Best Classic Cars Ever

If you’ve ever gotten into a debate with a fellow classic car collector or enthusiast about which is the best classic of all time, then you’ve no doubt experienced what our team experiences regularly – very passionate debate on the topic with no unanimous agreement!

Classic cars, whether you’re a seasoned hoarder or just a novice admirer, are a beloved part of our collective automotive history. From the sleek lines of the Jaguar E-Type to the iconic air-cooled engines of early Porsche 911s, these are cars that make up this shared passion of ours and we celebrate them all!.

So when it came to naming the best classic car of all time, we couldn’t simply rely on opinion because ours all differ. So instead, we turned to data.

The Data?

We compiled a list of the top classic cars based on several data sets:

Number of cars sold through carandclassic.com in the last 15 years

How many of this specific type of car have sold on our website in the last 15 years? We think this is one of the most important measures of how much a car is valued. The number sold is one of the primary measures we’re using to determine how desirable they are.

Average number of monthly searches for each model in Google

We looked at the number of searches in Google each month as an indicator (albeit a less important one than sales) of popularity of a given car.

Average sale price each type of car achieved on carandclassic.com

We took into account the average price each type of car achieved when sold on our website in the last 15 years.

Number of usages of the car’s hashtag on Instagram

While the most “Instagrammable” classic car isn’t necessarily the best, we do feel that we should give a nod to how much people want to talk about certain cars on social media.

Not all factors are equal, of course. So we weighed up how important each of those factors was to make it a little more sensible.If you want to read more about how we gathered our data and analysed it, there’a a full section on methodology at the end of the article.

But that’s enough about numbers, let’s dive into the cars.

What’s the best classic car of all time?

Drum roll please!

The best classic car of all time is… the Porsche 911.

That’s according to the data anyway. And here’s the full top 10.

Now, many will probably agree that the Porsche 911 deserves its place at the top. This is a car that’s as desirable today as it ever was. 

But some may be surprised by some names that have made an appearance in this list of the best classics of all time.

So let’s take a quick look at what makes our top 10 so special.

1: Porsche 911

The Porsche 911 secured its top spot in our rankings based on the following factors (weighted as outlined in our methodology).

Overall Rank – 1

The Porsche 911 is one of the best known and most recognisable sports cars in the world, and undoubtedly Porsche’s most iconic car.

It has enjoyed a well deserved production run, with the first ones hitting the road in 1964 and the latest models still being produced today.

The 911 has changed in many ways in the almost 60 years since its inception. But one thing that hasn’t changed much at all is that iconic silhouette that makes them instantly recognisable.

There have been various versions of Carreras (the “basic” 911), Targas, Turbos and the high performance GT2, GT3, GT2 RS and GT3 RS versions.

Some of the most notable classic versions include:  

– 1973 911 Carrera RS 2.7 – highly sought after and very expensive at auction – only around 1500 were ever made.

– 1994-1998 Porsche 911 (993) – 993 being Porsche’s internal model number . Alongside the earlier 930s this is considered to be the epitome of 911s by a lot of 911 enthusiasts.

How much would a classic Porsche 911 cost today?

Obviously since there are so many different types of 911, this is a difficult question to answer. 

A 1973 Porsche 911 Carrera 2.7 RS could set you back the best part of £500,000 in mint condition.

But worry ye not, those of shallow pockets, because there are so many 911s out there that it’s actually possible to find myriad models at very affordable prices, if you care to look.

The average sale price of a 911 on Car & Classic is around £58,000 – 3rd highest average sale price of any make and model on the site.

Check out the range of available models on our Porsche 911 page.

2: Ford Mustang

The silver medal winner is the trendsetting Ford Mustang.

Overall Rank – 2

One of Ford’s most successful models and its most long-standing, the Mustang has been in continuous production since 1964!

The Ford Mustang is an iconic American muscle car that was first produced in 1964. It was originally designed as a two-door coupe, but a convertible version was introduced in 1965, with many more body styles joining the ranks over the years.

The immensely popular first generation was sold in huge numbers with more than 300,000 finding homes in the US in its first year and a half alone.

We’ve enjoyed 6 generations of the Mustang so far, with a seventh expected in 2024.

The iconic “Mustang” logo or “Pony” as it is affectionately known, adorns most (but not all) Mustangs on the front grille of the car.

The Mustang has been a regular feature on race tracks over the years, too with many high performance models racking up the silverware, none more recognisable than the Shelby Mustang of the late ‘60s.

The popularity of the Ford Mustang has undoubtedly been helped along by some impressive appearances on celluloid. The chase scene in the 1968 film Bullitt featured a Mustang 390 GT and a Dodge Charger and remains one of the most memorable chase scenes in cinematic history.

