Designers pick the most beautiful classics ever

20 car-styling gurus choose their favourites

Polls of the most beautiful cars ever usually throw up the same old models: Jaguar E-type, Ferrari 250GT, Aston Martin DB4. And rightly so – they're all gorgeous.

But what do the people who actually design cars think?

Classic & Sports Car asked 20 of the most creative minds in automotive history for their own favourites. These are the people who designed the cars on everyone else's 'Most beautiful ever' lists – which means we should definitely listen to what they have to say. 

Mercedes-Benz 300SL 'Gullwing'

Chosen by: Giorgetto Giugiaro

Named Car Designer of the Century in 1999, Giugiaro oversaw the Alfa Sprint and Iso Grifo as Bertone’s chief designer from 1960-’65. The Maserati Ghibli and De Tomaso Mangusta came from his time at Ghia before he founded Ital Styling, later ItalDesign, in 1968, creating the VW Golf, Alfasud, Maserati Bora, Lotus Esprit and many more.

Top three beauties

Citroën DS: “The only example of a car really conceived ‘outside the box’, both in design and technology. It’s just impossible to imitate.”

1968 Ferrari P6: “I really like this concept by Pininfarina. Even after 40 years, I am still fascinated by this car.”

Mercedes-Benz 300SL ‘Gullwing’: “Last, but not least: a classic because of its ‘gullwing’ doors, but also because of its compactness and the strength of all of its technical aspects.”

Most proud of... Bugatti EB112

“I designed this concept car in 1993. After 16 years it is still attractive, it’s a real pity it never went into production. Then the Maserati Ghibli, which is a symbol of outrageous hedonism and the result of total creative freedom – I finally got one, but not until I was 60! I’m also proud of the new Fiat Grande Punto: it was my homage to former Fiat chairman Umberto Agnelli and was given to Fiat for free.” 

Ferrari 330 P3/4

Chosen by: Leonardo Fioravanti

Fioravanti worked his way up the ranks at Carrozzeria Pininfarina from 1964-’84, where he was responsible for the Ferrari Berlinetta Boxer, Dino and 308GTB, Lancia’s Gamma and many others before becoming MD of Pininfarina Studi e Ricerche. In 1987 he founded Fioravanti Srl, before becoming assistant general manager of Ferrari in 1988. His mighty CV is topped with being general manager of Fiat Centro Stile.

Top three beauties…

Ferrari 330 P3/4: “This is absolutely the best race monster: beautiful, voluptuous and mysterious.”

Citroën ID/DS: “A real road car that, at its time and perhaps still now, has represented the ‘dream’ in its extreme progress.”

Audi A6 saloon: “A beautiful example, in a period of excessive, caricatured and not very functional car styling, that it is possible to design a valid car... with the help of a valid Italian!”

Most proud of... Ferrari 365GTB/4 ‘Daytona’

“I think this is the road car that best represents the beautiful characteristics of the Ferrari brand – the last front-engined V12 with vertical carburettors. The Plexiglas headlamp cover was innovative. Perfect proportions, forward-thinking shape, pure beauty – sports results.”

Delage D8-120 S Aerosport

Chosen by: Peter Stevens

Stevens’ recent work has included the 2003 reskin of the Subaru Impreza, plus the SV and ‘Z’ range for MG Rover, but the British hero has a CV stretching back to the early ’70s and work on the Granada and MkII/III Capri for Ford. From 1976-’79 he worked for Ogle Design, then six years at Lotus from ’83 yielded the Excel, Esprit Mk2 and new Elan. He is best known, however, for styling the magnificent McLaren F1.

Top three beauties…

Citroën ID19: “Probably the purest example of Bertoni’s inspired masterpiece. I have always considered the fact that this car was first drawn in 1955 to be extraordinary when one considers its contemporaries, which were mostly developments of pre-war forms.”

