Seat Toledo (1991)
As with so many family cars of the early 1990s, the Seat Toledo wasn’t exactly a high point in car design, but it was inoffensive enough.
On sale throughout the 1990s, this original Toledo was based on the Golf Mk2 which meant a choice of 1.6-, 1.8- or 2.0-litre petrol engines or there was a 1.9 diesel.
Lexus GS (1993)
When Lexus came up with an executive car to take on the established premium brands, Giugiaro decided that a simplified design was the key, and that’s exactly what he came up with.
Sold as the Toyota Aristo in its home market, the original Lexus GS came only with six- or eight-cylinder engines and four- or five-speed automatic transmissions.
Seat Córdoba (1993)
The Cordoba has never been a big success for Seat in the UK, but it’s sold better in European countries where small saloons are more popular.
Sharing the same platform as the Polo and Ibiza, buyers could choose between coupé, saloon and estate variations on the theme.
Lamborghini Calà (1995)
Throughout the 1970s and 1980s Lamborghini offered junior supercars with V8 power; the Urraco, Silhouette and Jalpa.
By the 1990s it was V12 power all the way, but it could have been different as the fully driveable V10-engined Cala was unveiled in 1995. But the funds weren’t there to develop the car and the project was shelved.
Volkswagen W12 (1997)
For a while VW seriously considered putting this W12-powered mid-engined supercar into production, but with the Veyron and various Lamborghinis to develop, plus the Audi R8, it didn’t happen.
First came a 414bhp coupé followed by a roadster version of the same car. Then in 2001 came the most extreme W12 yet: a 591bhp Nardo edition which claimed an array of speed records, including covering 4809.8 miles in 24 hours at an average speed of 200.6mph.