Although the Mustang was only available as a left-hand drive car for many years in the UK, Ford finally started to produce right-hand drive versions across the pond in 2014.

How much would a classic Ford Mustang 911 cost today?

The average sale price on Car & Classic for a classic Ford Mustang is around £31,000, the 7th highest average sale price for any make and model on the site.

For a classic ‘60s matching numbers model in excellent condition you could quite easily pay the best part of £250,000. However there are many modestly priced cars available on our Ford Mustang page.

3: Land Rover Range Rover

In the bronze medal spot is the Land Rover Range Rover. Here are the metrics that’s based on:

Overall Rank – 3

Another vehicle with a well earned production run, the Range Rover has been produced in some way, shape or form since the ‘70s (when they were manufactured by British Leyland).

There have been 5 generations of the Range Rover, 3 of which can almost certainly be considered classic.

The first generation (more commonly known as the Range Rover Classic) was manufactured between 1970 all the way up to 1996 – originally by British Leyland and later by Land Rover (or Jaguar Land Rover nowadays).

During the ‘80s, the Range Rover went considerably upmarket and made its US debut in 1987, 17 years after it was first manufactured.

The first generation came to an end in 1996 after an incredible 26 year run.

The second generation of Range Rovers were launched in 1994 and their production run lasted 8 years.

The third generation Range Rover ran from 2002 to 2012, and saw the marque go more upmarket (with a little help from BMW, who had acquired the Land Rover brand following its acquisition of Rover in 1994).

BMW developed much of the third generation before selling the Land Rover brand to Ford in 2001, who continued to produce it.

Fourth and fifth generations went into production in 2012 and 2022 respectively, manufactured by Jaguar Land Rover following Ford’s sale of the Brand to the Tata Group in 2008.

“Range Rover” was our most searched model, coming in 1st with 3,240,000 average monthly searches in Google.

How much would a classic Range Rover cost today?

You can pick up a classic second generation Range Rover from as little as £5,000 or so if you’re happy to have a car that is well used or needs a bit of TLC. The average sale price of a classic Range Rover on Car & Classic is around about £18,000 (13th highest average sale price on the site).

But if you’re looking for an early first generation model in excellent condition, you could pay north of £100,000.  Click to see all Classic Range Rovers that we currently have listed on our site or to read up on 5 things you should know before bidding, check out our Range Rover buying guide. 

4: Chevrolet Corvette

With an ongoing production run of over 60 years, we think the Corvette has more than earned its position in our top 10.

It’s also the most Instagrammed classic car of all the ones we looked at.

Overall Rank – 4

The Chevrolet Corvette is an American sports car that has been in production for over 10 decades. Its legendary status is mostly down to its sleek design, powerful V8 engines and exhilarating driving experience. The Corvette has been a favourite among car enthusiasts for generations and it continues to be one of the most popular sports cars on the market today.

The first Corvette hit the roads in 1953, while the most recent 7th generation began rolling off production lines in 2020.

Amongst the most popular classics Corvettes are:

– 1963 Corvette Sting Ray: one of the most iconic Corvette models ever made. It was the first Corvette to feature fully independent suspension and came with 360bhp.

– 1967 Corvette C2: another iconic model. It was the first Corvette to feature a removable roof panel.

–  Corvette ZR-1: the first Corvette to feature a high-performance engine from Chevrolet’s racing division, Special Vehicles Engineering (SVE).

How much would a classic Chevrolet Corvette cost today?

This is something of a premium classic car with average sale prices on our site of over £34,000. But in reality, for a pristine classic Chevrolet Corvette, you could find yourself spending over £100,000.

5: Jaguar E-Type

An iconic vehicle that’s instantly recognisable, the Jaguar E-Type takes position 5.

Overall Rank – 5

The Jaguar E-Type comes in fifth in our list and is the most popular model of the bunch that is no longer in production.

The British classic E-type was manufactured between 1961 and 1974 and is one of the most recognisable classic sports cars of all time.

There were 3 production runs. Series 1, 2 & 3, with the series one cars being some of the most sought-after models around.  The E-type was available as either a coupé or a roadster.

The E-Type has been a staple of the big screen, too and has been featured in many films – from  Austin Powers – with its Union Jack Bodywork – to the spectacular helicopter chase scene from the film Diabolik.

How much would a classic Jaguar E-Type cost today?

The average sale price of a Jaguar E-type on carandclassic.com is over £89,000, making it the make and model with the highest average sale price on our website.

If you are looking for a Series 1 roadster in excellent condition, you can expect to spend up to £250,000. A Series 2 or 3 will cost less as they are not as desirable but in decent condition you can expect to pay around £40,000 – £50,000.

