Best 60s cars: the 35 greatest cars of the 1960s
The swinging sixties brought a vast array of unforgettable cars that would establish the path of the industry for decades to come. We pick our top 35 best 60s cars...
Millions of families got their first taste of motoring in the 1960s, with car ownership on the rise thanks to low unemployment, rising wages and an increasing sense of optimism. London finally emerged from the shadows of the Second World War, cementing itself as the epicentre of fashion, music and culture.
From Mary Quant’s mini skirt gracing Carnaby Street to the sound of the Beatles playing from bedrooms across the nation, there’s a sense that Britain found its groove in the Swinging Sixties. England certainly had the world at its feet in 1966.
The motoring landscape was transformed. Although it was launched in 1959, the Mini – originally known as the Austin Se7en and Morris Mini-Minor – became a symbol of 60s life. As fashionable as it was frugal; as practical as it was small.
However, the Mini wasn’t the only British car capable of conquering the world. In 1961, Jaguar unveiled the E-Type, a sports car so alluring, Enzo Ferrari described it as the most beautiful car in the world. It will come as no surprise to discover that both the Mini and the E-Type make our list of the best cars of the 1960s.
In truth, the 1960s was the last golden decade of the British car industry. Quite how Britain managed to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory is a subject that could be discussed at length. The quality of the cars produced by Jaguar, Rover, MG, Aston Martin and Lotus should have provided the foundations for greatness. It wasn’t to be.
Around a third of the cars to have made our list of best cars of the 60s were made in Britain, while the others add a touch of American and European style and glamour.
The best cars of the 1960s
Check out our 35 top picks below and tells us about any we've missed in the comments at the bottom of the page...
Jaguar E-Type
If Enzo Ferrari claims that your new sports car is the most beautiful in the world, then you’re probably on to a winner. That’s exactly what happened when Il Commendatore saw the Jaguar E-Type at the 1961 Geneva Motor Show, where the model made its debut.
There’s no arguing that the Malcolm Sayer-designed two-seater was an elegant machine in coupe or roadster guises, and it had the performance to back up those looks, courtesy of a 3.8-litre straight-six derived from the Le Mans-winning D-Type.
Okay, so a bit of tuning was needed for the E-Type to hit 150mph, but with a price tag that was a couple of thousand pounds less than for an Aston Martin or Ferrari with the same performance, few buyers were likely to complain.
Mini
Despite its humble origins as a response to the fuel rationing brought about by the Suez Crisis in the mid-fifties, the BMC Mini arrived at the turn of the next decade as a cultural phenomenon that transcended the deep class divides of post-war Britain.
Before the British Motor Corporation officially founded the Mini brand in 1962, the iconic hatch was originally sold as either the Austin Se7en or the Morris Mini-Minor. Both versions, however, utilised Alex Issoginis’ revolutionary transverse engine/front-wheel drive layout, with the high-performance Mini Cooper arriving later down the line in 1961. This swapped the 34bhp 848cc from the originals out for a beefier 55bhp 1.0-litre unit and was homologated especially for Group 2 rally racing. In fact, just three years later, the even more powerful Cooper S drove Paddy Hopkirk to win the 1964 Monte Carlo Rally, cementing the Mini’s place in the motorsport history books.
MGB
Utter the phrase ‘British classic car’ and a huge percentage of the population will immediately think of the MGB. This sleek sports car once found itself on sale alongside the mighty Jaguar E-Type, and was a take on the 1960s sports car that many more people could afford.
While the fancier versions are powered by a thunderous V8, even the base BMC B-Series engine sounds utterly divine at full chat. Whichever way you go, though, don’t go expecting outright high-speed hooliganism. Instead, you’ll get bucketloads of analogue engagement and timeless charm – and rust if you aren’t careful.
If you fancy one for yourself, classic MGs have an incredibly strong level of club and parts support. This is largely why it also acts as an entry-point into the classic car scene for many people.
Rover P6
Back in its heyday, Rover was a painful thorn in Jaguar’s side, and a fine example of the Viking ship at its best is the Rover P6. Not only was this car a staple of police chases both in real life and on-screen, it was also a workhorse for countless British households.
