50. AC Cobra
The AC Cobra, sold as the Shelby Cobra in the United States, is an Anglo-American sports car powered by a Ford V8 engine, produced intermittently in both the United Kingdom and United States since 1962. In September of 1961, American automotive designer Carroll Shelby wrote to AC asking if they would build him a car modified to accept a Ford V8 engine. AC agreed, provided a suitable engine could be found. Ford wanted a car of their own that could compete with the Corvette. They just so happened to have a brand new engine which could be used for this project. The Windsor 221 cu in (3.6 L) engine which was a new lightweight, thin-wall cast small-block V8, two of which were provided to Shelby.
49. Volvo p1800
The P1800 is a two-seater, front-engine, rear-drive sports car manufactured and marketed by Swedish automaker Volvo Cars as a coupe from 1961 to 1973. The P1800 first became popular as the main car driven by Roger Moore in the hit television series The Saint which aired from 1962-1969. It also featured styling by Pietro Frua and was marketed as the Volvo P1800, 1800S, 1800E and 1800ES. In 1998, an 1800S was certified as the highest mileage private vehicle driven by the original owner in non-commercial service — having exceeded three million miles (over 4.8 million km) as of 2013.
48. Aston Martin DB5
Released in 1963, the Aston Martin DB5 is a British luxury grand tourer made by Aston Martin and designed by the Italian coachbuilder Carrozzeria Touring Superleggera. An evolution of the final series of the DB4, the DB series was named in honor of the owner of Aston Martin from 1947 to 1972, Sir David Brown. Not being the first in the DB series, the DB5 is more famous for being the most recognized Bond car, first appearing in the James Bond film Goldfinger in 1964. In June of 2010, RM Auctions announced the upcoming auction of a DB5 used in both Goldfinger and Thunderball. The car sold for £2.6 million.
47. Buick Riviera
The Riviera is a luxury car produced by Buick from 1963 to 1999 and was highly praised by automotive journalists upon its debut. Since the early 1950’s, the Riviera name had been used by Buick for various prestige versions of existing models. While early models stayed close to the original form, subsequent generations varied substantially over the Riviera’s thirty-year lifespan. In all, 1,127,261 were produced. Its name was resurrected for concept cars displayed during and auto show in 2007 and also in 2013 hoping the reintroducing the marque, but no plans have been confirmed.
46. Ferrari 250 GTO
The 250 GTO was designed to compete in GT racing. It was a GT car produced by Ferrari from 1962 to 1964 for homologation into the FIA’s Group 3 Grand Touring Car category, where its rivals would include the Shelby Cobra, Jaguar E-Type and Aston Martin DP214. When new, it cost $18,000 in the United States, with buyers personally approved by Enzo Ferrari along with his dealer for North America, Luigi Chinetti. In May of 2012, the 1962 250 GTO set an all-time record selling price of $38,115,000 at auction. While in October of 2013, a Connecticut-based collector Paul Pappalardo sold chassis number 5111GT to an unnamed buyer for a new record of around $52 million. In 2004, Sports Car International placed the 250 GTO eighth on a list of Top Sports Cars of the 1960’s.
45. Ford GT40
The GT40 is a high-performance racing car based on the British Lola Mk6, with the Mk I, Mk II, and Mk III designed and built in England and the Mk IV built in the United States. It won the 24 Hours of Le Mans four consecutive times, from 1966 to 1969 including a 1-2-3 finish in 1966 which Henry Ford II attended himself at Le Mans. The car was named the GT (for Grand Touring) and the 40 representing its overall height of 40 inches. Early cars were simply named “Ford GT”. The name “GT40” was the name of Ford’s project to prepare the cars for the international endurance racing circuit, and the quest to win the 24 Hours of Le Mans.
44. Ford Mustang
Ford debuted their Ford Mustang at the 1964 New York World’s Fair. It was originally based on the Ford Falcon. The car was marketed as a “Pony Car” muscle car in competition with the Chevy Camaro, Pontiac Firebird, AMC Javelin, Chrysler’s Plymouth Barracuda, and the Dodge Challenger.
43. Dodge Charger
The Dodge Charger was a redesign from the first generation of Chargers. The changes in the Charger increased sales and added a NASCAR Charger 500 model.
