Our 50 favourite classics of all time

Contentious? Probably. Subjective? Utterly. Chock full of the most memorable cars in automotive history? Most certainly. Strap in for our list of 50 favourite classics of all time.

• AC Cobra

If you want a classic roadster that looks good, sounds incredible and delivers performance in spades (oh, and if money is no object), look no further than the revered Cobra, built in small numbers from 1962 to 1967.

• Lada Riva

The Riva makes the list because it was a familiar sight on Britain's roads in the 1980s; because it is an engaging throwback to the Communist era; and because it's the world's third best-selling single-generation model, after the Beetle and the Model T.

• Mini

A motoring legend, a symbol of British style and individualism, and a minor packaging miracle: how could we ignore the iconic Mini? The 21st Century update is not half bad, but Alec Issigonis' 1959 original design is the real thing.

• Peugeot 205 GTI

A 205 in any guise would make this list, but the GTI redefined the term 'hot hatch'. It looked good, and it brought white-knuckle motoring thrills to the masses. Why not continue to experience those thrills today? Just sign up for some classic vehicle insurance before you put your foot to the floor.

• Mercedes SL

Our favourite iteration of Mercedes' long, sleek and graceful two-seat roadster is probably the iconic 300SL 'Gullwing' from 1954 onwards – although the 'pagoda top' second generation and its more aggressive 1970s/80s successor are stunners, too.

• Ford Sierra

Some iconic cars got a fairly cool reputation on launch. So it proved to be with the Ford Sierra: many motorists just weren't ready for its curvaceous jelly-mould shape in 1982. History, though, has been kind to Ford's big 80s saloon, and they're now considered classics of their era.

• Vauxhall Firenza

We've always loved the look of this two-door coupe version of Vauxhall's ubiquitous 70s Viva saloon. The Firenza displayed those muscular curves and that 'Coke bottle' styling that typified so many early coupes and muscle cars of that era.

• Triumph Spitfire

It's always going to come up against the MG in 'favourite classic British roadster' polls – but we'll have both in our list, thanks. The Spitfire is great to drive, lovely to look at and – thanks to a large, active UK drivers' community – will make a relatively easy ownership prospect.

• Ford Escort

Several models could line up as candidates for the ultimate 1980s car, but the hugely successful Escort makes as good a case as any. The Mk3, with its sharp, clean lines, was a familiar and always pleasing sight on roads throughout the decade.

• Jaguar E-Type

First name on the list? Possibly. All the old adages – symbol of the Swinging 60s, apogee of automotive design – still hold true and always will. If Jaguar had never done anything else, their legacy would rest securely on the E-Type.

• Lotus Elan

Like the E-Type, Lotus' Elan roadster was one of the cars to be seen in during the 1960s. It also put Lotus' fortunes on a surer footing, for which we're all grateful. Lastly, it inspired the design of another entrant on this list, Mazda's brilliant MX-5.

• Lotus Esprit

Everything that the Elan represented for 1960s sports car lovers, the Esprit did all over again two decades later. Aggressive wedge-shaped styling, a famous amphibious appearance in a Bond movie… the Esprit was, and is, one of the most eye-catching affordable sports cars out there.

• Morris Marina

We didn't say that all these cars had to be universally adored, now, did we? The Marina had its fans, and also its detractors. Looking back on it now from a safe distance, though, we have to say that the car symbolised a certain time and place. Classic status is on its way.

• Vauxhall Cavalier

The Cavalier went through three successful generations during the 1970s and 1980s. Thanks to its absorbing sales battles with Ford's Sierra, though, we're picking the second generation. Actually, we'd go for that car on looks as well – in saloon or hatchback form, it looked the part.

• E30 BMW 3 series

Vast acres of the internet are dedicated to discussing the best 3 series generation. Many will favour the 1980s E30, with its quantum leap in driving manners and interior comfort over the first generation. This is also where a certain M3 legend began…

• Toyota MR2

Some cars make this list for their looks; others for how they defined a time and a place; others still for how they changed the landscape. The MR2 is in this last group – it made serious sports car performance affordable to the masses.