The P6 was originally fitted with a pretty laid back four-cylinder engine, and this provided ample waft for a sophisticated British motor. However, the arrival of the V8-powered 3500 saw the P6 evolve into an executive car that felt like the lovechild of a Rolls Royce Silver Shadow and a Ford Mustang — and who wouldn't enjoy that?
As well as being fancy to sit in — and fast, if you so wished — the P6 also marked a huge step forward for Rover when it came down to its engineering. An innovative suspension design meant this car was a comfortable commuter that could also willingly take on a bendy B-road, while all-round disc brakes meant it’d stop in good time. And let’s be honest, that wasn’t always a given in the 1960s.
Jaguar MkII
Few cars wear their reputation like the Jaguar Mk2, a saloon that mixes glamour and menace in equal measure. It became the getaway car of choice for criminals who wanted to outrun the old bill, as at the time it was so fast that very few police cars could live with its pace. That reputation quickly turned into legend, with even the Krays among its infamous owners.
Under the bonnet sat a 3.8-litre straight-six producing around 220bhp, enough for around 125mph. Yet it was never just about straight-line speed, because the Mk2 also had poise to carry that speed through the corners in a way rivals couldn't match. Thanks to its appearance in Inspector Morse, the Jaguar Mk2 also has a place in British pop culture history.
AC Cobra
The AC Cobra may have been born in Britain, but it came of age in America. It was all thanks to racing driver and chicken farmer Carroll Shelby, who had the bright idea of crowbarring a V8 engine into the pretty but mild-mannered AC Ace sports car. A legend was born, first as the 4.2-litre Cobra 289, but later as the 7.0-litre Cobra 427.
In its most potent form, the Cobra could hit 60mph in just 4.2 seconds, before reaching a top speed of 165mph. Each one was produced in surprisingly low numbers, but the fearsome performance and legendary status inspired a long line of replicas.
Lamborghini Miura
The Lamborghini Miura is far from perfect, but look at it this way: would you kick a supermodel out of the house for leaving the cap off the tube of toothpaste? Deciding which is more beautiful, the Miura or the Jaguar E-Type, is like comparing a pair of catwalk models.
Legendary designer Marcello Gandini was the man tasked with styling the Italian beauty, which wowed the crowds at the 1965 Turin Motor Show. The more luxurious and more powerful Miura S arrived in 1968, before the Miura SV was unveiled in 1971. Amazingly, the Miura SV was overshadowed by its replacement: the Countach.
Ford Mustang
Despite what its looks might have suggested, the Ford Mustang that changed the world in 1964 was not a sports car. Underneath, the world’s first ‘pony car’ was based on the humble Falcon saloon, just with much sexier bodywork laid on top, plus bucket seats and a floor-mounted shifter inside, and just enough oomph to get drivers onto the open road. All for less than $2,500.
It was the brainchild of Ford executive Lee Iacocca and an undeniable, unparalleled success. Some 681,000 were sold within the first year of production, and if that doesn’t tell you how much of an enormous hit this car was, 22,000 were snapped up the day the car launched. For context, Lamborghini sold half as many cars worldwide in 2025. Really, if there was one car that embodied the American dream, it’s the Ford Mustang.
Renault 4
It might not be as famous as the Citroen 2CV, but the Renault 4 was actually a superior car to the legendary ‘Tin Snail’. Renault made no pretence that the 4 was in any way fashionable or even desirable. Instead, the Renault 4 majored on utilitarian practicality, thanks in no small part to an innovative estate car design and removable rear seats.
Over eight million units were sold over four decades, with production taking place in over a dozen countries. It was easy to drive and cheap to maintain, which made it incredibly popular in its native France.
Ford GT40
It’s a story as old as time. Man wants to buy a Ferrari, gets shunned at the last minute, sets out to humiliate the legendary old brand at the world’s most famous motor race. The Ford GT40 - the numbers referring to the car’s height in inches, the minimum allowed to compete in sportscar racing – is an iconic design that put Ford’s engineering capability on the map, especially when in the iconic Gulf livery.
To compete at Le Mans, Ford needed to build at least 100 road cars, which were powered by a 4.7-litre V8 engine and would now set you back millions, such is their prestige. It took three attempts, but in 1966, Ford finally got its revenge by knocking Ferrari off its Le Mans perch, and the road cars have lived on in legend ever since.
