13 Vintage Cars Every Enthusiast Knows And Loves

We are big fans of vintage cars, often some of the planet’s most excellent and exciting vehicles. However, they can be expensive, so we only sometimes get a chance to buy one!

We all know and love some vintage cars, and this list contains 13 of the most recognizable. The vehicles range from true classics to more obscure ones, giving the list a wide range.

Toyota 2000GT

The gorgeous Toyota 2000GT is one of Toyota’s best-ever cars and one of the best classic cars in the world, full-stop. The 2000GT was Toyota’s answer to the formidable Jaguar E-Type, and it showed the European and American manufacturers that Japan could produce a fast and exciting sports car.

Under the hood, it had a 2.0-2.3-liter inline-six engine producing up to 148 hp. Outside, it had an immaculate and sleek exterior, with pop-up headlights and a unique convertible model that appeared in the 1967 James Bond film You Only Live Twice. Toyota 2000GTs are now extremely valuable, regularly selling for over $1 million.

Buick GNX

Despite the power on offer, the iconic 1987 Buick GNX failed to capture the hearts and minds of the muscle car fanbase. At the time, Buick wanted to give its Regal a fitting farewell, so it enlisted the help of McLaren’s American division, and they set about turning the coupe into one of the most exciting muscle cars on the planet.

The result was a monster that had even more power than Buick realized. Under the hood, the power of the 3.8-liter V6 engine increased to 276 hp and 360 lb-ft of torque. However, many consider this a conservative estimate by Buick. The reality is that the power levels are much higher, well over 300 hp in stock form. The GNX also had impressive performance figures, with 0-60 mph in 4.7 seconds and a top speed of 124 mph. 

Volvo P1800

Volvo might be most famous for its station wagons, but the Swedish manufacturer knows a thing or two about coupes. In 1961, Volvo introduced the P1800, a stunning coupe with a 1.8-liter four-cylinder engine under the hood that produced 100 hp, which later increased to 120 hp. In 1968, Volvo added a 2.0-liter engine to the lineup, producing 118 hp.

The P1800 appeared in “The Saint,” starring Roger Moore, which helped to increase its popularity. It has become one of the most sought-after classic Volvos. Volvo would create several versions of the P1800, including the P1800 ES shooting brake.

Lancia 037

There is a strong argument that the Lancia 037 is the most famous car from the Italian manufacturer. The 037 is the Lancia that took on the mighty Audi Quattro in the 1983 World Rally Championship season. Amazingly, the rear-wheel drive Italian sports car beat the four-wheel drive German, and it was the last time a two-wheel drive car won the WRC.

Lancia produced only a small number of street car versions of the 037, all of which had a 205 hp, 167 lb-ft of torque 2.0-liter supercharged inline-four under the hood. It remains one of the most excellent cars from the Lancia factory and one of the best, remarkably, to win a WRC title.

Ferrari F40

Few can or will dispute the legendary status of the Ferrari F40. The F40 is an iconic supercar, the last Ferrari unveiled before founder Enzo Ferrari died. The vehicle commemorated the company’s 40th anniversary and is now one of the most valuable Prancing Horse vehicles created.

Under the hood is the famous 2.9-liter twin-turbocharged V8 engine with 471 hp, enough power to propel the F40 to a top speed of 201 mph. The F40 could also sprint off the line quickly, with a 0-60 time of just under four seconds. To many, the F40 will be the greatest Ferrari ever and undoubtedly one of the world’s greatest supercars.

Audi Quattro

Audi has turned its Quattro name into a brand, but there was a time when it was its own model, making a name for itself in the World Rally Championship and at the famous Pikes Peak Hillclimb. Audi produced the Quattro from 1980 to 1991, and it became a cult icon of the 1980s and symbolized the decade perfectly. 

There were multiple versions of the Quattro, all powered by one of Audi’s inline-five engines, but the car is most famous for its rallying exploits. The Quattro won the World Rally Championship title in 1982 and 1984 and placed second in 1983 and 1985. The Quattro won 23 races, and the Sport Quattro S1 E2 won at Pikes Peak.

