Buckle Up: 40 Exotic Cars That Are Considered Rare Commodities
Words like rare and exotic fall short of describing the hype around these cars back in the day. They were manufactured in limited numbers, which makes them very hard to see in real-time when you’re on a road trip. Some of the vehicles are famous because of their manufacturer. Many are popular because of their records, and we are here to enlighten you on both. This list reveals 40 of the rarest old school cars that any car enthusiast will dream of owning. These beauties belong to the era after the American muscles and before the modern-day sports cars. The beauties below are a feast for the eyes for and car geek out there. So if you are one, fasten your seatbelts, and let’s take a glimpse of these beasts together.
1995 Ferrari F50
This incredible sports car is an absolute beast when it comes to performance, and it surely justifies its Ferrari logo. Thanks to the 4.7 liter V12, this bad boy houses 512 horsepower, which is enough to push you back in your seat.
This car came with a stick rather than being automatic, which adds to its raw feel. The people who can afford this car don’t even think about mileage because this runs a mere 7 miles per one US gallon.
1970 Pontiac Firebird Trans-Am
If we have to introduce an ordinary person to American muscle cars, this is the one we would show them first. The 1970 Pontiac Firebird is a pure American muscle beast that lacks the refined engine Europeans have. Others can’t compete with the looks it has to offer.
For the first time, the firebird revamped its famous coke bottle-styled body for a much better “swoopy” body style that replaced it in 1981. When it comes to the numbers, this comes with a 6.6L engine which generates 366 horsepower.
1990 Honda (Acura) NSX
The First Japanese Beauty on the list is the 1990 Honda Acura or popularly known as Honda NSX. This was a two-seater sports car sold in Japan until 2005, where it gathered its fan base and was instantly a hit.
The NSX drew its inspiration from the Ferrari 348, which is visible in the car’s design. The car was made to offer top performance qualities at an affordable price. It was painted in a rigorous 23 step process which made the red on the car look out of this world when viewed in person.
1986 Porsche 959
The 1986 Porsche 959 was an absolute monster because it was considered the fastest car in the entire world when it launched! This was made possible with a twin-turbocharged engine which took its top speed to a whopping 197 MPH.
This beast used to run the rallies before it was launched for the street. It won the Paris-Dakar Rally, where it defeated some big names like the Toyota land cruiser and the Mercedes G-Wagon. Later it also conquered the Lemans, which is a 24 hours madness through the roads of Leman, a town in France.
1957 Maserati 3500 GT
This car didn’t succeed when it was first launched, but it became popular slowly in the coming years. The 3500 GT was a particular car because it was Maserati’s attempt to tap into the touring car market after seeing success in the F1 space.
Maserati sold over two thousand units of the 3500 GT in its presence, but the consumers bought only 119 cars in its first year. This was first introduced in 1957, and it came with a four-speed manual transmission and a 3.5L engine which produced 217 BHP.
1957 Jaguar XKSS
Who can forget the Famous XKSS of the legendary actor Steve McQueen, which is worth a whopping 30 million US dollars today! McQueen’s Famous XKSS was a beast on its own, and that’s why he named it the “Green Rat,” and you know why.
Jaguar made only 25 of these cars, but nine got damaged in the fire at the Browns Lane plant. That’s what makes this car very rare to get your hands on. The beauty came with a four-speed manual with a 3.4L Jaguar xK6 Engine.
1999 Pagani Zonda
In 1999, the Geneva Motor show included a car only five of the luckiest people in the world could buy, and it was the Pagani Zonda. The vehicle took everyone’s breath away with its fabulous design and big Mercedes V-12 engine.
Thanks to its aerodynamics and engine’s power, the car could go from a standstill to 60 in less than 4 seconds. The Creator of the vehicle, Mr. Horacio Pagani, used to work for Lamborghini before he got the idea of making his own car, which took seven years before the world could see it.
1964 Ford GT40
If you have ever seen Ford V/s Ferrari, you can easily recognize this car. It is the famous Ford GT-40, which was made for only one purpose: conquering Le Mans and defeating its biggest rival, Ferrari. It did succeed in its mission by winning the race twice in 1968 and 1969.
Only 109 GT’s were manufactured between 1964 and 1969, making them a rare sight to see in modern days. The GT in the name stands for “Grand Touring,” and 40 signifies that the car’s windshield, which is 40 inches in size.
1967 Toyota 2000GT
The First Toyota on the list, however, was built in partnership with Yamaha. This next classic is the Toyota 2000 GT, and it made its debut in 1967. It was in production until 1970, meaning only 351 of these were ever made.
The 2000 GT was an instant hit in Japan, where the reviewers even compared it to the Porsche 911, the segment leader. It was the first supercar of Japan, and it was a beacon to show people that Toyota could also manufacture sports cars.
