Most cars today lack the soul. They generally look like food blenders or washing machines or, if they come from Japan, like laptop computers. I heard of a man who mistook his car for a fridge and became very annoyed because it didn't fit in the kitchen...
Every year cars become more practical , cheaper and uglier. It's hard to say what car today is a "work of art", it's actually hard to say what car today is beautiful. However, there was a time when cars were built to fit the art galleries...yes, back than these machines were
an alternative form of art. Here is a top ten:
At number 10 , with a latin bloodline, the Alfa Romeo Pininfarina Giulietta Spider Veloce ...a very long name, for a very sexy car. Designed in the late fifties by Pininfarina it remains today an icon in the world of motoring. Just imagine the thing parked in front of the Colloseum...
Number 9 in my top, the very German, Porsche 356 Speedster. It could have easily made it to the podium but it has a little problem: it looks like the VW Beetle which was designed...well...by Adolf Hitler himself...what did he know about art or fashion?
At number 8 , the kings' toy , the Bugatti Royale. Back in 1928 , if you had a pile of money you eagerly wanted to spend you could buy either this or an island...only the car was a bit more expensive and depreciated faster. It was however a hit as it has proven to Rolls Royce how a car should look like.
Coming up at 7 , the very first car designed by a pigeon, the Mercedes Benz Gullwing . Not only it was beautiful, it was also very, very fast. Back in its days it was the most powerful production car in the world and it is considered by many to have been the first supercar ever made. It's a shame it was so fast becuse it meant people couldn't admire its beauty for more than 5 miliseconds.
At number 6, the only car which would fit the Louvre, The Talbot Lago Teardrop. It's arguably the very first private jet...but apparently you can't get it off the airport.
The 5'th on the list, from the craziest Italian cars manufacturer, the Lancia Stratos . It's mean, it's aggressive, it's colourful, it's muddy and it has pop-up headlamps. It was the first racing car designed to be beatiful rather than powerful ... it was however both and won the world rally championship in style.
On 4 , the most beautiful tractor in the world, the Lamborghini Miura SVJ . Ferruccio Lamborghini used to build tractors, that's why he didn't know how to design a car. So, he asked a teenage student to do the job and the result was fantastic. Inspired by a bull, it remains today the most beautiful Lambo ever made.
Coming up at 3,the most expensive wardrobe in the world, the very square Mercedes Benz SSK. You should call this car Sir Mercedes SSK, actually
The second car on the grid, Sean Conery's private tank, the Aston Martin DB5 . It's a symbol of elegance , of style and of Bond-ness, but since it's so popular it turned into a bit of a cliche...and misses the first place.
And that's why the most beautiful car has to be the Jaguar E-type...Like all British cars it looks like a fish with wheels...but what a fish!
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