Porsche 911
We could quite reasonably put the Porsche 911 in our list of the best sixties, seventies, eighties, nineties and noughties cars – such is its significance in the sports-car space. Launched in 1964, it succeeded Porsche’s post-war 956 to set the benchmark that all others had to meet. It continues to do so to this day.
Testament to its longevity, the 911’s rear-engine, rear-wheel-drive layout and iconic sweeping silhouette have barely changed in its six decades on sale. The car started life with a humble, air-cooled flat-six producing around 130bhp, the focus was – and still is – on pure, unfiltered driving engagement; that characteristic, mechanical, boxer engine sound as recognisable then as it is now.
Of course, there have been plenty of 911-related controversies over time – not least the switch from air to water-cooled engines with the 996-generation car, and the addition of turbochargers mid-way through the 991’s lifecycle in 2015. Yet after all the negative whispers die down, the 911 boasts an enduring appeal few others can match.
Aston Martin DB5
The Aston Martin DB5 arrived in 1963 but it wasn’t until a year later that it made its most significant cultural impact as the star of the James Bond film Goldfinger. Since then it’s returned in a few other Bond flicks, but what it’ll be best known for is spewing out bad guys via an ejector seat and chasing down a Ford Mustang along the Furka Pass.
While it was one of the most elegant cars of the decade thanks to its design from Italian coachbuilders Carrozzeria Touring, the DB5 held its own as a performance grand tourer. The 4.0-litre six-cylinder chucked out 282bhp to get to 62mph in eight seconds and on to a heady 148bhp.
Chevrolet Corvette
The Corvette has been around for 73 years, transforming from booted roadster to mid-engined supercar. But it was the 1963 C2 model that secured the dynasty for America’s sports car: its outlandish aesthetic put it on the podium of the most beautiful 1960s cars, an era not lacking in stunners given the Lamborghini Miura, Ferrari 250 GTO, Alfa Romeo 33 Stradale and many more…
The car was designed by Larry Shinoda under the tutelage of legendary VP of styling Bill Mitchell, GM taking the fabulous form of European sports cars and transforming it with a series of dramatic features. The slanted front end, inspired by a mako shark Mitchell caught, pop-up headlamps and bulging bonnet made for an intimidating nose, and the side is peppered with perfectly judged scoops and the voluptuous coke bottle rear haunch. But its crowning glory was the boat tail rear and split screen rear window – though not in consumers’ minds: initial pushback forced GM to unify the glass after just a year. Nonetheless the C2 immediately boosted sales by 50 per cent over the C1’s peak – and a legend was bolstered.
Lotus Elan
The original Elan is everything a Lotus should be, perfectly encapsulating founder Colin Chapman’s philosophy of “simplify, then add lightness”. Weighing just 680kg, it was the first of the brand’s cars to use a steel backbone chassis and fibreglass body. It’s widely considered Lotus’s first commercial success, and the model that kept the company alive through the sixties and early seventies.
Diminutive by 2026’s sports-car standards, it measured just 3.68 metres long and 1.42m wide – making it considerably smaller than a modern supermini. But with beautifully precise steering, a fully independent suspension system and disc brakes on all four corners, it was bags of fun to drive. Compare that with the all-electric Eletre SUV and Emeya GT that grace the brand’s showrooms today, and you’d be forgiven for wondering where it all went wrong.
Renault 16
The Renault 16 was named European Car of the Year in 1966, beating the Rolls-Royce Silver Shadow to claim the top spot. It was no more than the car deserved, because the innovative Renault 16 popularised the idea of a family hatchback, with an interior offering six different seating arrangements.
It could be transformed from a hatchback to an estate, and anything in between, including a mobile bed. “Cars must no longer be just four seats and a boot. It must be viewed as a volume,” said Renault CEO Pierre Dreyfus. The 16 was the perfect demonstration of this vision.
Ford Cortina
The staple of British roads for more than 20 years, the Cortina was a monumental sales success for Ford, with more than 2.8 million finding homes during its five-generation life. But the Mark 1, with its round front wings and pie-chart/ban-the-bomb-style rear lights, was the one that kicked it all off in 1962.
Named after the Italian ski resort that hosted the 1956 Winter Olympics, the Cortina was actually driven down the town’s bobsled run as part of its launch promo activity.