1963 Chevrolet Corvette
1963 witnessed a significant change in the design of the iconic Corvette. With its split window stingray design, it definitely was the talk of the town. The feature that everyone raved about was its disappearing headlamps, which would appear from the car’s hood when needed.
When it was launched, cars came with a simple and boring design, so seeing this seemed like something from the future. The car packed up to 360 horsepower under its fiberglass body. It was initially meant to manufacture it with a black interior, but it came in a saddle color due to material shortage.
1949 Mercury Coupe
The Mercury Coupe is a car produced in the era of World War 2 between 1931 and 1951. The third generation of the mercury lineup saw some significant design improvements, and the company launched five variants of the car.
The car you see here is the mercury two-door coupe which was a massive hit in the market, and it became popular among car customizers since they viewed it as a blank canvas, and with their magic, they could transform it into a piece of art.
1951 Jaguar C-Type
The “C” in the C type stands for competition, and the name suits the car well. This beast, carrying 204 horsepower, conquered the ruthless Le-Mans twice. In 1951, C type won Le-Mans in its first attempt, and it continued its legacy in 1953 by winning again.
The C-Type, whose retail price was 6,000 US dollars back then, is estimated to cost a whopping 2 million dollars today for the 1953 Le Mans Winner. Jaguar only manufactured 53 of the cars in its three years of production from 1951 to 1953.
1966 Lamborghini Miura
The first and the only Lamborghini on the list, the Miura is worth taking a look at. Miura is known for being the first-ever car to feature a rear-engine layout with two seats, which became the signature design for Lamborghini for the years to come.
Lamborghini sold 764 of these between 1966 and 1973. Powered by a 3.9 L V12 with 345 horsepower, it was the fastest production car at the time of its launch. Its main rival was Ferrari who was the top racecar manufacturer at the time.
1964 Ferrari 275
Produced between 1964 and 1968, the Ferrari 275 is one of the significant Ferraris ever made, according to the Motor Trend magazine, and we do agree with them. The 275 carried a 3.3L V-12 capable of producing up to 320 horsepower, which made it insanely fast in its era.
The 275 is a two-seater beast that came in coupe and spider offerings. The car’s name was taken from the per-cylinder displacement of the engine that is precisely 275 CC. It came with various body material options, including an all-aluminum variant which made the car even faster.
1966 Triumph GT6
The little Triumph GT6 was a suitable car for those who needed performance on a budget. It was manufactured with a six-cylinder motor meaning this car could produce 95 horsepower and go up to 106 miles an hour, which is quite impressive.
That’s why this was the most successful car on the list, with over 1600 units sold in its short manufacturing period of 1966 to 1968. The car was based on Triumph’s Spitfire, and it took three years to plan and make before it was launched in the global market.
1987 RUF CTR “Yellow Bird”
Famous from the 1989 movie Test Driver, the RUF CTR is an exciting vehicle to look at. The CTR was popularly known as a yellow bird because of its punchy yellow color. This was a high-performance sports car made by fusing many vehicles in one.
It had the body of a Porsche 911, a fuel injection of 962 with brakes, and tires of a 959! The 3.4-liter engine of this beast was insanely fast with 469 horsepower, which made it go from 0 to 60 in just 3.6 seconds.
1961 AC Cobra
The Auto Carriers Cobra holds a fascinating history. The car was sold in the US as the Shelby Cobra. Why? Because it was the retired racer Carrol Shelby who made this car a reality by sourcing the engine from Ford.
Shelby initially asked Chevrolet for the engine but failed because they didn’t want any competition for their beast. But that’s when Ford came in and provided their massive 3.6L V8 to power this car, which became a big competitor with the Corvette in the coming years.
1987 BMW M6
The 1987 BMW M6 came with a hefty price tag of about $58,000, which is over a hundred thousand dollars today. But, it came with great power, thanks to its 3.5-liter engine that generated 256 HP, 74 horsepower more than last year’s model.
The M6 lineup started in 1983 with the M635CSi, and BMW sold over 5,855 cars from 1983 to 1989. The vehicle raced from 0 to 60 in less than 6 seconds and dusted a quarter in under 14 seconds. Pretty impressive.
1967 Ferrari 330 P4
We don’t know about you, but to us, this car is a design marvel. The Ferrari 330 P4, coming with a not-so-common design, is rare because only four of them were ever produced. Like its predecessor, P3, the P4 also won the 1000 km race held at Monza.
The car came with a 3967cc V12 Engine with 450 horsepower, which took the top speed to 320 km an hour! The vehicle is almost extinct in today’s world, but if you still manage to find the real deal, then it will cost you over $8 million.