Delage D8-120S Aerosport: “This was the winner of the 2005 Louis Vuitton and Pebble Beach events. Every surface is totally under control, the proportions are superb and the detailing is perfect.”

‘Cadzilla’: “A custom Cadillac designed by my good friend Larry Erickson for Billy Gibbons, guitarist for ZZ Top. The car is loosely based on a 1949 Cadillac and was built at the late Boyd Coddington’s shop in Los Angeles in the early 1990s, but it still looks fresh and contemporary in its detailing 15 years on.”

Most proud of... McLaren F1

“It probably seems the obvious choice for me, but the Jaguar XJR 15 would come a close second. With the McLaren, the concentration and extreme hard work that was required during my four years working on the project left me unable to properly evaluate the car at that time. Nearly 20 years since we started the project I can look back and gain some pleasure from seeing it in context. I always intended that the design should be timeless rather than ‘of the minute’, and that is something that I would use as a measure of other designs.”

Jaguar E-type

Chosen by: Russell Carr

The head of Lotus Design since 1998, Carr graduated from Coventry University 10 years earlier and began working under Peter Horbury at MGA. Two years later he joined the Norfolk marque, working as part of a five-man design team led by Julian Thomson. Carr has managed or been directly responsible for numerous Lotus cars including the original and S2 Elise and Exige, Elise GT1, 340R, the APX concept, stillborn M250 and the new Evora 2+2.

Top three beauties…

Lotus Elan +2: “Yes, I know this is an unconventional choice but I have liked this car since I was a kid. The Elite is a more blatant contender and the standard Elan more popular, but I think the proportions and the lines of the +2 are actually more beautiful.”

Jaguar E-type: “An obvious choice, but despite the fact that its track is too narrow and the ’screen too upright the car is stunning. At this year’s LA Auto Show the metallic blue fhc on the Jag stand was repeatedly referred to as the most beautiful car at the show.”

Lamborghini Miura: “Still the most elegant mid-engined car, narrowly beating the Alfa T33 Stradale. A brilliant mix of soft curvaceous surfaces, crisp lines, distinctive detailing – oh, and some iconic colours.”

Most proud of... Lotus Evora

“A designer’s best work should be their latest, and the Evora best fits my definition of beauty. Cars such as the 340R or Exige are stunning and exciting, but have too much attitude to be conventionally beautiful. But that also rules out Angelina Jolie, so maybe my rules are up for interpretation! The Evora perfectly captures modern Lotus design philosophy, whereby the design should reflect the experience.”

Ford GT40

Chosen by: Steve Crijns

Having qualified in his native Belgium and taken an MA at the Royal College of Art, Crijns has spent his career at Lotus Design, rising to the post of design manager. He co-designed the 340R with boss Russell Carr and created the interior of the Opel Speedster/Vauxhall VX220, but has secured himself a place in Lotus history with the hugely successful external design of the Elise and Exige S2, the Evora and the forthcoming Esprit replacement.

Top three beauties…

Ford GT40: “It’s so sexy and has so much presence without really being aggressive. It’s the combination of soft forms with crisp, delicate lines – a form language that was popular at the time. There’s just enough of a waisted look to have sculpture, but not too much. I like the lightweight kamm tail, too. It has been my inspiration since I was a kid.”

Ferrari 250GTO: “It has unashamed automotive styling, a gorgeous form language that combines elegant soft and gentle curves and crisp lines and that superb rear end that is to die for. All finished off with terrific detailing, such as the nostrils and the side vents. The car is perfectly balanced: spot-on dynamic proportions, muscular yet beautiful surfaces.”

1957 Lotus Elite: “It’s very delicate and perfectly proportioned with a sexy waisted look and, again, soft, sculptural lines with lightweight kamm tail. Not that many crisp lines, so it’s a bit soft for my taste, but definitely the best-looking car of that era. It was done as a clay model, something unusual outside the States.”