• Ford Capri

The Capri's great trick was to combine looks straight out of the Giugiaro / Gandini school of Italian adventure and futurism, with a price tag that made it a common sight on Britain's suburban driveways during the 70s and 80s.

• Vauxhall Chevette

We've already given you 15 reasons why we love the Chevette. To sum up, briefly: it was the last time Vauxhall struck out alone before everything went Opel-shaped; it was a bit of a player on the rally circuit; it put its maker back on the map after a lean time; and it was blessed with some brilliant advertising campaigns.

• Lamborghini Miura

Regularly cited as the most beautiful car of all time, the Miura was, famously, not part of boss Ferruccio Lamborghini's plans. He wanted to carry on building luxurious grand tourers, and leave the fast cars to Ferrari. However, a bunch of Lambo designers penned the Miura in their spare time. Good work, team.

• Maserati Ghibli

Ferruccio would have approved of what was going on at Maserati, who from the 1950s to the 1970s made some beautiful GT cars. And they didn't come more stunning than the long, low, V8-engined Ghibli.

• Land Rover

Land Rover Series I, II and III, subsequently renamed Defenders, have seen service all over the world in all sorts of scenarios. Their unflappable 4WD driving manners and rugged, boxy charm have made them into a British icon. They're now one of the commonest models for which we provide classic car insurance.

• Range Rover Classic

Way back in 1969, the first Range Rover redefined what a rugged off-roader could be. Luxury and all-road capability were no longer mutually exclusive, and a whole new car sector was born.

• VW Beetle

The Beetle boasts the longest-running single car design in history, being produced for an incredible 65 years from 1938 to 2003.

• Saab 99

Some brands have a very distinctive design language, the late lamented Saab among them. Particularly during their 1960s to 1980s heyday, Saab vehicles could not be confused with anything else on the road. The angular and eye-catching 99 from 1968 to 1984 embodies this best.

• Reliant Scimitar GTE

The Scimitar makes the list partly because the name is so cool; partly because we've always loved a fast sporting estate; partly because of those rakish good looks; and partly because Princess Anne famously owned nine of them.

• Rover SD1

Rover's 1970s executive hatchback may have run into difficulties towards the end of its production run, but we prefer to remember it as a big, beautiful and (with the right engine) blisteringly fast car that borrowed design cues from the Ferrari Daytona.

• Fiat X1/9

In a 1970s sports car landscape dominated by Ferraris, Lamborghinis and the odd Lotus, Fiat entered the foray in style with the unmistakable (and affordable!) X1/9. Mid-engined, the X1/9 had pop-up headlights, a removable roof and head-turning looks.

• Citroen 2CV

The 2CV is an important chapter in automotive history. It was designed by Citroen back in the 1930s to help French farmers to get their produce to market – yet the last one left the factory in 1990.

• Jensen Interceptor

We love the Interceptor for showing us what could happen when you married Italian design flair, British engineering and a huge, growling American V8 engine. And also because the thing just looks so imperious – the epitome of the big, comfortable, swaggering GT.

• Ford Cortina

The Mk4 and Mk5 Cortinas were fixtures on the roads and motorways of late 70s and early 80s Britain – but the Mk3 might be the most arresting Cortina, with its sinuous, US-influenced 70s looks. Oh, and Gene Hunt drove one in Life on Mars…

• Triumph Stag

What options were available to the moneyed 1970s family, looking for an open-top four-seater? The Merc SL and the Triumph Stag. Yes, British Leyland's Triumph went up against the mighty Mercedes in the luxury convertible stakes.

• Morris Minor

The Minor is another car, like the Mini, Beetle and 2CV, to achieve exceptional longevity (23 years in this case) through the simple feat of being reliable and cheap to run – and thus within the budget of most ordinary British families.

• Rover 75

Rover's last completely new car was also one of its best – a big, elegant, beautifully made executive saloon that also drove superbly. It came at the end of the line for Rover, but the 75 was a potent statement of all that the Longbridge firm could achieve.

• Studebaker Avanti

The extraordinary looking (and awesomely fast) Studebaker Avanti had an eye-catching 'droop snoot' front end. It also had several safety features that were revolutionary for the time – and it broke 29 world speed records.

