BLOCKBUSTERS

The nineties saw some big changes culturally, but also plenty of star cars. We brought together some of the decade's icons

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EX THERE was a lot going on in the nineties. The Internet started to creep across the globe, while mobile phones became smaller and more affordable.

In the cinema, blockbusters such as Jurassic Park and Titanic did battle with a new wave of independent movies, such as Quentin Tarantino's Pulp Fiction, and in the music charts, pop groups battled Britpop, grunge, hip-hop and rave culture for success. Famous names such as Princess Diana, Bill Clinton and Nelson Mandela hit the headlines for different reasons, too, but what about the cars? The nineties still saw turbocharging as a performancecar upgrade, whether that was from the factory or as part of the modified scene covered by the likes of Max Power magazine. Electrification was largely the domain of milk floats, while the SUV was just that, a 4x4 with the emphasis firmly on utility. Many production models were still forged in competition, too, with touring cars, rallying and endurance racing all proving a test bed for vehicles that you could theoretically buy in your local dealership.

And in Formula One, the deaths of Ayrton Senna and Roland Ratzenberger at Imola during the 1994 San Marino Grand Prix weekend changed motorsport forever.

The supercar hit another level, first with the arrival of the Jaguar XJ220 just in time for a global recession, and the McLaren F1 then tore up the supercar rulebook.

There were plenty of vehicular highlights through the decade, and we've lined up some of them here. Each one left a mark that has lasted well beyond its time on sale.