I’m biased, because it was the car I spent most of my formative years being driven around in, but it’s a bona fide classic, even before Lotus sprinkled some magic and turned it into a fine-handling touring car icon that sells for over £50,000 today.
Ferrari 250 GTO
The 1960s was a golden era for Ferrari, but one model stands head and shoulders above the rest. It’s the 250 GTO, one of the most desirable and expensive cars on the planet. When car number three (pictured) went under the hammer at the RM Sotheby’s Monterey auction in 2018, it sold for a record $48.4 million (£35 million).
Just 36 3.0-litre V12 versions were built, the total rising to 39 if you include the 4.0-litre versions. Either way, that’s a long way short of the 100 required for homologation purposes. Buyers were personally vetted by Enzo Ferrari to ensure they were suitable owners.
Rolls-Royce Silver Shadow
The Silver Shadow was going to be called ‘Mist’ until they realised it translates to a manure-related swear word in Germany and changed course at the last minute. Good news for the Germans because the Rolls-Royce’s replacement for the Silver Cloud might look antiquated now but it introduced hydropneumatic rear suspension, split-level air-conditioning and electric seats - all features that in 1965 would’ve felt completely alien. Power came from a 6.2-litre V8 or a 6.75-litre unit in later models.
As a result, despite costing almost double the typical UK house price, 28,000 Silver Shadows were sold until 1980. Quite a few survived and as a result prices plummeted - allowing many Silver Shadows to be run on a relatively shoe-string budget.
Saab 96
One of the most remarkable things about the Saab 96 is that it was a development of the 92, a car which dated back to 1949. Credit to the Swedish company, then, for unveiling a car that felt all-new when the first right-hand drive Saabs went on display at the 1960 British Motor Show. Highlights included independent suspension and, from 1962, front seatbelts. Dual-circuit brakes arrived in 1964.
The 96 was also a formidable rally car, particularly at the hands of Erik Carlsson. The Swedish driver won the RAC Rally in 1960, 1961 and 1962, and the Monte Carlo rally in 1962 and 1963.
Ford Escort
By the late-60s, Ford was in desperate need of a replacement for the ageing Anglia. The result was the Escort of 1968, marketed by Ford as “the small car that isn’t.” Four models were available at launch: De Luxe, Super, Super 1300cc and GT. Styling was conservative and inoffensive, albeit with a classic ‘Coke bottle’ design.
The Twin Cam was our first taste of a performance Escort, with power sourced from a modified Lotus engine. RS1600, Mexico, Sport and RS2000 models followed, but it’s the saloon, estate and van versions that were such a sales success.
NSU Ro80
In the ‘60s, NSU thought the Wankel rotary (stop giggling) engine would power cars of the future, and put one into their flagship Ro80 to prove the point. It was a car brimming with other high-tech features too, such as a semi-automatic gearbox, power steering, four-wheel disc brakes (inboard at the front) and wind-cheating aerodynamics of 0.355. It was such a technological tour de force that it won the 1968 European Car of the Year award.
Sadly, this car’s star turn would be its downfall. Seal tip wear in the advanced engine meant NSU was bleeding money on warranty claims, and the company was taken over by VW AG in 1969. It’s a shame because the car’s engine woes have been solved now, and if you’re lucky enough to find a good one, you’ll be driving one of the most modern-feeling 60-year-old cars ever made.
Mercedes-Benz 600
As flagships go, few are more opulent than the Mercedes-Benz 600 (W100). Launched at the 1963 Frankfurt Motor Show, the 6.3-litre V8 600 ‘Grosser’, once the most expensive car in the world, became the choice of dictators and megalomaniacs. If one of these rolled up outside your house or office, it was probably time to run or hide.
The generous specification included air suspension, all-round disc brakes, central locking and shock absorbers which could be adjusted on the move. The first bullet-proof Mercedes since the war arrived in 1965, while 43 special security versions were built for customers “who were faced with potential threats and who had the necessary financial means”.
BMC 1100/1300
The BMC 1100 and 1300 are often overshadowed by the Mini, but these were truly innovative British cars. Front-wheel drive, front disc brakes and a clever interconnected Hydrolastic suspension gave these BMC models the edge over their rivals, while Alec Issigonis’ design delivered a car with a huge amount of interior space.