42. Lamborghini Miura
The Lamborghini Miura was an Italian sports car with a rear engine 2-seat layout. The Miura was designed by René Bonnet and Matra Djet. The car features a 3929 cc V12.
41. Ford Torino
The Ford Torino was the first generation of this vehicle. With a redesign of the Fairlane, Ford introduced the Torino in 1968. The Big new feature was the 2-door fastback “Sports Roof” body style.
40. Plymouth Roadrunner
The Plymouth Road Runner was the first generation of this vehicle. It came standard with a 383 CID “Roadrunner” V8 engine. The first generation of this car was based on the Belvedere.
39. Buick Wildcat
The Buick Wildcat debuted in 1962 as a full-sized car manufactured by General Motors. The car features a 425 cu in Nailhead V8.
38. BNW E9
The BMW E9 was a 2-door coupe built from 1968 to 1975. The E9 was an enhancement from the BMW 2000 CS with it now being able to hold the BMW M30 straight-6 engine.
37. Dodge Dart Swinger
The Dodge Dart Swinger was produced from 1959-1976. The vehicle first debuted at a car show in 1957. Limited Dodge Darts featured a 440 V8 engine.
36. Oldsmobile 442
The Oldsmobile 442 was a muscle car produced from 1964 to 1980. These muscle cars feature a 455 cu in V8 engine. This vehicle went through 6 generations.
35. Jeep CJ
The Jeep CJ models were produced from 1945 to 1986 in many different models. The Jeeps were produced by different companies going from Willys-Overland, Kiser-Jeep, and finally Jeep. Over 1.5 million Jeep Cjs were produced for sale.
34. Jaguar E-Type
The Jaguar E-Type was manufactured by British automaker Jaguar Cars Ltd between 1961 and 1975. On its release in March of 1961, Enzo Ferrari called it “the most beautiful car ever made”. In 2004, Sports Car International magazine placed the E-Type at number one on their list of Top Sports Cars of the 1960’s and in March of 2008, it ranked first in The Daily Telegraph online list of the world’s “100 most beautiful cars” of all time. Two limited production E-Type variants were made as test beds, the low drag coupe and lightweight E-Type, both of which were raced.
33. 1961 Lincoln Continental
The Lincoln Continental is a series of luxury cars produced by Lincoln, a division of the American automaker Ford Motor Company. The Continental began life as a personal vehicle for Ford Motor Company President Edsel Ford. This generation of Continental is favored by collectors and has appeared in many movies such as Goldfinger, The Matrix, Last Action Hero, Kalifornia, Spider-Man 2, Hit and Run, Animal House, and the Inspector Gadget films. It has also appeared in television series Pushing Daisies and Entourage.
32. Mercedes-Benz 300SL
The 300 SL (W198) was the first iteration of the SL-Class grand tourer and fastest production car of its day. Manufactured by Daimler-Benz AG, the direct fuel injected production model was based on the company’s highly successful yet somewhat less powerful naturally aspirated, overhead cam straight 6 1952 race car, the W194. With distinctive gull-wing doors, it was introduced in 1954 as a two-seat coupé and was later offered as an open roadster. Over 80% of the car’s total production of approximately 1400 units were sold in the United States, making the 300SL the first Mercedes-Benz widely successful outside its home market.
31. Pontiac GTO
The Pontiac GTO was built by Pontiac in generations from 1964 to 1974 model years, and by GM’s subsidiary Holden in Australia from 2004 to 2006. The first generation GTO was a muscle car of the 1960’s and 1970’s era. It was an option package for the Pontiac Tempest, available with the two-door coupe, hardtop, and convertible body styles. The GTO became its own model from 1966 to 1971 and was selected Motor Trend Car of the Year in 1968. The model was revived from 2004 to 2006 model years as a captive import for Pontiac.
30. Volkswagen Type 2
The VW Type 2, known officially (depending on body type) as the Transporter, Kombi or Microbus, is a forward control panel van introduced in 1950 by the German automaker Volkswagen as its second car model after the VW Beetle. The second generation of the Volkswagen Type 2 was introduced in late 1967 and was built in Germany until 1979. The Volkswagen Kombi and Panel van were produced in Mexico from 1970 to 1994. Production ended in Mexico in 1994, with models being imported from Brazil.