Check out all the Jaguar E-types we have listed on our website.

6: Volkswagon Camper

The VW Camper needs no introduction. It’s quirky and iconic – a poster child for the swinging sixties. The Volkswagen Camper has graced movie screens for decades (including an appearance as a standout yellow camper in Little Miss Sunshine) and continues to charm us today.

Overall Rank – 6

The original Volkswagen Camper, also known as the Type 2, was introduced in1950 by the German manufacturer, Volkswagen, as its second car model. It was designed by Dutch importer Ben Pon, who was inspired by the sight of motorised trolleys being used to transport parts around a VW factory in Wolfsburg.

63 years later, in 2013, the last one rolled off the production line in Brazil. It wasn’t a loss of enthusiasm, nor the death of demand that killed production of the camper. Instead, it was tighter regulations imposed in South America at the time (the same issue that had moved production away from Germany in 1979).

We may have waved a fond farewell to production, but enthusiasts continue to buy and sell these beloved campers today. They’re a hit on social media too, with over 1 million uses of the hashtag #volkwagencamper on Instagram.

How much would a classic Volkswagen Camper cost today?

The average sale price of VW campers on carandclassic.com is just over £26,000, but prices range from as little as around £3,500 for rough examples up to well in excess of £35,000.

Browse all of the VW campers on our site now.

7: Land Rover Defender

The reliable off road capable Defender secures position 7.

Overall Rank – 7

The Land Rover Defender comes in a very respectable 7th in our list. 

The Defender was in production between 1983 and 2016, originally under various different names such as the “110” or the “90” which referred to the length of the vehicle’s wheelbase. It  was renamed as The Defender in 1990 when Land Rover introduced the Discovery and all previous models were then referred to as “Defenders”.

This initial production run lasted for an impressive 33 years. Jaguar Land Rover launched an all-new defender in 2020, but they obviously won’t be considered as Classics for some time to come.

As a powerful 4×4 with off-road capabilities, the Land Rover Defender was (and still is) a popular choice of vehicle for emergency services (police/mountain rescue), the armed forces and industries requiring powerful off-road cars such as farming. 

Coupled with its increasing appeal to those who see it as a lifestyle vehicle, you can see why Jaguar Land Rover have decided to bring it back to life.

How much would a classic Land Rover Defender cost today?

The average sale price of all the Land Rover Defenders sold through Car & Classic in recent years is around £17,800 but you can expect the values to fluctuate depending on age, mileage and condition. Check out our page for the currently available Land Rover Defenders.

8: BMW 3 Series

The BMW 3 series lands itself in position 8.

Overall Rank – 8

With a production run of over 40 years so far and counting, the BMW 3 Series has a long and storied history. The first generation of the 3 Series, known as the E21, was introduced in 1975 and was an instant success, setting the benchmark for compact executive cars the world over. 

The 3 Series quickly became known for its handling and luxury, with the M3 setting the benchmark for performance, a trend that continues to this day.

The second generation of the 3 Series, the E30, was introduced in 1983 and the third generation E36 3 Series hit the streets in 1990.

From convertibles to coupés, the 3 Series appeals to so many different types of driver and collector and continues to be successful today, testament to its inherent qualities.

How much would a classic BMW 3 Series cost today?

The average price is a little over £11,000 on our website, making the BMW 3 Series amongst the more affordable classics available. But in reality, certain models in excellent condition, like the aforementioned M version, can set you back closer to £40,000 or £50,000.

9: Ford Escort

Perhaps one of the more surprising top 10 classics is the Ford Escort. But we think it has earned its place.

Overall Rank – 9

The classic Ford Escort was a small family car that was produced by Ford Europe from 1968 to 2000. It was one of the most popular cars in Europe during its production run and it was also sold in North America and other parts of the world. 

It built a solid reputation for reliability and fuel efficiency. But there was much more to the Ford Escort than simply being a reliable family run around.

The Ford Escort also made a name for itself in rallying, winning the World Rally Championship in 1979, 1981 and 1982.

Some of the most desirable classic Ford Escorts include:

• MK1 Escort RS1600 (1970-1974): The first Escort to wear the now legendary RS badging
• MK2 Escort RS2000 (1976-1980): With its distinctive nose the RS2000 was a performance model for the street
• MK3 Escort RS Turbo (1985-1986): Hot hatch royalty, the original RS Turbo is a proper legend
• MK5 Escort RS Cosworth (1992-1996): This homologation special with its ‘whale tale’ rear spoiler is just as iconic now as it was in the ‘90s, and rightly so.

The Ford Escort is popular amongst classic car collectors and with readily available parts and support, is also amongst the easiest of the classics in our list to maintain.

How much would a classic Ford Escort cost today?