1964 Ferrari America
The Ferrari America was a series of top-end grand touring cars with big V12 engines, and that, too, in the front. Thirty-four cars were produced between 1950 and 1967, including models like 340, 342, 375, and the 400 and 410 SuperAmerica.
The final installment in the America series was the 1964 Ferrari 500 Superfast, which was initially displayed in the Geneva motor show. It had a massive 5.0 L V12 engine, which produced 395 horsepower and had a top speed of 280 km/h.
1953 Porsche 550
The Porsche 550 is a unique car for the company because it won the first race it ever entered, the 1953 Nurburging Eifel. It was the creation of Designer Ferry Porsche, and it came with a four-cylinder air-cooled engine.
But the car was infamous due to a widespread incident; the death of America’s legendary actor, Mr. James Dean. He was excited to drive his new 550, which was only nine days old, but on September 30, 1955, he lost control of it, which ended in a tragic accident.
1958 Aston Martin DB4
The first Aston Martin was built outside of Italy. The DB4 was a car that caught the eyes of everyone who was lucky to see it. One thousand two hundred four cars were sold between 1958 and 1963, which shows how popular these were back in the day.
The DB4 was designed by the famous car designer Carrozzeria Touring in Milan. It was unveiled in 1958 at the London Motor Show, where people went crazy for it. It packed a 3.7-liter engine which produced 240 bhp of power and a top speed of 224 km/h.
1961 Jaguar E-Type
This car was the talk of the town when it was first launched. It was so popular that even Enzo Ferrari called it the most beautiful car ever made. The Jaguar E-Type or the XK-E had a long list of never seen before features in a vehicle.
It featured an independent front and rear suspension with disc brakes which left everyone breathless. Released in 1961, it was featured in multiple movies and TV shows, including Austin Powers and Mad Men. It was also ranked first by the Sports Car International magazine in their list of top sports cars of the 1960s.
1955 MG MGA
For this next supercar, 100,000 of them were sold between 1955 and 1962; the MGA is one of the most successful cars MG Motors has ever made. It made its debut in the Frankfurt Motor Show in September of 1953.
MGA 1500 was produced with drum brakes, and it came with a 1489 cc engine which had a decent 74 horsepower. The Motor Magazine tested the car’s top speed, and it came out to be a whopping 158 km/h.
1968 Ferrari Dino
The Ferrari Dino was launched for only one reason, to compete with the famous competitor, Porsche 911. The 911 rival came with a 2.0 L V-6 and was called the 206 GT. It was produced between the years 1967 and 1974.
This car, however, was named after Enzo’s son Alfredo whose nickname was ‘Dino.’ Unfortunately, tragedy struck when Dino was working on the car’s engine. During this time, he passed away due to muscular dystrophy at the age of 24 in 1956.
1948 Jaguar XK120
This car was not supposed to be produced for the public. XK120 was made initially to showcase the jaguar’s new XK engine. When it was originally revealed at the London Motor Show in 1948, it created so much hype that the founders had no other option but to manufacture this car.
The first XK120 ever produced was owned by legendary actor Clark Gable. Jaguar wasn’t into sports cars after the Second World War because the European market was unstable after WW2, but they finally decided to give it a try in 1948.
1956 BMW 507
This car has many attributes that were a deal-breaker for many, but those who have a passion for wheels can’t resist a BMW. That’s probably the reason why Elvis Presley ended up buying a pair of this German Beauty.
The car was initially produced to sell in the United States, and the company was hoping to deliver over a thousand of them, but they soon saw a spike in losses and halted their production when only 252 cars sold.
1992 Jaguar XJ220
This thing is a monster when we talk about performance because it houses an enormous 6.2 L V12 engine, capable of producing over 500 horsepower and a top speed of 341 km/h! Due to this, XJ220 was the fastest production car in the years 1992 and 1993.
As you can guess, the XJ220 was one of the most expensive cars available at that time because it came with a price tag of $470,000. But, it still managed to pull off 282 sales in its two years of production from 1992 to 1994.
1984 Ferrari 288 GTO
288 GTO was made to race and compete with the Group B Circuit Race series competition, but it never got a chance to make a debut on the race track. Why? Because in 1986, a mishappening took place in a Portuguese rally involving four deaths which led to the ban of the series.
Even though it could never race, Ferrari still produced 271 red 288 GTO’s that were sold from 1984 to 1987. The GTO was produced to be very light compared to its competition, and many parts were made out of fiberglass instead of steel.
1965 Jaguar XJ13
Until now, we have shown you some of the rarest cars on the planet, but none of them come close to this. The Jaguar XJ113 is impossible because only one was ever made, which now rests in the British Motor Museum.
It was brought to life by the efforts of the engineering director of Jaguar, Mr. William Heynes. The sole purpose of this was to compete at the Le Mans, but unfortunately, it never raced. It had superb aerodynamics thanks to the aluminum body.
