As with any talent, some people - or cars - have it, and some just don't. The winds of fortune will all blow in your direction sometimes, and others it will be a struggle just to fit a nut and bolt together. Here we look back at ten different cars which the winds of fortune lifted up, to soar through the clouds like enormous metal eagles!



1.The Range Rover, by Land Rover, set a new standard for rough-and-ready cars, for guts and glory. Land Rover may not have made the first off-road vehicle on the market, but they were the first to do it so well. Range Rover became synonymous with off-roading, and the shape of the model is burnt into our psyches. The off road skills of the vehicle were soon augmented by comfort and drivability for everyday use, and handling was improved to make the ride easier in traffic. Soon, Range Rover became more of a luxury car, and they have found extra popularity as a luxury car in Hong Kong.

2.The XF Jaguar is a new model from the company, expected to do great things for a brand that has not made a profit for Ford, its parent company, in 20 years. Jaguar's reputation has been for luxury automobiles in Hong Kong, with superb handling and lithe styling, and the XF should deliver.

3.Hyundai's Pony is little known today, and is certainly not a luxury car, in Hong Kong or elsewhere. However, it certainly was a miracle car, and definitely changed the fortunes of Hyundai. It was the first model the company produced itself, after gaining experience assembling Ford Cortinas shipped out in kit form. The City of London, British Leyland, Mistsubishi and Giugiaro all combined forces to help make the Pony a reality - and it has been the first step for this ever more popular Hong Kong new car manufacturer.

4.The 1936 Mercedes Benz 500K was a leap forward in luxury automobile styling. It has elegant lines, a smooth appearance, yet arobust flavor. It was touted as a dream car, available to a small, select clientele, and set the standard for luxury cars the world over, including for luxury cars in Hong Kong.

5.The Ford Focus is one of the world's oldest car manufacturer's more recent success stories. Ford has had many ups and downs, and their new car market in Hong Kong has risen and fallen with the tides. However, in 1997 the Focus brought an excellent high, with its excellent, comfortable handling, versatility, and style.

6.The Fiat Nuova was another car that changed the fortunes of its manufacturer. The rear-mounted, two cylinder engine vehicle was made in 1957 and oozed Italian charm. It became the people's car, aiming to help cars be within the reach of lower paid Italian workers.

7.The Citroen BX was a model that really defined the brand. Peugeot bought Citroen in 1974 and saved the company financially, but the personality and soul of Citroen was not captured in a car until the BX of 1982. It was a high-performance, good economy, ultra modern engineering feat.

8.Chrysler's K-cars would hardly have won any awards for style or speed, but their wide appeal as cheap, economic runabouts saved the company from oblivion in the 1980s.

9.The BMW 3-series began in the 1970s, and was still being manufactured this decade. The initial 1.3 million made of the first model were all sold, and the replacement for these transformed the way that BMW operated as a luxury car manufacturer in Hong Kong and elsewhere.

10.Audi's miracle car came way back in the 1960s, with the 100 model that ousted the Beetle's right of way after Volkswagen bought Audi in 1968. When bosses saw the prototype 100s, they were so impressed that they gave the go-ahead for their building straight away.