On carandclassic.com, the average selling price of a classic Ford Escort is just over £22,000. But sale prices vary hugely. While you can pick up a classic Ford Escort in need of some work for a few thousand pounds, a pristine condition classic rally car could cost the best part of £90,000.

10: Mini Cooper

Stylish, relatively affordable and instantly recognisable, the Mini Cooper is a design classic and comes in 10th.

Overall Rank – 10

The classic Mini Cooper is simply iconic. Small, British and an absolute hoot to drive. Designed by Alec Issigonis it was first produced in 1959 and quickly became popular, largely down to its unique design, small size, and “most fun with your clothes on” driving experience. 

But its accolades went far beyond style. The Mini Cooper was also a successful racing car and won the Monte Carlo Rally four times in the 1960s, beating much bigger and more powerful cars.

Agile, fuel efficient and relatively easy to maintain – it’s little wonder that the Mini Cooper remains a hugely popular choice for classic car enthusiasts today.

How much would a classic Mini Cooper cost today?

The average sale price on our website is just over £16,000. But if you get an early Classic Mini Cooper in pristine condition you can expect to part with over £100,000 to make it yours.

Special mention: the most Instagrammable classic car of all time

Amongst the data sets we looked at here was the number of times the car had been used as a hashtag on Instagram. And while we unanimously agreed that this wasn’t the most important factor in determining the best classic car of all time (or close to being the most important factor), we do want to take a moment to unveil the most Instagrammable classic cars.

Because of course, part of the appeal of owning classics is the fact they look amazing and turn heads and let’s admit it, showing off has always been a factor to some degree. And when something looks good in 2023, it tends to end up on Instagram.

So here are the top 10 most Instagrammable cars based on our data set:

Your best classic car

Inspired to check out some of these brilliant classics? Take a look at live classic car auctions to start your journey to finding the best classic car for you. 

Methodology

We compiled a list of the top 100 classic cars based on the number of cars sold through carandclassic.com in the last 15 years.

From this top 100, we then took the top 30 results and acquired data on a further 3 metrics:

• Average number of monthly searches
• Average sale price on carandclassic.com
• Hashtag uses for the car’s hashtag on instagram

Important information about metrics:

Number of cars sold

We simply looked at the number of cars sold through Car and Classic over the last 15 years.

Average sale price

We took the average sale price for each of the top 30 most sold models for any car sold through car and classic that was manufactured before 2008

Average Monthly Search Volume

We used kwfinder.com to get the average number of monthly searches for each model (as of May 2023)

Instagram Hashtags

We searched the best matching hashtag for each model on Instagram and recorded the number of results returned. 

We then ranked each car by all of these factors and weighted these rankings according to how important we deemed them to be in determining how popular the cars have been over time.  The following shows how much each metric contributed to the overall ranking:

1. Quantity sold through car and classic (⅓)
2. Average monthly searches (¼)
3. Average sale price (¼)
4. Number of hashtags used (⅙)

We used these 4 metrics to then get an overall score for each make and model and these are the models which came out on top:

• Porsche 911
• Ford Mustang
• Land Rover Range Rover
• Chevrolet Corvette
• Jaguar E-Type
• Volkswagen Camper
• Land Rover Defender
• BMW 3 Series
• Ford Escort
• Mini Cooper

When dealing with the search terms and the instagram hashtags, people often do not search for the exact make and model, and where this was considered to be the case, we searched both the original make and model, and a more “natural” search term.  We then took the result which had the highest number in the results.  Here is a table of search terms and Instagram hashtags where such changes were made:

Caveats and limitations

The number of cars sold is based on data from carandclassic.com.  As the largest classic car marketplace in Europe, this was deemed to be a very good gauge of what the most popular models are.

The average sale price is another good gauge of how desirable a classic car is deemed to be.  We considered this to be less important than the number of cars sold.  This data could be skewed towards those models that fetch higher price tags.

The average monthly searches metric is likely to be skewed towards makes and models that have been around for a while and which are still in production today.  We deemed this metric to be of equal importance to the average sale price.

Instagram Hashtags can be used by anyone on Instagram for whatever reason, but they will be relevant to the overall popularity of a car.  This metric may also be skewed towards those models who still have production versions today.  We deemed this metric to be the least important of the 4, but it is still relevant.

And of course, while we’ve used data to determine the best classic of all time, the specific pieces of data used and their weighting is subjective. 

You can look at the numbers all you want but it’s those inherent, intangible qualities that attract us to certain cars, regardless of their cost or what other people think, and that cannot be quantified. For most of us, when it comes to classic cars, there’s generally a little more heart than head involved and it’s exactly that which makes this wonderful obsession of ours so eclectic.