Cars That Define Summer

The woodie became a cult favorite among surfers and hot-rodders in the 1950s and '60s. They were first built in the 1920s by bolting a large, boxy hardwood cabin onto a car chassis. While most automakers made their own woodie, Ford was first to build one fully. And in 1941, the Deluxe Woodie Wagon became the Blue Oval's first model to crack the $1,000 barrier.

• Looking for a newer people mover? Try this one.
• Maybe you would rather have something sportier?

Slideshow: Wagon Roundup 2012

Inspired directly by the stunning 1954 Corvette Nomad concept, this sleekest of wagons was styled like a hardtop, had only two doors and was thus perfectly unique. Its limited practicality and high price made for lackluster sales, and the original Nomad was dropped after 1957. A cruising classic if there ever was one, it quickly became highly sought-after by hot-rodders and surfers for its style and versatility.

• Looking for a modern wagon? Try this one.
• Which small wagon is your favorite?

Slideshow: Autos in a League of Their Own

Editor's Note: The model year in the headline has been updated to the first generation, which includes the year of the car in the photo: 1957.

Bruce Meyers created the original dune buggy in the mid-1960s. It was called the Meyers Manx after a bobtailed cat unique to the Isle of Man. The Manx was essentially a finely crafted and robust fiberglass tub bolted onto a Volkswagen Beetle chassis. It became an absolute sensation overnight. There were plenty of imitations of the wonderfully elegant, simple and effectively designed Manx, but none ever fully matched its brilliance.

• Do you like action sports?
• If so, learn how to transport your gear safely.

Bing Images: Meyers Manx

It came out of nowhere in 1973: a dune-buggylike convertible with a boxy, ribbed-steel body, flimsy mica side windows and an air-cooled rear-mounted 1.6-liter 46-horsepower boxer engine. Volkswagen whipped up this funky civilian version of a light military vehicle with parts snatched from other models. It was simple, tough, inexpensive at $3,000 and easy to maintain. No worries about getting sand on the floor. The kids loved it.

• If the Thing is your style, you might like one of these.
• What kind of ride can you get for six grand?

Slideshow: Most Unusual Tourist Vehicles

The original Thunderbird was launched in 1955 as Ford's answer to the Chevrolet Corvette. It was a unique blend of European sports car and genuine American iron. The long, low, convertible 2-seater outsold the 'Vette convincingly and became the ultimate car to take cruising with the top down on balmy summer night. A retro-styled, 2-seat version was produced from 2002 to 2005, but there will never be another 'Bird.

• What was better: the classic 'Bird or the new one?
• If you like this vehicle, try this one.

Bing: History of the Ford Thunderbird

When the original Mustang was introduced in the summer of 1964, it was modern, fresh and sexy, and it made the traditional American convertible obsolete overnight. Almost half a century later, the Mustang is alive and kicking most vigorously, and the convertible remains a quintessential summer ride. But in that time, the Mustang stable grew from a lone pony to a herd of stallions, ranging from the 3.7-liter 305-horsepower V6 to the new 662-horsepower Shelby GT500.

• Which do you prefer: the Mustang or Camaro?
• Is your favorite muscle car on this list?

Slideshow: Best Bang for the Buck: Horsepower

Ask which vehicle best exemplifies freedom and there is a solid chance the answer will be Jeep. There have been numerous evolutions of the "civilian" Jeep, but the very best is built right now: the new Jeep Wrangler. It's entirely modern, yet unmistakably Jeep. All models are now powered by Chrysler's 3.6-liter 285-horsepower Pentastar V6 engine, which offers notable performance and fuel-economy gains over previous generations. Go anywhere this summer, literally.

• Want to learn more about the Wrangler?
• What else can take you off-road?

Video: 2012 Jeep Wrangler

Precious few cars can match the simple joy of a perfectly affordable, reliable, unashamedly cute and smartly designed roadster that lets you lower the top in a handful of seconds to ride under an open sky. The first MX-5 Miata was all this when it was launched as a 1990 model. Now in its third generation, the Miata is offered with an optional retractable hardtop that flips down in 12 seconds, takes up no trunk space and costs almost nothing.

• Want to learn more about the Miata?
• If you like the Miata, check it out next to this wild ride.

Slideshow: 10 Best Manual Transmission Cars

The Bug has been painted, chopped, souped-up, stretched and modified every which way — often with surprising, smile-inducing results, and sometimes in stunning ways, like when it spawned wonders such as the Meyers Manx. But nowadays, the joy comes when you see a pristine yet simple example of the original car; ideally, a well-maintained and well-tuned example from 1968 or so.

• The new 2012 Beetle is no slouch either
• Have less than $20K to spend on a car?

Read: 2013 Diesel Beetle to Start at $24,065

Built on the same platform as the Range Rover Sport, the LR4 offers solid handling and exceptional off-road prowess. With the muscle and growl of a Jaguar-tuned, 5.0-liter 375-horsepower V8 engine, it can also tow up to 7,716 pounds. Its giant side windows and sunroof offer daylight and a perfect view of the scenery and the skies above to passengers in all three rows.

• Watch the LR4 in action.
• There are less expensive sport-utes.

Review: Range Rover Evoque

For more information on any vehicle in this slideshow, click the links below:

• Ford Mustang
• Mazda MX-5 Miata
• Volkswagen Beetle
• Land Rover LR4

Compare: Available Vehicles

A professional auto journalist for more than 25 years and the founding editor of Sympatico / MSN Autos, Marc Lachapelle is a two-time winner of the Canadian Journalist of the Year award from the Automobile Journalists Association of Canada, an accomplished photographer and licensed racer.

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