Not every automotive designer is destined to pump out an endless stream of classics, but there are some who sparked surprising levels of angst and animosity by simply daring to be different in an era that failed to appreciate their vision of the future. The best of these risk takers understood that making a clean break with the present was often the surest recipe for continued success, and while their efforts might have been construed as disrespectful to what came before them, or wildly out of step with the times, the lens of history has offered a much kinder—and in many cases, celebratory—take on their efforts.

I was one of the many who curled their lip when the Bangle Butt introduced “flame surfacing” to the automotive world. As it turns out, 25 years later Chris Bangle was right about the design direction for BMW — and he stands alongside four other car designers whose own efforts were initially maligned, but eventually appreciated. I put together a feature on these five for Motor Trend.