Jaguar E-Type/XK-E

Few vintage car icons hold a candle to the Jaguar E-Type or the XK-E as it was in the United States. The E-Type originated in the 1960s but had some pretty innovative features. The unitary body construction, front and rear independent suspension, and disc brakes all stood out, as few other vehicles had such features.

The most famous E-Type is the Series 1, produced from 1961 to 1968. It is the car Enzo Ferrari allegedly said was the most beautiful car ever made.” Power for the Series 1 came from the 3.8-liter and 4.2-liter XK inline-six engines, producing up to 265 hp and a top speed of 150 mph.

Jaguar XJS

After their success with the E-Type, Jaguar knew it had to develop a successor that was just as good. However, no matter what the British manufacturer did, it could never replicate the popularity of the E-Type. But they gave it a good go with the excellent XJS.

The XJS was Jaguar’s difficult second album, and the British manufacturer decided to use the E-Type as its starting point. Malcolm Sayer and Doug Thorpe did the styling jointly, and after Sayer sadly passed away, Thorpe did it again. Under the hood, the XJS had a 5.3-liter V12 available at launch, which meant its performance was well above the competition’s. Jaguar would later add a straight-six to make the XJS more economical, but the V12 would remain an option.

Lancia Stratos

While the Lancia 037 might be the most noteworthy car from the Italian manufacturer, the eye-catching Stratos is probably the most well-known. Lancia introduced the Stratos in the 1970s specifically to dominate the World Rally Championship, and they did exactly that.

The Stratos would dominate in the WRC and win the manufacturers’ championship in 1974, 1975, and 1976. Sandro Munari would add a driver’s title to the Stratos’s tally in 1977. Under the hood was a Ferrari-Dino V6 engine, and Lancia built just 492 road-going versions of the car, making them extremely rare and valuable in 2024.

Range Rover

Everyone knows and loves the original Range Rover. It is the SUV that changed our mindset on what an off-roader could be like. They no longer had to be spartan and rugged; the Range Rover showed us that we can have luxury and comfort when we go off the beaten track. Ironically, Range Rover never intended for the SUV to become a luxury object!

The stout bodywork included coil springs, all-around disc brakes, a lightweight but powerful V8 licensed from Buick, and a permanent four-wheel drive. It was a massive change from the agricultural Land Rovers that came before it, and such was its popularity that the original Range Rover was in production for more than a quarter of a century.

Lamborghini Countach

Lamborghini stunned the world with the Miura but knew it had to go one better for its successor. The incredible Countach, thanks to design genius Marcello Gandini, had a radical wedge shape. Add a Lamborghini V12 under the hood, and you have one of the best supercars in automotive history.

Power went from 440 hp in the prototype to 370 hp in the production version LP400 and 449 hp with the 25th Anniversary and Evoluzione models. The Countach holds a special place in Lamborghini’s history, so much so that in 2021, the company introduced a revived Countach, modernizing the supercar in an exclusive, limited-production run.

First-Generation Ford Mustang

Few classic muscle cars are as revered as the first-generation Ford Mustang. The original pony car arguably kickstarted the muscle car revolution and is still going strong today. The Mustang will enter an all-new generation in 2024.

The styling with the long hood and short deck made the Mustang instantly recognizable. While the base model only had an inline-six under the hood, the Mustang became most famous for its association with the Ford big and small block V8 engines. Out of all the early Mustangs, the most powerful and muscular was the 1964 289 HiPo “K-code” with 271 hp and 312 lb-ft of torque.

Ford Mustang Boss 429

One of the rarest and most remarkable Ford Mustangs is the Mustang Boss 429, a special version of Ford’s muscle car designed to compete in NASCAR. Ford needed to produce several road-going versions of the Boss 429 to allow it to compete, but before that, it was necessary to work hard so the 429 ci V8 engine could fit under the hood.

The 429 ci V8 was so big that the Blue Oval had to work tirelessly to get it into the Mustang’s engine bay. After it proved so troublesome, Ford gave up on running the Boss 429 in NASCAR and concentrated on a limited production run of the road cars. Ford produced 1,356 examples of the Boss 429 Mustang, officially rated power at 375 hp. However, many believe Ford was conservative with this estimate, with the actual power figure closer to 500 hp.