29. 1963 Ford Thunderbird
The Thunderbird is a rear wheel drive automobile manufactured in the United States by the Ford Motor Company and has over eleven model generations from 1955 through 2005. It was redesigned in 1961 with sleeker styling that gave the car a bullet-like appearance. The Thunderbird served as 1961’s Indianapolis 500 pace car and was also featured prominently in US President John F. Kennedy’s inaugural parade. The car entered production for the 1955 model year as a sporty two-seat convertible which Ford called the personal luxury car. The Thunderbird Country Club in California also lays claim to being the inspiration for the name of the car.
28. 1962 Lotus Elan
The Lotus Elan was first shown at Earls Court in 1962 and was the sports car by which others were judged for a decade. Lotus Elan is the name of two convertible cars and two fixed head coupés manufactured by Lotus Cars in 1962. The original Lotus Elan 1500 was introduced in 1962 as a roadster. After a short production run of just 22 cars, Lotus decided to increase the size of the engine and redesignated the car as the Elan 1600. The Elan was technologically advanced, equipped with a DOHC 1557 cc engine, disc brakes all around, rack and pinion steering, and 4-wheel independent suspension.
27. 1961 Ferrari 250 GT California Spyder SWB
In 1960 Scaglietti revealed the 250 GT California Spyder SWB at Geneva, its body pulled more tautly over this updated chassis. As the 250 GT Berlinetta SWB on which it was based, the new Spyder also got disc brakes and a 280PS variation of the 3.0 litre V12 engine. Only 55 were ever built. A 1961 250 GT California Spyder SWB that had been owned by James Coburn was sold for £5.5 million to radio DJ, Chris Evans. A barn find 1961 SWB formerly owned by French actor Alain Delon sold for US$15.9 million in February 2015. While on March 11, 2016 at the Omni Amelia Island Plantation, a 1961 SWB sold for US$17.16 million at auction.
26. Sunbeam Tiger
The Sunbeam Tiger is a high-performance V8 version of the British Rootes Group’s Sunbeam Alpine roadster. It was designed in part by American car designer and racing driver Carroll Shelby and was produced from 1964 until 1967. Two major versions of the vehicle were built: the Mark I which was fitted with the 260 Ford V8 and the Mark II, of which only 633 were built in its final years of production, was fitted with the larger Ford 289. Two extensively modified prototype versions of the Mark I competed in the 1964 24 Hours of Le Mans, but neither completed the race.
25. Aston Martin DB4 GT Zagato
The Aston Martin DB4 GT Zagato was introduced in October of 1960 at the London Motor Show. The DB4 GT was lightened and improved by Ercole Spada of the Zagato factory in Italy. Initially, the factory planned to produce 25 vehicles but the demand was not as strong as they had expected, stopping production at the 20th unit. The most prominent DB4 GT Zagatos, affectionately known by the registration plates they share, 1 VEV and 2 VEV which both raced at the 1961 24 Hours of Le Mans.
We think this is one of the best classic cars of the 1960s.
24. Jensen Interceptor
The Interceptor is a Grand tourer which was hand-built at the Kelvin Way Factory in West Bromwich, England, between 1966 and 1976 by Jensen Motors. Jensen Motors equipped the Interceptor with Chrysler V8 engines starting with the 6276cc. The Interceptor may have taken some styling cues from the Brasinca Uirapuru, a GT-class sports coupe manufactured in Brazil with a distinctive large, curving wrap-around rear window that doubled as a tailgate. A convertible was introduced in 1974 which was mainly intended for the US market but was also sold in Europe. Only 267 convertibles were made. Rarer still is the Coupé version introduced in 1975; just 60 were made in the one year remaining to the Jensen company before its demise.
23. 1964 Porsche 911
The original Porsche 911 was a luxury sports car manufactured by Porsche AG of Stuttgart, Germany. The famous, distinctive, and durable design was introduced in autumn 1963 and built through 1989. Succeeded by a modified version, it was referred to internally as the Porsche 964 but was still sold as the Porsche 911, as are current Porsche models. From its inception, the Porsche 911 was modified both by private racing teams and the Porsche factory itself for racing, rallying and other types of motorsports competition. In the automotive world, the original Porsche 911 series is often cited as the most successful motorsports competition car ever, mainly the powerful 911-derived 935 which won 24 Hours of Le Mans.
