The Most Beautiful Cars in the World
Each year at the Concours of Elegance, we bring together some of the rarest and most beautiful cars ever created. This gathering of vehicles showcases the diverse innovations of the automotive industry in forever creating objects that transcend their purpose to become rolling works of art. Beauty, as ever, is in the eye of the beholder but there are some vehicles on which we all agree.
Jaguar E-Type
The Jaguar E-Type is widely regarded as one of the most beautiful cars ever made, designed by aerodynamicist, Malcolm Sayer. Sayer didn’t set out to design the world’s most beautiful car, the styling was merely a byproduct of the aerodynamicist’s desire to go fast. Jaguar’s former design director Ian Callum claims: “Malcolm Sayer shaped the E-Type with absolutely pure geometric lines. He wasn’t driven by aesthetics for the sake of it, he was trying to build something that was shaped by mathematics. That’s how he built his cars up and their beauty is determined by purity and simplicity.”
Lamborghini Miura
There are two words to describe Lamborghini’s Miura — beautiful and visionary. When the jewel was unveiled to the world in 1966, it entranced car aficionados. The car’s sleek, muscular lines and mid-mounted engine placement were unlike anything seen before in the automobile world. By 1973, the car’s production run came to an end, but thanks to the Miura, the supercar era was in full swing with new cars competitors fashioning from Ferrari and Maserati, and the automotive landscape was changed forever.
Mercedes 300SL ‘Gullwing’
The Mercedes-Benz 300SL Gullwing is considered a beautiful car for a variety of reasons. Firstly, its unique gullwing doors, which open upwards rather than outwards, add a distinct design element to the car and set it apart from other vehicles of its time. Secondly, its sleek, aerodynamic body was designed to maximize performance, which contributes to its attractive lines and curves. Finally, the 300SL was advanced for its time, featuring state-of-the-art engineering and technology, which only adds to its allure. Its combination of iconic design, innovative technology, and engineering prowess make the Mercedes-Benz 300SL Gullwing a timeless classic and a true work of automotive art.
Aston Martin DB4 GT Zagato
In late 1960 DB4GT Zagato was unveiled at the London Motor Show, clothed in a stunningly beautiful and lightweight body from the famous Italian coachbuilder. Only 19 examples were produced and this rarity is reflected in their high value today. The DB4 GT Zagato’s sumptuous shape, harmonious proportions and flowing lines imbue it with close-to-perfect proportions, which are combined with an increase in power and a decrease in weight due to the use of numerous aluminium components as well as Perspex windows.
Voisin C-27 Aerosport
The body itself is beautifully aerodynamic, with a low-slung coupé roofline, beautiful aluminium accents and intricate pentagon windows. The roof itself slides backwards at the flick of a switch using a complex mechanism powered by its own separate engine. When stowed it sits neatly in the passenger compartment. The interior itself is finished in a striking black and white geometric pattern, able to accommodate passengers and their luggage in absolute comfort.
Lancia Astura Castagna ‘Aerodinamico’
Although it is perfectly suited to the Lancia chassis atop which it is perched today, that stunning aerodynamic body by the Italian coachbuilder, Castagna, was in fact originally crafted for an Alfa Romeo 8C 2300 Lungo and was shown at the 1934 Milan Motor Show. In 1935, on instructions from Vittorio and Bruno Mussolini, sons of the Italian dictator, it was transferred to the shortened chassis of a V8-engined Lancia Astura Series 2.