1968 Alfa Romeo Tipo Stradale
The car which caught the eyes of everyone in the 1967 Monza Sports car show, the Alfa Romeo Tipo Stradale, has all the things required to make a person become an absolute fan of it. It featured scissor doors, a rear engine mount, and a rear-wheel-drive!
Tipo Stradale translates to “road-going” in Italian, which signifies it as a legal road version of the famous race car. Only 18 were ever produced, and five of them are sitting in the Alfa Romeo Museum. This car is a tough find!
1955 Mercedes Benz 300SL “Gullwing”
The “car with the wings” was first showcased at the 1954 New York Auto Show, and it was popular due to its signature doors. The only car that could come close to it was the DeLorean from Back to the Future!
Mercedes “Gullwing” was the talk of the town because over 1100 units were sold in the United States alone while 1400 were sold worldwide. The doors looked cool, but the in and out motion from the car was made difficult due to this feature.
1962 Ferrari 250 GTO
The name of the Ferrari 250 is derived from the displacement of each engine cylinder that is 250 cc. This car also holds the record for the most expensive car ever sold because one Ferrari 250 GTO just happened to be purchased for 70 million US dollars in 2018!
It was named as “The Hottest Car of All Time” by Popular Mechanics Magazine. The car was not an easy buy. Despite its cost of $18,000, the approval of Mr. Enzo Ferrari was also required before anyone could register it for themselves!
1930 Duesenberg Model J
The iconic 1928 Duesenberg Model J was affordable to only the elite wealthy because of the time it was launched just one year after the brutal fall of the stock market. On December 1, 1928, the car was revealed to the world in New York City.
The unique thing about this car is that it launched without any price tag, but it was up to the owner how they wanted to customize their vehicle, and the price could reach up to $25,000 (today, it’s $474,207). The car was recently sold at the rate of $1.7 Million at the 12th RM Auctions!
1928 Mercedes Benz SSK
Yes, a Mercedes Designed by Porsche, not the company but the designer. After he left the company, Mr. Ferdinand Porsche designed the 1928 Mercedes Benz SSK to form his own based on his name. SSK was a shorter way of saying “Super Sports Kruz.”
It translated to SuperSport Short in English, which signifies the car’s shorter wheelbase. The car was the fastest of its time, with a 6-liter engine that produced up to 300 HP and a top speed of 193 km/h.
1963 Aston Martin DB5
The Aston Martin DB5 was made famous after the car’s appearance with the legendary actor James Bond in the film Goldfinger in 1964. The vehicle was then showcased in the movie Cannonball Run where Mr. Roger Moore drove it!
The original car that was driven by Mr. Bond with Chassis No. DP/216/1 was stolen in 1997, and it is still missing; we can understand the feelings of the thief! The company produced a total of 1059 units in 1963 and 1965.
1956 Austin-Healey 100
The slick Austin Healy 100 ended its production in 1956 where it was replaced by the Austin Healy 3000. The car was named 100 because it could reach a top speed of 100 miles per hour, and its successor was called this because it had a 3000 cc engine!
Donald Healy was the producer of the cars which he designed themselves for racing. He even made the windshield of the vehicle with plastic so that it could weigh 200 pounds lighter. Only 50 of them were ever produced and sold.
1996 Ferrari 550 Maranello
It can go from 0 to 60 in just 4.4 seconds, a top speed of 320 km/h, and an engine capable of producing 478 horsepowers; all of this is a long way of saying “Ferrari!” This beast again proves that the company loves speed!
They kept the car’s name after its engine capacity of 5.5 L and the home of the Ferrari, Maranello, Italy. It took 30 months to make before it could be revealed at the Nurburgring Circuit in July of 1966, where we all can say the wait was worth It!
1973 Porsche Carrera 2.7 RS
A machine built just for racing, especially after the European GT ban over 3-liter engine cars, the 2.7 RS defines the need for speed. It featured the company’s first rear ducktail spoiler, which worked wonders in reducing the rear lift of the car by 75%.
Despite its small engine, Porsche came up with some clever tricks to make this a ready-to-race car by eliminating non-important stuff like the rear seats, matting, armrests, and more, making the car weigh less by 100 pounds.
2006 Weineck Cobra 780 Cui Limited Edition
Made upon the AC Cobra, Weinick Cobra 780 Cui is a devil on wheels! After listening to the power figures of this car beast, modern-day supercars will become a joke for you. The giant scoop on the bonnet is not a design feature but a necessity to make the engine function.
This houses the biggest engine we have ever witnessed, a 12.0 L V8, which generates a whopping 1,100 horsepower and an unbelievable 1,760 Nm of Torque. All of this makes this car fly because it can reach the speed of 300 km/h in under 10 seconds!