There are cool classic cars, and then there are COOL classic cars. Some cars just stand apart from others, regardless of what else is available at the time. We have looked at many different classic cars and found seven of them that stand out from all of their competition. We looked at four features to determine who would make the list. These features include:
– Rarity
– Impact the car had on the industry
– Power of the engine
– And overall style
What we found is that there are several amazing cars out there, but only seven scored the highest in all four categories. Listed by age and not ranking, the following seven vehicles are the coolest classic cars around.
1- 1957 300 SL Gullwing Mercedes Benz
Designed to replicate the Mercedes racing car, the 300 SL Gullwing was the first production car to sport the Gullwing style. These magnificent cars were only manufactured between 1954 and 1963. There were only 3,258 of these vehicles ever made. The rarest are the 300 SL’s that had an aluminum body. There were only 43 of these made, and at auction, these vehicles exceed the $3 million mark. However, it is not unusual for the 1957 to hit the million-dollar mark. The car had the fastest production engine at the time/ It was an M198 Straight Six engine capable of 168 mph.
2- 1960 Porsche 356
The Porsche 356 was designed by Ferdinand Porsche and was first introduced in 1948. The predecessor of the 911, the 356 was original when it was first released. A two-seater with a rear-engine, the sports car was small, sleek, and super-fast. The 356 only had a four-cylinder, 1.1-liter engine that was air-cooled., but the lightweight and aerodynamic design made it quick. Collectors grab these cars up fast, with the last one at auction selling for almost $700,000.
3- 1966 Shelby Cobra – 427
Designed by Carroll Shelby, the Shelby Cobra is in a class of its own. How do you take a Shelby to the next level? You put in a 427 engine. The 1966 Shelby Cobra 427 ranks up there as one of the rarest production cars ever made. There are only 23 Cobra 427’s in the world, and they are some of the most coveted cars on the market. The power behind the 427 was incredible. It was documented that the Cobra 427 could go from 0-100 and come to a full stop all within 14 seconds!
4- 1966 Corvette Stingray 427 Big Block
The C-2 was first released in 1963. The impressive Stingray has been stated to be the best Stingray ever released to date. The streamlined car was fast, sassy, and everything that you would expect from a Corvette. That is until the 1966 Stingray was released. Chevy dropped am 8-cylinder 427 big block into the Stingray, making it incredibly fast and giving it the “Corvette Hum.”
5- 1969 Ford Mustang Boss 429
The 1969 Ford Mustang Boss 429 is in a class all to itself. The popularity of the Mustang muscle car was already in full effect by the time the Boss 429 was released. Ford Motor Company was trying to develop a Hemi engine for their race cars to compete with the Chrysler Hemi 426. The result: the Hemi 429. Less than 1,400 Boss 429 Mustangs were ever built. If you can ever find one, consider yourself lucky.
6- 1970 Plymouth Barracuda
The Plymouth Barracuda is unique in many ways. Often referred to as the “Hemi ‘Cuda,” was the first muscle car put out by Plymouth. The aerodynamic design was unique at the time, and the car was built on an “E” frame, which gave it a different feel while driving. The ‘Cuda had a 426 Hemi 7.0 liter engine that was as fast as it was big. The Hemi ‘Cuda is one of the most collectible cars on the market today.
7- 1984 Ferrari Testarossa
In 1984, Ferrari released the Testarossa. This model of Ferrari was everything that you could have ever desired in a high-end sports car. It was sleek, and it was fast; it was amazing in every way. The Testarossa had a V-12 engine that sounded as if the car was purring when it was idle or while driving. The Testarossa stayed in production until 1996.
There are several other cars that almost made the top seven list. These classics included the California Roadster, the Superbird, and the Lamborghini Countach. Everyone has their own real preferences for the best car ever.
What makes a classic car special, however, is not always the low production number, the power of the engine, or the fact that it was the first of a class of designs. Sometimes the thing that makes a car a classic is how it was relevant in our lives.
