The E-Type Jaguar is widely regarded as the most beautiful car of all time. Its long, elegant nose, clean sides and slim haunches—combined with headlights that look as alert and inviting as the eyes of a supermodel—stand out among dozens of also-rans in the beauty contest of automotive attraction.
Beauty isn’t everything—the E-Type was notoriously challenging to drive and mechanically unreliable—but it does count for something: At a recent Gooding & Company auction a 1961 E-Type Series 1 sold for more than $162,000.
Jaguar, that storied British brand, is trying to bring back the E-Type glory days with a so-called continuation of the line, the 2013 F-Type. It is the first two-seat sports car the company has made in more than 50 years.
Brett Berk, the Vanity Fair writer known for his discerning eye and rapier wit, deemed this new effort "a handsome cat" that will improve with age.
“Some cars look best in photos, and some make a splashy first impression before their impact dissipates, but some get better the more you look at them,” he said, adding that it looks quite better in person than in photos. “The F-Type falls decidedly into the third group.”
The $92,000 V8 S version of this roadster has a 5.0-liter, 495-hp engine and will hit 60 miles per hour in 4.2 seconds. But those dashing good looks remain its most notable characteristic, which is why it made our list of the year’s most beautiful cars.
HOW WE DID IT
To compile this year’s list we consulted three people whose careers hinge directly on their knowledge of and good taste in cars: Vanity Fair’s Berk; Matt Hardigree, the editor-in-chief of Jalopnik; and Michael Prichinello, the co-founder and owner of Classic Car Club Manhattan.
We asked each man to nominate several new cars that they consider to be the hottest on the market today. We did not stipulate a country of origin or price limit—either high or low—but did exclude vintage vehicles and SUVs from the running.
At least two of our panelists named the F-Type and Alfa Romeo 4C among their favorites. Aside from that, the list ranges from the expected British and Italian brands (Aston Martin, Maserati) to--perhaps more surprisingly these days--American brands like Cadillac and Ford.
Then there are the oddball niche entries that made the list, like the Vauxhall Astra VXR and
“Perhaps because it's because I can't have one, but the Astra VXR proves it's possible to build an athletic, attractive hatch,” Hardigree said.
Another British brand, McLaren, falls into the more traditionally beautiful category. Its P1 hybrid supercar debuted last year in Paris and is considered the rightful successor to the famously handsome McLaren F1. With shark-sharp body panels and styling influenced by the MP4-12C, the P1 will turn heads even while performing the most mundane of errands.
“The McLaren P1 is a technological car with an aerodynamic design that is beautiful and a fitting homage to its predecessor,” Prichinello said.
Just like the F-Type.
*Opinions expressed on this list do not necessarily reflect the personal opinions of the author. That's the thing about panelists--they sometimes have different opinions from you. And that's okay.
Click through the slideshow to see the rest of the cars on the list.
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