The American automotive landscape had changed significantly throughout the 1980s, although Ford had left the Panther platform essentially unchanged.

"Along with simply loving the car," he said, "there was a sense that if this succeeded, it would significantly change the automotive landscape."

Proportioned for the tidy dimensions of the engine, the two-seater was a petite package in the nation's large-scale automotive landscape.

But by the time Plymouths got to be full-size again, the automotive landscape had changed radically.

Mustang thundered onto America's automotive landscape like no car in history, captivating the nation and capturing a million sales in its first model year.

Chevrolet, the brand that long billed itself "USA-1," is, in fact, a fixture of the automotive landscape around the world.

Since 2003, hybrid cars have gone from a tiny speck on the automotive landscape to one of the U.S. vehicle market's fastest growing segments.

Minivans The minivan became a part of the American automotive landscape in the mid-1980s with the introduction of the Dodge Caravan.

Few analysts believe the new entries, which will not be sold in America, will overturn Europe's automotive landscape.

Far more than just curiosities or nods to assuage protectionist pressure, foreign manufacturing plants have become an essential part of the American automotive landscape.