A rapid 1300GT version arrived in 1969, although MG versions were available from the outset. The Vanden Plas versions catered for a different audience, featuring the likes of wood, leather and drop-down picnic tables. Unfortunately for BMC, the cost of development meant that the 1100 and 1300 weren’t as profitable as the sales figures would suggest.
BMW 02 Series
The modern BMW saloon can be traced back to the 02 Series of 1966. The forerunner to the BMW 3 Series was initially called the 1600-2 and was designed to introduce a new audience to the brand. It was both stylish and well-engineered, while its lightness meant that it was almost as quick as the larger 1800 saloon.
With such fine handling, it was only a matter of time before BMW’s attention turned to performance versions. First to arrive was the twin-carburettor 1600-2 Ti, which was followed by the 2002, so-called because power was sourced from a 2.0-litre engine.
Alpine A110
The Porsche 911 is known around the world as the quintessential rear-engined sports car, but you may be surprised to learn it arrived after the small, elegant and rally-bred Alpine A110. Unveiled in 1962, the French missile featured a glass-fibre body, tubular backbone chassis, and the engine from the Renault 8 Gordini saloon that had just 51bhp.
Thankfully, the phenomenal featherweight would eventually get up to 138bhp and use it to great effect in rallying. The A110 won numerous events, and always in style, even managing a historic 1-2-3-4 finish at the 1971 Monte Carlo Rally. Then, in 1973, it won the inaugural World Rally Championship. This car established Alpine’s principles of lightness, agility and elegance, which were also championed by founder and talented racing driver Jean Rédélé.
Mercedes-Benz SL
The Mercedes-Benz SL of 1963 had the tough act of following the iconic and glamorous 300 SL. While some designers would balk at such a challenge, Fredrich Geiger and Paul Bracq collaborated to create one of the prettiest and most elegant cars of the 1960s. The coupe roof is reminiscent of the curved roofs of the Far East, which led to the nickname ‘Pagoda’.
There were two versions available: a roadster with a folding soft top or a sports car with a removable coupe roof. It was the first sports car to feature a rigid passenger cell and front and rear crumple zones. Nearly 49,000 examples rolled out of the factory before production stopped in 1971.
Ford Capri
The Ford Capri was the ‘European Mustang’. Like its American cousin, the Capri used humble underpinnings, in this case the Ford Cortina, to create something more exotic and glamorous. It may have been smaller than the Mustang, but the Capri offered more interior space, which enabled Ford to market it as a four-seater coupe.
It was ‘the car you always promised yourself’, even if your budget could stretch only to a lowly 1.3-litre version. Not that this matters, because the Capri 1.3 offered all the style of the Capri 3.0, but without the performance and higher running costs. No other country embraced the Capri quite like the UK.
Alfa Romeo Spider
Launched in 1966 as the Duetto, the Alfa Romeo Spider is one of the most recognisable sports cars in the world. The fact that it’s devastatingly pretty helps, as does the fact that the car appeared in the Dustin Hoffman film The Graduate. Build quality wasn’t its strongest point, but this wouldn’t have mattered to anyone enjoying the tidy handling and charismatic engines.
The 1.6-litre engine made way for a 1.8-litre unit in 1967, at which point the car adopted the Spider name. Production spanned four decades, with the Spider finally losing its legs in 1993.
Peugeot 504
Named European Car of the Year in 1969, the Peugeot 504 was one of the most versatile cars in the world. Launched in 1968 as a rather conventional saloon car, the 504 spawned a number of variations, including a pretty 504 Cabriolet and a stunning 504 Coupe.
Estate, van and pick-up versions were also available, while the robust construction and ride comfort meant that the 504 developed a loyal following in North Africa. Closer to home, many children spent their formative years in the back of an eight-seat Familiale. European sales stopped in 1982, although sales of the van and pick-up continued until 1993.
Ferrari 365 GTB/4 Daytona
In truth, 30 cars aren’t enough to showcase the breadth of cars on sale in the 1960s. Our shortlist could have been significantly longer if we could feature the many cars that didn’t make the cut. Some, such as the Alfa Romeo Giulia Sprint GT, Mercedes-Benz 300 SEL and Maserati Ghibli, could easily replace the cars we have selected.
