Classic cars have a definite edge, provided by such things as extraordinary styling, mechanical innovation and social impact.

Most were instant hits. Many are still remembered -- or widely admired in their era. Some now cost a small fortune.

In short, these classics were more than mere cars.

These are among the most significant cars in history, and thus automatically are classics. The list could easily be doubled, but space limitations prohibit. It's surprising how many were built before World War II:

1909-27 Ford Model T: Cheap, rugged and simple, this first mass-produced car put America on motorized wheels.

1911-15 Mercer Raceabout: America's first low-slung sports car.

1915 Cadillac V-8 Type 51: Had first mass-produced V-8.

1927-32 Mercedes-Benz S/SS/SSK/SSKL: Rakish styling. Supercharger gave it 225 horsepower.

1928-34 Duesenberg J-Series: Had everything: fabulous styling, performance and exclusivity. People still call something a "Duesey" when referring to anything special.

1930 Cord L-29: Breakthrough design stunned the auto world. Unique front-wheel-drive allowing a rakish, low-slung body.

1932 Ford V-8: First V-8 engine for the masses.

1933-40 Bugatti Type 57: Fastest, best Bugatti. Race-winner with a jewel-like design -- a work of art.

1933 Piere-Arrow Silver Arrow: Star of 1933 Chicago Century of Progress Exposition. Just five of these V-12 cars were hand-built, but their futuristic styling pioneered features that became industry standards, such as flush fenders.

1934-37 Chrysler Airflow: First aerodynamic mass-produced car.

1934-37 Citroen "Traction Avant": First auto to combine front-wheel drive, unitized body construction, an overhead-valve engine and torsion-bar suspension in an affordable package.

1935 Auburn 851 Boattail Speedster: Dashing sports car. Shaped like a comet with small cockpit, pontoon fenders, "boattail" rear and four huge, shiny, stylized exhaust pipes jutting from left hood. Had a potent, supercharged eight-cylinder engine.

1936-41 BMW 328: First modern sports car, with a tubular frame, uniquely designed race-winning engine and smooth styling.

1936-37 Cord 810/812: Combined radically modern styling, front-drive and potent, supercharged V-8.

1940-present Jeep: Legendary World War II workhorse. Current version offered as an SUV.

1940-41 Lincoln Continental: Its styling led architect Frank Lloyd Wright to call it the "most beautiful car of all time."

1945-49 MG TC: Started the sports car boom here with an affordable price and rakish styling with sweeping front fenders, cutaway doors and fold-down windshield.

1946-79 Volkswagen Beetle: Cheap, simple, rugged, economical and precisely built. Made in Mexico long after sales ceased here in 1979.

1947-52 Cisitalia: Henry Ford II even owned one. Post-World War II masterpiece that rewrote sports car styling book. Body was conceived as a single profile -- not a construct of separate panels such as hood, fenders, body and trunk as individual components. New York's Museum of Modern Art was crazy about it.

1948-54 Jaguar XK-120: Irresistible, with gorgeous, timeless styling, race-winning engine, upscale interior and a smooth ride seldom delivered by sports cars of its era.

1948-65 Porsche 356: Began Porsche story. First built by Ferry Porsche and his father, Ferdinand, who designed VW Beetle. A smooth body covered overmodified major VW parts, including air-cooled rear engine. By 1955, the 356 was world-respected with few components interchangeable with Volkswagen parts.

1949 Ford: Credited with saving Ford Motor, with streamlined styling, Ford's first modern suspension and a lively V-8.

1949 Oldsmobile 88: Had first modern high-compression V-8, which made it the first mass produced "factory hot rod."

1953-56 Austin-Healey 100: Medium-priced sports car with Ferrari-like styling, fast acceleration and easy maintenance.

1953-54 Studebaker Starlight/ Starliner: Styled under master designer Raymond Loewy, this low-slung coupe is one of best-styled American cars of all time.

1955 Chrysler C-300: America's first mass-produced 300-horsepower car.

1954-57 Mercedes-Benz 300SL: Derived from famous Mercedes sports/racing car, this coupe had flip-up doors, strong performance and first use of production car fuel injection.

1955-57 Chevrolet: Brought sexiness to the family car. Basically all the same, the 1955 version had Chevy's fantastic new V-8 and Ferrari-style grille. It just got better, with the 1957 fuel-injected V-8 model always among most-classic U.S. autos.

1955-75 Citroen DS: Had a one-spoke steering column, efficient floor button for a brake pedal, first mass-produced front disc brakes, oddly futuristic styling, front-drive and hydraulic all-independent suspension with variable height adjustment. The French loved it. Americans laughed.

1959-present Austin/Morris Mini Minor (the "Mini"): Design genius Sir Alec Issigonis created this tiny car, which set the example for millions of efficient, roomy, front-drive autos. Mostly built by the British, it's come from BMW in recent years.

1961-67 Jaguar E-Type (XK-E): Extremely beautiful, fast and docile, with features of Jaguar's famous 1950s D-Type race car.

1962-64 Ferrari GTO: Quintessential Ferrari road/race car. Got $12-plus million for one of the 39 built?

1963-67 Chevrolet Corvette Sting Ray: First fast, racy, easily maintained sports car affordable to average wage-earners. Had first independent rear suspension for a modern U.S. production auto.

1963-64 Studebaker Avanti: This masterpiece was best American visual statement in decades. It was a fast supercharged, good-handling four-seater with aircraft-style controls and advanced safety features.

1963-present Porsche 911: First brand new Porsche since 356 model, but retained rear-engine layout and still sold after many updates. Only sports car that has lasted this long with same basic design and styling.

1964-73 Pontiac GTO: Original mass-produced American muscle car.

1965-present Ford Mustang: Kicked off youth-oriented U.S. sporty car market. First model had timeless styling and could be had with variety of body styles, engines and options.

1970-73 Datsun (now Nissan) 240Z: First rakish, affordable, sophisticated Japanese sports car.

1990-present Mazda Miata: Brought back the affordable sports car and gave it great reliability.