Most proud of... Lotus Evora

“I like the new Esprit best, but I can’t show it to you! I am particularly pleased about the relationship between design and engineering in the Evora and that, despite the 2+2 mid-engined layout, the car still looks athletic and attractive. Features such as the cutaway sill and the wraparound ’screen help to disguise this bulk and have become key design features. There is no styling for the sake of styling, and I guess that’s what feels so good about it.”

Maserati Boomerang

Chosen by: Oliver Winterbottom

Trained in every part of the business at Jaguar, Winterbottom worked on the XJ6, E-type V12, XJS, Mini Clubman and Leyland gas-turbine coach before moving to Lotus in 1971. Projects included the Elite, Éclat, Twin Cam Europa and management of the Esprit concept. He later worked for JCL Marine, then returned to cars in ’78 to style the Tasmin for TVR. He is now a consultant to the motor industry at Norfolk Automotive.

Top three beauties…

Maserati Boomerang: “The wedge to end all wedges, with a straight line from the low nose to the top of the ’screen. Absolute function teamed with aggression. It was a chisel with a total commitment to going forwards! The doors were mainly glass so the interior gave the impression of being in an open car. This car was the inspiration for the original Esprit, from the same outstanding designer.”

Bertone Marzal: “Like the Elite, the Marzal was a fresh approach to a four-seater. The balance of proportion and line was something only the Italians could do. Sadly, it never made it to the showroom, although the Lamborghini Espada took many of its ideas but lost much in their translation.”

Maserati Khamsin: “The last of the classic long-fronted GT cars, it featured a superb flow of lines to its high rear end. The body was dominated by the wheels, which cradled the car aggressively. Interesting asymmetric features on the bonnet gave the car a sense of being ‘for the driver’.”

Most proud of... 1974 Lotus Elite

“The style was as close to a perfect wedge as possible. The front was low and the rising wing line was cut down at the door to increase the glass area, then swept up to a ridge at the rear that acted as an aerodynamic lip. The roof was high to give rear headroom and the silhouette had a strong sense of forward motion, totally unlike other four-seaters. The whole vehicle was designed around advanced solutions influenced by innovation with track cars. It had a remarkable drag coefficient for its time (0.3).”

Citroën DS

Chosen by: Marcello Gandini

Gandini became chief designer at Bertone in 1965, where he remained for 15 years and was responsible for the Lamborghini Miura, Espada and Countach, plus the Lancia Stratos and many others. He went freelance in 1980, with significant projects including the BMW 5 Series, Citroën BX, Renault 5 Phase 2 and Bugatti EB110.

Top three beauties…

Citroën DS: “The DS is my favourite not for the styling, which is nevertheless very good, but mainly for the concept and the audacity of the solutions used. At the time, I think it was a complete folly (madness from a business and industrial point of view) to use hydraulics and pneumatics, a plastic roof etc. It was a really innovative car in 1955 and it must have given more than a few technical headaches to build a car like this in a factory during the ’50s. A few people may have thought of all those beautiful ideas, but it was real bravery to implement all of them in one car and to succeed in building it on a production line. The latest of the series were excellent cars.”

Cord 810/812: “Not a well-known car, and built in limited numbers, but beautifully designed. When I saw this car I was impressed by both the mechanical side and the styling, which looked forward to the ’50s. It was front-wheel drive, built as saloon and a cabriolet, and very pretty with many new ideas. It was an impressive design for the ’30s, with solutions that could be seen in cars of 20 years later.”

1961 Lincoln Continental: “My third choice is from a poetic point of view – because the design is not very rational – and could go to many American cars of the ’50s and early ’60s. The idea of this car as the ultimate status symbol is quite something. This car could pass on instant emotions: the shape, the size, the colours and the fact they were very silent for those days. It was a dream car built as a real object of desire, which set the trend for many coachbuilders here in Italy.”

Most proud of...

