6 Classic Cars That Ooze Style
Not Old, But Retro
What defines cool in the world of cars? Modern models are fast, beautiful, and show high performance on all aspects. But it is a classic car that will turn the heads of everyone. The fact that they have been created in the distant past does not mean that they are lame and old. And everybody who says this about classic cars does not understand a thing about the industry in general.
Modern auctions are full of classic cars that are sold for hundreds of thousands dollars, and every collector would give away a few modern vehicles to acquire one of those wheeled legends. Some cars on our list are part of the collection of the famous James Bond vehicles, and that is not surprising—he chooses only the best.
The next six cars are the high class of the industry.
1961 Jaguar E-Type
The Jaguar brand itself represents style and class in the world of cars. Every automobile from the conveyor belts of this renowned automaker is beautifully designed, shows excellent performance, and, unfortunately, is quite expensive. But the real icon of the brand is a classic car launched in 1961, the first E-Type. Designed similarly to the C and D type racing cars, this car was created with the idea of high speed in mind. The initial engine capacity was 3.8 liters but later was increased to 4.2 liters.
This two-seater was openly referred to as the most beautiful car in the world. Since its launch in 1961, Ferrari and other companies striven to create a car that would, at least, be able to rival E-Type. The real gem of the production are the first 500 cars that have been sold to the top customers and have some differences compared to the later units.
1963 Corvette Sting Ray
1963 Corvette is an icon of American classic cars. It gives a fair competition to all European legends. When the Sting Ray was first presented to the public, it outshined all previous Corvettes. Yes, they were still attractive and fast, however, the Sting Ray looked far batter, was lighter and easier to handle. It is said that the aesthetics of the mako shark inspired the C2 Corvette’s design.
This car was the first in many ways. It was the first Corvette to come as a coupe. A new split rear window attracted many drivers. Equipped with a fiberglass body, steel ladder frame, and a V8 engine, the car was an immediate success. Initially, it cost $4,000 for the convertible and about $4,250 for the coupe model. Now, the price for this second generation Corvette is way higher, and the car is treasured by the classics collectors.
1964 Aston Martin DB5
The next car on our list will be the first choice of every James Bond fan. Aston Martin DB5 is a car that would make you feel like Agent 007 because it is one of the coolest cars ever used by him. Of course, the real model does not have built-in guns and bullet-proof shields like the ones filmed in Goldfinger and Thunderball, but it is definitely a car to enjoy. Shown for only 15 minutes in the movies, the automobile became famous overnight.
Even without its role in the James Bond franchise, DB5 was known as the most exquisite Aston Martin car. Though it may have a significant resemblance to the DB4 car, it is completely different under the bonnet. The engine’s capacity was increased to 4 liters, and the new speed gearbox was introduced.
Nowadays, the auction sales state incredible prices paid for these cars—from 1.5 million dollars up to almost 2 million euros.
1969 Dodge Charger
Though it is not the most expensive classic car on modern auctions, 1969 Charger is a worthy representative of the breed of classic American cars. The car is not as popular as its Mustang counterparts, but its design and style will never be forgotten.
This model is a collage of James Bond cars; it also starred on TV, in a popular 1979 American show, The Dukes of Hazzard, from which we have learned about its aerodynamic properties.
Resembling the 1968 Charger, the 69′ model was upgraded with a new body. The tunneled rear window and round taillights were accompanied by a new split grille. At this stage, two new Charger models were inspired by the NASCAR sports cars and launched only for that year.
1967-70 Toyota 2000GT
2000GT is definitely the best representative of the Toyota line, as well as the best Asian car ever. In fact, the design and performance of the 2000GT car were so great that it was selected to be the Bond’s car for the movie You Live Only Twice. It is still the only classic Japanese car to be featured in the franchise. If it were good enough for 007, it would be the gem of every car collection. In fact, in 2015, it was auctioned for about one million dollars thus becoming the most expensive Asian car ever.
During the three years of its production, only 351 units were produced. The design was typical for the decade’s sports cars. The “coke bottle” design made it classic among other 1960’s GT cars. However, the car acquired some details that were new to GTs. Among them is the arrangement of headlights where the two units on the front grille are accompanied by pop-up lights above them. All in all, the model was rather unusual for Toyota, but it paid off greatly.
1969 Chevrolet Camaro
Another American classic is Chevrolet Camaro that was launched in 1969. The most influential man in the Camaro’s history, Don Yenko, had a taste for cars and knew what would make them even better. And so, the limited production of Yenko Camaro in 1969 was an immediate success. The line was equipped with a dual exhaust system, ducted hood, the L72 version engine, white lettered tires, and a 140 mph speedometer.
The year of 1969 was one of the best stages of the Camaro development and brought a few American classic cars that are valued even now.
