is that they all, in their own ways, are examples of ‘honest’ design. In stark contrast to, say, the Hummer H2 – with its faux-military styling – or the Cadillac Eldorado with its superfluous tail fins, the enduring icons are all examples of form (largely) following function, meaning they have retained credibility far beyond their originally intended lifespans.

Mini was like a Swiss army knife thanks to ingenious industrial design

The Jeep is an extreme case of this, being initially optimised for the battlefield rather than the suburbs. Likewise the Volkswagen Type 2, which was originally a van aimed more at German plumbers than Californian surfers. Then there’s the Beetle, 500 and Mini; they set out to be practical, affordable ‘people’s cars’ meaning that their simple, inoffensive forms are free of pretence and decoration (unlike their retro successors). Moreover, the 911’s instantly recognisable silhouette is of course derived from its rear-engined layout and Porsche’s Beetle origins, while even the sumptuous curves of the E-Type were dictated more by aerodynamics than fashion.

The Low-Drag E-Type took the road car’s aero further

Perhaps tellingly though, none of the aforementioned examples actually set out with the goal of becoming an enduring icon. Their iconic status came about almost entirely as a by-product of other things… while those appearing to chase iconic status in itself (like the H2) have fallen flat. Maybe then, being an enduring icon is much like being cool, in that those who try too hard and care too much will forever be destined to fail. That being said, a healthy dose of honest design, along with consistency, innovation and unique character, certainly won’t hurt.

Perhaps for those wishing to pursue this most elusive of goals, honesty is indeed the best policy.