“I answer this recurrent question like I always do: with all my past designs I have done the best I could at the time under the circumstances. Soon after I always felt a bit ashamed, but years go by and people like your work so you tend to accept the general view. To be honest, I am not very interested about past designs; I am more inclined to consider whatever I am involved with at the moment as my best design, or what I will do in the future.”

Buick Riviera

Chosen by: Ian Callum

After undertaking various assignments in Ford’s International studios in the UK, USA, Japan and Australia, Callum became design manager for Ghia Studio Turin in 1988. Two years later he was appointed chief designer and general manager for TWR Design, where he created, among others, the seminal Aston Martin DB7. Since 1999, Callum has been director of design for Jaguar Cars.

Top three beauties…

Ferrari 250GT SWB: “My greatest influence on the Vanquish. Is it the most beautiful car ever? No, but it’s certainly one of the nicest-balanced cars, a blend of beauty and aggression. I just drool over them. I can draw them with my eyes closed: you can draw it in two lines.”

Jaguar XJ6 Series 1: “The XJ6 is my favourite Jaguar, it means so much to me personally and has fantastic proportions. The Mk2 is a close second, but the XJ6 was magical and was the car that saved the company. It was world-beating. The S1 V12 had the nicest front grille with vertical slats, very refined. The wheel size was enormous for the time and the car was so low. I keep telling people that’s what Jags are all about!”

1963-’65 Buick Riviera: “I was a great follower of GM design as a kid in the ’60s, they were world leaders – better than most of the Italians. The Riviera was their best car – I need to buy one some day. Perfect proportions, beautiful lines and surfaces, it was Bill Mitchell’s tour de force; they were never this pure again, with that lovely Coke-bottle shape. It’s the sheerness, the confidence of the surfaces, the way the roofline is cut off without any ambiguity. A pure statement of intent, it looks chiselled out of solid steel. I like the ’65 because the headlamps are hidden – I had the gold Corgi model with the shining headlamps.”

Most proud of... Jaguar XF

“It used to be the Aston Vanquish, because it was such a spontaneous car for me. We did it quickly and there were so few people involved that I got away with it, basically. It was a very emotional, spirited style. But my favourite now has to be the XF. I’m not saying that for commercial reasons; I don’t think people appreciate how well proportioned it is, given that it’s a five-seater. It is the biggest challenge I’ve faced, but I think we pulled it off.” 

Cord 810/812

Chosen by: Tom Karen

Karen is another of the many greats who started their careers at Ford (in 1955), but after a brief period working for David Ogle in 1962 he left to work in product design for first Hotpoint and later Bush. He returned to motoring to head up Ogle Design after Ogle’s death in a car accident, and in 1968 his now-iconic Reliant Scimitar GTE was launched, followed in 1970 by the era-defining Bond Bug.

Top three beauties…

Cord 810/812: “A fresh design approach, very well carried out. I may be a little prejudiced: I first saw one in Austria and it rolled up with a handsome Indian diplomat and his gorgeous French wife.”

Jaguar XK120: “Sir William at his best. Much better than the pumped-up E-type and with the door cut away low so the sensation of speed must have been tremendous. Why are waistlines so high on current cars? I suspect that one reason why four-wheel drives are popular is because you sit high and can see – and be seen. The latter is important, too – why do people who fancy themselves like open sports cars?”

Bentley Continental GT: “I am no car snob and feel that even if I won the lottery I wouldn’t spend thousands on an car – but that Bentley would tempt me. It is just very well done; the Volkswagen group probably carries out the most sophisticated design.”

Most proud of... Reliant Scimitar GTE (SE5)

“It set a trend and some of the modelling was gorgeous. And it still looks good today after 40 years. The Aston Martin ‘Sotheby Special’ was also pretty good, with lots of fun details such as the tubular structure for the greenhouse with the tube theme repeated inside. It also had all those lights in the back as an indication of progressive braking. When it was shown on Tomorrow’s World, Raymond Baxter opined: ‘Is this the most beautiful car ever?’ Giugiaro admired it at the Geneva show, too."

