What are the greatest cars of all time?
Mini, Jaguar E-Type, Volkswagen Beetle? Our expert shares his choice of the best cars of the modern era, decade-by-decade.
Mini, Jaguar E-Type, Volkswagen Beetle? Our expert shares his choice of the best cars of the modern era, decade-by-decade.
It’s the ultimate pub debate for mature petrolheads – what are the greatest cars of all time? Beauty, performance, sales figures or simply cultural importance, the criteria is impossibly confusing.
Who would be brave enough to claim that the iconic Mini ranks above the Jaguar E-Type, or place James Bond’s Aston Martin DB5 below the long-serving Porsche 911?
Everybody has their own view, but here are my thoughts for each decade since the 1950s – please tell us yours in the box below.
Squeezing into the first decade of our round-up is the original Mini. Launched on 26 August 1959, Alec Issigonis’ design was in response to fuel shortages caused by the Suez Crisis three years earlier.
The original model was branded the Morris Mini-Minor, and it caused a sensation. With petrol supplies under threat, motorists were desperate for more economical cars – the bubble-shaped Mini was the answer to their prayers.
Later, the Mini became a symbol of the swinging Sixties, but my next choice stole all the headlines...
Like the Mini, few cars are as recognisable as the Jaguar E-Type. Launched in 1961, this svelte grand tourer was available either as a coupe or a two-seat convertible, and even grumpy Enzo Ferrari had to admit that it was "the most beautiful car ever made".
The E-Type was based on the D-Type that won Le Mans three years in a row, and had a claimed top speed of 150mph – perfectly legal at the time (the 70mph maximum was not introduced until the mid-1960s).
It was speed and glamour in one very sexy package – no wonder it was driven by celebrities like Steve McQueen, Brigitte Bardot, Frank Sinatra and (ahem), much later, even me.
There’s a forecourt of cars vying to be best of the 1970s. How about the Ford Cortina or Escort, the Rover 3500 SD1 or the Reliant Scimitar – as driven by Princess Anne at the time?
The Lotus Esprit and Aston Martin V8 were the decade’s defining supercars, but I’m opting for the Ford Capri, a macho coupe offering the man in the street style at a more affordable price. As seen in TV series such as The Professionals and Minder, the Capri afforded cult status.
Sold under the slogan “the car you always promised yourself”, this poor man’s Porsche is now a sought-after classic.
Big hair and big shoulder pads were de rigueur on the dancefloor, and cars were getting larger too. The Peugeot 205 GTI was different.
Alongside the VW Golf GTI, the Peugeot was one of the original hot hatchbacks. Offered with a 1.6 or 1.9-litre engine, the GTI model would scrabble from 0-60mph in around 8 seconds – fairly modest by today’s standards.
While modern cars isolate passengers from the driving experience, the 205 was hands-on fun, and sometimes a little tail-happy too.
A convertible version followed, but Peugeot has since struggled to capture the 205’s success. The legendary, rally-winning Audi Quattro comes a close second for this decade.
The British car industry was all but dead at this point, and, although the Aston Martin DB7 and the Ford Escort Cosworth are worthy of mention, my car of the Nineties is the Porsche 911. The 993 model, to be exact – the very last 911 to be fitted with an air-cooled engine.
The first time I drove this car in Austria, I knew I was at the wheel of something very special indeed. Quick with fine handling, it was also arguably the prettiest 911 ever built.
Porsche character, superior build quality and very collectable today.
Wearing my sensible hat, I could suggest that the Honda Jazz and Toyota Yaris were strong contenders at the start of this new millennium. Fortunately, a lot more exciting cars were available.
The BMW M3 was a sporty saloon to rival the rally-bred Subaru WRX, and the new-generation Mini was also born – although it had put on a few pounds.
My pick is the lesser-spotted Nissan GT-R, a performance game changer.
Unveiled in 2007, this astonishing coupe would rocket from 0-60mph in just 3.3 seconds – enough to scare off a Ferrari. If you haven’t seen one, that’s because it was simply too fast.
They’re called modern classics, and there are plenty to choose from. Current F1 champions McLaren finally started making road cars in numbers, Honda launched the Civic Type-R, and Jaguar revealed the F-Type – a tribute to the E-Type that really wasn’t.
Top motor of the 2010s? I’ve chosen the humble Nissan Leaf, the first mass-market electric passenger car. In 2011, the first examples had a tiny battery and a range of 109 miles – at best.
Other drivers scoffed, but nobody is laughing now as the EV revolution rolls onwards.
The recently announced Car of the Year is the Mercedes CLA. I recently drove this EV around the Cotswolds and it’s very good indeed, a huge step up from the previous model.
I’m a big fan of the budget-priced Dacia Duster and best-selling Ford Puma, too, but my current favourite is the R5 – a modern take on the classic Renault 5.
An EV with attitude, the R5 majors on fun, with a cool interior and retro styling – there’s even a baguette holder for good measure.
Hero image credit: Getty
Choose our highest car cover level Saga Plus and freeze the price of your car insurance for 2 years if nothing changes. T&Cs apply.
Your chance to win a 7-night cruise for two on board Spirit of the Rhine, worth more than £4,000.
Try these simple tips and fixes for Saga’s crossword, sudoku and codeword puzzles.
With the start of the new financial year on 6 April, our money expert explains the changes to your pension, benefits and taxes.
