10 of the world's favorite vintage cars – DW – 04/06/2016 (2024)

Vintage cars are icons the past that still fascinate us today. Germany celebrates the world's classic models at the Techno-Classica fair, held from April 6-10: Here are some of the highlights you can expect to see there.

Henry Ford revolutionized transportation with his Ford Model T, the first affordable car. The conveyor belt he introduced in his assembly lines contributed to the model's success - and established new standards in industrial production. Immortalized in Aldous Huxley's "Brave New World," the Model T heralded the modern era of carpool lanes and has become the mother of all collector's items.

The Roaring Twenties were in full swing when Rolls-Royce launched its luxury car, the Phantom - a name that was also used for eight further models afterwards. Running at 40 horse power, its interior would be crafted by a coachbuilder to the owner's specifications. This resulted in India's ruling classes having some particularly outstanding, lavish designs put in, which are now worth millions.

A family car that was also used for racing - that's what the Alfa Romeo 8C model stood for, establishing the Italian brand (and Italian cars in general) as the go-to place for speedy and sexy cars. Back in the 1930s, the first edition stood out for its straight eight-cylinder engine. Production volume was highly limited in its initial years, making this a collector's dream.

With its signature gull-wing doors, the Mercedes 300 SL was conceived as a race car for the street. The model is also widely recognized as the first direct fuel injection car ever. It was designed to be a lightweight, and a very limited number were actually produced in an all-aluminum body: 29 to be precise. Those few models are the envy of all vintage car fans.

If Natalie Cole and Bruce Springsteen celebrated the American luxury brand in the 80s with the song "Pink Cadillac," their enthusiasm was rather based on nostalgia: The first edition of the Eldorado celebrated its peak in the 1950s, and its popularity steadily declined with each of the following generations of the model. The original Eldorado nevertheless remains an icon of car design.

Leave it to the Brits to come up with timeless design, beautiful detail, and outstanding performance in cars. The Jaguar E Type (also known as the XK-E, especially in the US market) encapsulated the shifting style of the 1960s and was named to be among the "100 most beautiful cars in the world" by the "Daily Telegraph." Enzo Ferrari himself called it "the most beautiful car ever made."

The name is Martin. Aston Martin. And just like a shaken-not-stirred martini, it also firmly belongs to James Bond's arsenal of seductive gadgets. With only about 1,000 models in circulation, the DB5 became somewhat of an automotive enigma through its starring role in "Goldfinger" in 1964.

Mustang Sallys around the world continue to celebrate the success of Ford's most adventurous design. Originally conceived as the Shelby G T 350 by racer-cum-automotive designer Carroll Shelby, the model continues to attract hobby mechanics specializing in fixer-uppers. Throughout the years, the car's hood would grow longer with each model - not only to accommodate bigger and better engines.

In direct competition with the Ford Mustang, Chevrolet introduced the Camaro in 1967. Keeping in line with Chevy's preference for names starting with a "C," the original production brand "Panther" was ditched merely days before the company went public with its newest design. Chevrolet also added new safety features to the Camaro following negative publicity about its track record.

Among vintage models, the MGB might be the most likely car to spot outside of a collectors' convention. It won many over on its safety features, including being one of the first cars to feature a crumple zone. The sporty lightweight from Britain still outperforms even some of the upmarket models built today. If you want to get into collecting classic cars, the MGB might be a good place to start.