Dino 206S

Chosen by: Gordon Murray

Race-car design legend Murray built and raced the first sports car of his own design in his native South Africa before becoming technical director of the Brabham F1 team for two decades from 1969, winning two World Championships. He took the same position with McLaren in ’88, winning a further three titles, and in 1990 turned to road cars with first the McLaren F1 and then the Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren. In 2005, he set up Gordon Murray Design.

Top three beauties…

Ferrari Dino 206S: “It has always been my favourite, typically ’60s and voluptuous. For me, styling is about proportions and size and clarity, which is why I’ve never gone for older cars with sticking-out headlamps. The 206 is perfect: the proportions, the balance – it speaks racing but it looks good on the road, too. The P4 got too clunky and I’ve never liked the Dino road car – it’s too heavy at the back and has too much detail. The 206 passes my 360˚ test – I remember walking around the F1 with Peter Stevens before we signed it off to make sure it looked good from every angle.”

1957 Lotus Elite: “When I was judging Goodwood’s concours I got the Elite from being last on some people’s lists to one vote from first, just by talking them through it. It has nothing extra, just what it needs in terms of holes punctured into the body. It has a short front overhang with more on the rear – I hate cars with equal front and rear. It has great proportions and speaks ‘monocoque’: a beautiful little thing.”

Lotus Elan S3 FHC: “I had one in 1970 and swore I’d have another; I’ve now had it 20 years. The S3 worked better than S1 and 2. The S4 was cocked up with the square wheel guard and big lights. The +2 doesn’t work at all, it’s too flattened. The S3 speaks good design and simplicity: sometimes I just go to the garage and look at it. It’s not as ethereal as the Elite and 206 – it’s more of a practical beauty. I never tire of it.”

Most proud of... McLaren F1

“Designed as a road car, but went on to win Le Mans, which in my opinion is more difficult than F1.”

Lamborghini Countach

Chosen by: Martin Smith

It was Smith who turned the staid GT into the memorable quattro during his two decades at Audi after leaving Porsche AG in 1977. Having headed both external and interior design studios for Audi, in ’97 he moved to Opel and Vauxhall – responsible for, among others, the sharp Speedster/VX220 sports cars – before a further switch to become executive design director for Ford of Europe in 2004.

Top three beauties…

Lamborghini Countach: “The original one, not the later car with all of the spoilers. It was a really original shape compared with the soft Pininfarina Ferraris of the time. It was all over the magazine front covers when I was a student and it really inspired me: it was like a spaceship, something totally new combining smooth curves with geometric forms. I remember thinking ‘I’ll never be able to do anything as good as that’!”

Ferrari 275GTB: “I think this was a fantastic car, the pinnacle of front-engined Ferrari design and better looking even than the Daytona and the 250GTO.”

Jaguar XK120/XK140: “I could have chosen the E-type, but I prefer the XK120 and XK140 – I own an XK140 roadster, a Californian car that I’ve had totally rebuilt and I use occasionally on classic events. Another British sports car I love is the Healey 3000: I’ve exchanged e-mails recently with its designer, Gerry Coker, and I own a 3000 rally replica.”

Most proud of... New Ford Fiesta

“It’s an elegant, well-planted car with a dynamic profile and ‘full’ body surfaces that are precise and detailed. I like the strong kick in the C-pillar.”

Alfa Romeo Canguro

Chosen by: Paolo Martin

Martin learnt the arts of modelling, design and body construction during his time with Giovanni Michelotti from 1961-’67. After a year working at Bertone, he switched to Pininfarina as chief of styling, where projects under his watchful eye over eight years included the Ferrari Dino Berlinetta, Alfa Romeo Tipo 33 Roadster, BMC 1800 Aereodinamica, Fiat 130 Coupé and the Rolls-Royce Camargue.