We’ll leave you with one of the cars that made our list of the top 10 Ferraris. The 365 GTB/4 had the power to out-muscle a Miura and the glamorous styling to outshine a Hollywood starlet. Launched at the 1968 Paris Motor Show, it was christened the ‘Daytona’ in honour of Ferrari’s 1-2-3 victory at the 24-hour race in 1967.
Jensen FF
WTFF? Those twin letters stood for Ferguson Formula, the British-developed four-wheel drive system bought in by Jensen to help propel its luxurious GT. The pioneering 1966 car was years ahead of its time, beating Audi’s quattro system to market by 14 years. That wasn’t the only innovation: it also had a primitive form of anti-locking brakes to prevent skids. And they were entirely possible given the level of performance: the FF packed a 6.2-litre Chrysler V8 summoning an impressive 325bhp and 425lb ft of torque, sufficient for a 7.5-second 0-62mph sprint.
Sadly Jensen was clearly better at systems integration than a business case: all those clever mechanicals got in the way of left-hand drive. As a result sales were restricted to just 320 in the UK over five years. What a shame.
Austin-Healey 3000
The Austin-Healey 3000 is one of the most charismatic British sports cars of the 1960s, yet it rarely gets the credit it deserves. A works car driven by Pat Moss famously won the 1960 Liege-Rome-Liege Rally, a brutal 3,000-mile endurance event that proved the big Healey was far tougher than its pretty looks suggested. The Healey also went on to multiple other victories and podiums throughout its motorsport life.
That reputation carried into the private sphere, attracting famous owners including Harrison Ford and Grace Kelly, all drawn to its long-legged character and effortless style. Under the bonnet sat a BMC C-Series 3.0-litre straight-six, producing up to 148bhp. I think it remains the most underrated British sports car of its era, and arguably the one that best balances glamour with racing achievements.
Studebaker Avanti
Italian for ‘forward’, the Avanti was certainly a very forward-thinking design for an American car of the 1960s. Designed in a matter of weeks by a team under legendary industrial designer Raymond Loewy, the Studebaker Avanti was intended to capitalise on the growing demand for personal luxury cars like the Ford Thunderbird.
There was sophistication underneath, with this being the first American production car to feature disc brakes, Mercedes-style anti-burst door locks, and an integral roll bar. But if all that sounds a bit pedestrian, an optional Paxton supercharger was available, which the company proved at the Bonneville Salt Flats could power the Avanti up to 170mph.
Unfortunately, Studebaker’s rapidly declining finances and build-quality problems resulting from the complicated glassfibre bodywork meant that just over 4,500 Avantis were made before the company went under.
Pontiac GTO
With wide-open spaces and straight roads that ran for miles, the 1960s saw the birth of the muscle car, and the Pontiac GTO was one of the pioneers. The GTO (named after Ferrari’s 250 GTO) started out as an option pack for the Tempest Le Mans that stuffed the biggest 325bhp 6.4-litre V8 from the larger Grand Prix.
This was relative, because even a small US saloon dwarfed its European contemporaries at the time, but Pontiac also added go-faster bits such as an improved transmission, stiffer suspension and better tyres. It proved to be a hit, with an initial sales target of 5,000 GTOs dwarfed by more than 32,000 sold in the first year, while annual upgrades saw the GTO maintain its popularity until the oil crisis of the 1970s curtailed the muscle car era.
Ferrari 250 GT Berlinetta SWB
The Ferrari 250 GTO might attract the majority of the headlines for its sportscar racing success and the mind-boggling prices the 36 examples produced attract at auction, but it’s the more common Ferrari 250 GT Berlinetta SWB that excites us the most. With 176 examples produced, the 250 SWB utilised the same 3.0-litre V12 engine as the GTO and was the first production Ferrari to come fitted with disc brakes as standard.
Yet it’s Pininfarina’s stunning designwork which truly makes the GT SWB one of the greatest – and arguably the prettiest – Ferraris ever made, with its lightweight all-aluminium body helping propel it to victory in both the World Sportscar Championship, as well as the Tour De France Automobile on several occasions.
Want to see some more legendary and era-defining cars? Take a look...