• Austin Metro

The well-known fact that the future Princess Diana was driving a Metro at the time of Prince Charles' courtship tells you all you need to know about the universal, cross-class appeal of Austin's 1980s city car.

• Ferrari 365 GT4 2+2

We could have taken our pick from so many Ferraris, and this 1970s super-saloon may seem an odd choice… but we love the combination of stratospheric 'prancing horse' performance and imposing, executive-car looks.

• MGB

We get a lot of requests for classic motor insurance here at Lancaster, and a significant number of these are from MGB drivers. No wonder, as (in coupe or roadster guise) the MGB is great-looking, affordable to run, easy to look after – and a blast to drive.

• Chevrolet Corvette

Dubbed 'America's sports car' throughout much of its long life, the 'Vette is intricately woven into the story of American sports car culture. We love the third-generation C3 from 1968, with its bulging wheel arches and muscular, prowling stance.

• Renault 5

The French have produced some brilliant, era-defining small cars, such as the Citroen 2CV, Peugeot 205 – and the Renault 5. Its distinctive boxy looks and superbly efficient use of space made the car an instant and long-lasting hit.

• Audi Quattro

The Audi Quattro rewrote the story of rallying, winning the World Rally Championship in 1982 and 1984. It's also a 4WD icon – and another Gene Hunt car. The man had taste…

• Citroen DS

If you had to give an example of effortless Gallic flair, a DS would be an obvious choice. Small wonder that President Charles de Gaulle, a similarly iconic slice of French history, refused to step inside anything else.

• VW Golf GTI

Like the 205 above, it's the GTI that most people want to talk about here. Most loved are probably the first two generations – the second generation in particular was, like the 205 GTI and E30 3 Series, a symbol of 1980s kids done good.

• Datsun 240Z

An elegant, fun-driving three-door coupe, the 240Z took the fight to the MGB in the 1970s – and also reversed the general notion of Japanese carmakers as producers of dull but efficient 'econobox' hatchbacks.

• Honda NSX

Honda's mid-80s, mid-engined sports car was such a superb performer that McLaren's Gordon Murray famously used it as the inspiration for the F1 supercar. Now hugely desirable on the used market, with some suitable insurance for a classic car an absolute must.

• Mazda MX-5

What the Lotus Elan and the MGB were to the 60s and 70s/80s respectively, Mazda's cute, nimble, affordable and wonderfully responsive MX-5 was for the 90s generation of thrill-seekers. Accessible sports car performance at its best.

• Fiat 500 (1957)

Because never has a car been so beautifully and diminutively packaged; because, even though we'd struggle to get comfortable, we all want one; and because we want to be chugging down a sun-kissed 1960s Milanese avenue, on our way from one chic street-corner café to the next.

• MG Midget

Gosh, but we Brits have made some fabulous two-seaters, haven't we? Before the MGB and Triumph Spitfire came the MG Midget, a dainty, quicksilver roadster that was a common sight on Britain's roads in the 1960s and 1970s. Now a revered classic.

• Land Rover Discovery

First introduced in 1995, the 'Disco' has got smarter and less utilitarian with each generation: we still love that go-anywhere 90s model.

• MG TF

A spiritual successor to the legendary MGB? Not far off, in our opinion. A mid-engined two-seater with double wishbone suspension, the TF was a famously fine handler.

• Alfa Romeo Alfasud

The Montreal, the GTV V6… we had a few Alfas lining up for inclusion in this list. We plumped for the Alfasud – for its brilliant handling, stylish Giugiaro-penned looks and for, arguably, kicking off the whole 'hot hatch' thing. Bravissimo!

Classic car insurance from Lancaster

There have been so many cast-iron classic cars – this is just a small handpicked selection. And here at Lancaster, we are proud to provide insurance for your classic car for even hard-to-insure models.

Contact us for a quote.

Policy benefits, features and discounts offered may very between insurance schemes or cover selected and are subject to underwriting criteria. Information contained within this article is accurate at the time of publishing but may be subject to change.