22. 1966 Alfa Romeo Spider
The Alfa Romeo Spider is a roadster produced by the Italian auto manufacturer Alfa Romeo from 1966 to 1993. The Spider was launched in March of 1966 at the 36th Geneva Motor Show together with the Giulia Sprint GT Veloce which was tested by the press at an event organised in Gardone Riviera. The successor to the Giulia Spider, it remained in production for almost 30 years with only minor aesthetic and mechanical changes. A 1966 Series 1 Spider 1600 was famously featured in the 1967 hit film The Graduate, giving the model widespread visibility. Unfortunately, in April of 1993, the last Spider was produced —the last rear wheel drive Alfa Romeo before the Alfa Romeo 8C Competizione of 2007.
21. Studebaker Avanti
The Studebaker Avanti is a personal luxury coupe produced and marketed by Studebaker Corporation between June 1962 and December 1963. The automaker marketed the Avanti as “America’s Only 4 Passenger High-Performance Personal Car.” Described as “one of the more significant milestones of the postwar industry”, the Avanti combined safety and high-speed performance. Not to mention breaking 29 records at the Bonneville Salt Flats. The Avanti was publicly introduced on April 26, 1962, simultaneously at the New York International Automobile Show and at the Annual Shareholders’ Meeting.
20. Volkswagen Beetle
The Volkswagen Beetle, officially the Volkswagen Type 1 or commonly known as the bug, is a two-door, four-passenger, rear-engine economy car that was manufactured and marketed by German automaker Volkswagen from 1938 until 2003. The need for this kind of vehicle, and its functionality, was formulated by the leader of Nazi Germany, Adolf Hitler, who wanted an inexpensive car to be mass-produced for his country’s new road network. Ferdinand Porsche was contracted to design and build it in 1934.
19. 1966 Maserati Ghibli
The Ghibli was first unveiled at the Turin Motor Show as a 2-seater prototype at the November of 1966. It featured pop-up headlamps, leather front sport seats and alloy wheels. The original Ghibli is a two-door, 2+2 V8-engined grand tourer. American magazine Sports Car International named it number nine on its list of Top Sports Cars of the 1960’s. It had a 0-60 mph time of 6.8 seconds and a top speed of 155 mph.
18. Citroën DS
The Citroën DS is a front-engine, front-wheel-drive executive car that was manufactured and marketed from 1955 to 1975 by the French company Citroën. It came in three body configurations, sedan, wagon/estate and convertible. Known for its aerodynamic, futuristic body design and innovative technology. It set new standards in ride quality, handling, and braking and was the first ever production car to be equipped with disc brakes. The company sold 1,455,746 examples, including 1,330,755 that were built at the manufacturer’s Paris Quai André-Citroën production plant.
17. Alfa Romeo 33 Stradale
The Alfa Romeo 33 Stradale is a mid-engined sports car built by Italian automaker Alfa Romeo. Between 1967 and 1969, 18 examples were produced. First built in 1967, the Alfa Romeo 33 Stradale was based on the Autodelta Alfa Romeo Tipo 33 racing car. Designed by Franco Scaglione and built by Carrozzeria Marazzi, the car made its debut at the Turin Motorshow in 1967. A twin headlight version of the 33 Stradale also made an appearance in the 1969 Italian movie Un bellissimo novembre.
16. Austin-Healey Sprite
The Sprite is a small open-top sports car which was produced by Austin-Healey in the United Kingdom from 1958 to 1971. It was announced to the press in Monte Carlo by the British Motor Corporation in May of 1958, just before that year’s Monaco Grand Prix. The Sprite quickly became known as the “frogeye” in the United Kingdom and the “bugeye” in the United States because its headlights were mounted on top of the hood, inboard of the front fenders. A total of 48,987 “frogeye” Sprites were made.
15. 1966 Ford Lotus Cortina Mk1
The Ford Cortina Lotus was a high-performance sports saloon produced in the United Kingdom from 1963 to 1970 by the Ford Motor Company in collaboration with Lotus Cars. Lotus Cortina is the commonly used term for the vehicle. There were 3,306 Mark I and 4,093 Mark 2 Lotus Cortinas ever produced. The original version was based on the Ford Cortina Mark 1 and was promoted by Ford as the “Consul Cortina developed by Lotus”. The Mark 2 was based on the Ford Cortina Mark 2 marketed by Ford as the “Cortina Lotus”.
14. Pontiac Tempest
The Pontiac Tempest was produced from 1961 to 1970 and from 1987 to 1991. This car went through 4 generations all with a V8 engine.
13. Iso Grifo
The Iso Grifo was a grand tourer manufactured by Iso Autoveicoli S.p.A. The car was meant to compete with Ferrari and Maserati GT featuring American car parts supplied by Chevrolet and Ford. It featured a Chevy Corvette small-block 327 V8.
12. Toyota 2000GT
The Toyota 2000 GT was a hardtop coupe designed by Toyota in collaboration with Yamaha. It debuted at the Tokyo Motor Show in 1965. Toyota changed the automotive world’s opinion of Japan with the 2000 GT. It proved to the world that Japanese automakers could produce a sports car.
11. Ferrari Daytona
The Ferrari Daytona was a 2-seat grand tourer produced from 1968 to 1973. It debuted at the Paris Auto Salon in 1968. It featured a Colombo V12.
10. Mercury Cougar
The Mercury Cougar was Mercury’s first “Pony Car” muscle car. It features a full-width divided grille with hidden headlamps and a 2-barrel V8 engine. The car would enter its second generation in 1971.
9. Chevrolet Impala
The Chevrolet Impala debuted as a restyled with more trim and boxier. It featured a “bubble back” roof with a 2-door sedan.
8. Plymouth Barracuda
The Plymouth Barracuda was the second generation of the Barracuda. The car features a 383 Super Commando engine. Chrysler made around 50 Barracudas with 426 cu Hemi engines strictly for Super Stock drag racing.
7. Chevrolet Chevelle
The Chevrolet Chevelle was the second generation for this vehicle. The SS released at a price of $2,899.
6. Chevrolet Corvette Stingray
The Chevrolet Corvette C3 or Stingray debuted in 1968. It was assembled in St. Louis, with a small-block V8 engine. Its original price was $4,780.
5. Shelby Daytona Coupe
The Shelby Daytona Coupe is an American sports-coupé related to the AC Cobra roadster. Only six Shelby Daytona Coupes were built between 1964 and 1965. Ford entered their six Shelby Daytona Coupes in numerous races through the British Alan Mann Racing Ford factory team 1964 and 1965. In 2015, Shelby American announced that they would produce a limited run of 50 Daytonas to honor the 50th anniversary of their win at the 1965 FIA Sports Car Championship. Of the 50 cars, some are going to be aluminum-bodied, while others will have fiberglass bodies.
4. 1963 Porsche 356 B
The 356 is a luxury sports car first produced by Austrian company Porsche Konstruktionen GesmbH from 1948–1949, and then by German company Dr. Ing. h. c. F. Porsche GmbH from 1950–1965 and was Porsche’s first production automobile. It is a lightweight and nimble-handling, rear-engine, rear-wheel drive, two-door vehicle available in a hardtop coupé and open-top configurations. Of the 76,000 originally produced, approximately half survive.
3. 1967 Shelby GT500
The Shelby Mustang is a high performance variant of the Ford Mustang which was built by Shelby from 1965 to 1968, and from 1969 to 1970 by the Ford Motor Company. The 1967 Shelby GT500 was the first model built in the range. It’s based on the 1967 Mustang Fastback produced back in 1967. The G.T. 500 was subsequently known as The Cobra G.T. 500 KR which stood for “King of the Road.” The also created the Super Snake which is a 1967 Fastback equipped with a G.T. 500 with a 427 FE GT40 racing engine capable of producing 650 horsepower.
2. 1967 Chevrolet Camaro
The first-generation Camaro appeared in Chevrolet dealerships back in September of 1966 and was built through 1969. The 1967 model shared the same subframe/semi-unibody design with the 1968 Chevy II Nova. There were a total of 120 factory and dealer options available to the Camaro, including three main packages: the RS, the SS and the Z/28. There were also 20 different engines variations and 3 transmission options available for 1967-1969 Camaros.
1. Triumph TR3A
The TR3 is a British sports car produced by the Standard-Triumph Motor Company of Coventry, England between 1955 and 1962. Although the car was usually supplied as an open two-seater, an occasional rear seat and bolt-on steel hard top were available as extras. It is also the first production vehicle that came with standard disc brakes, which were continued on the “TR3A” facelift. Known for its superior braking ability, it became a crowd favorite in the autocross scene.