Top three beauties…

Alfa Romeo Canguro by Giugiaro

Lamborghini Miura by Gandini

Triumph TR4 by Michelotti

Most proud of... Ferrari Dino Berlinetta

“I reserve a great love for this car, which was my first realisation in 1967, followed by the Ferrari Sigma Grand Prix of 1968.”

Ferrari 250GT Lusso

Chosen by: John Heffernan

Having started his training at GM in 1969, and styled the Vauxhall Chevette interior, Heffernan went to Audi in 1977 to work on the quattro, 100 and 200. In 1980 he set up JC Heffernan Design and jointly designed the 1984 Panther Solo with Ken Greenley, beginning a fruitful partnership that also yielded the Bentley Continental R. In 1990, Heffernan’s Aston Martin Virage was launched; he would later also be responsible for the Volante and Vantage versions.

Top three beauties…

Ferrari 250GT Lusso: “The most graceful of production Ferraris and very influential to car designers.”

BMW 328 Mille Miglia: “The first really modern sports car, which was key to the design of the Jaguar XK120.”

Bentley R-type Continental: “The car that inspired Ken Greenley and myself to design a modern equivalent in the Continental R.”

Most proud of... Aston Martin Vantage

“I would choose the ’90s first edition with the OZ wheels. When I borrowed one, it was much appreciated by ’bikers of the Hell’s Angel persuasion, which I liked.”

Lamborghini Gallardo

Chosen by: Julian Thomson

Following two years at Ford’s Dunton facility after leaving the RCA, Thomson joined Lotus in 1986 and over 12 years worked his way up to design chief, leading the team that created the Elise. He had a hand in many current VW/Audi group products during his two years there before a switch to Jaguar as Advanced Design chief in 2000. He added Land-Rover to his brief in 2006, leading the LRX concept design team.

Top three beauties…

Lamborghini Gallardo: “Lamborghini is more successful than Ferrari at modernising its brand: Ferrari is a bit hit-and-miss. It is one of the most modern cars out there, but still captures a bit of Countach and a bit of Miura. Having worked with Italians in the past, I know how painful it must be for Germans trying to work with them! I love the proportions and the interior, it doesn’t strike me as brash – it’s a tidy modern interpretation of a supercar: things like the Veyron are totally irrelevant to me.”

Ferrari 275GTB: “What’s nice about this, compared to, say, the 250 SWB, is that it’s not necessarily pretty, but muscular: a lot of sports cars of this era can be a bit dainty. I love its shark nose and the purity of the fuselage shape, the long bonnet, the windscreen. It’s simple: always the sign of a good design. I’d love to own a NART convertible.”

Jaguar XKSS: “The E-type is a bit too feminine and graceful for me. The XKSS is ugly from some angles, but it’s purposeful and aggressive – like a race car with a ’screen, which is basically what it is. It comes alive in those McQueen photos: the wheelarches are so pronounced and the waistline so low.”

Most proud of... Jaguar R Coupé Concept

“It marked the start of a huge transition of the Jaguar design language, which is being realised with the XK and XF. We wanted to reinterpret Jaguar values in a modern way. It was very controversial and diehards on the board had their doubts, but it started the ball rolling.”

Pegaso Z-102 Thrill

Chosen by: Tom Tjaarda

Having studied architecture in Michigan, Tjaarda joined Ghia in 1958. He worked on the VW Karmann-Ghia Type 2 before styling for Pininfarina on and off from 1961, where designs included the Corvette Rondine, Fiat 124 Spider, Ferrari 330GT and 365 California. After freelancing for OSI and Ital Styling, Tjaarda went back to head Ghia in ’68, creating the De Tomaso Pantera and Ford Fiesta. He set up his own studio in ’84 and was then a consultant to Fiat and Rayton Fissore. Tom sadly passed away last year. This interview was conducted in 2009.

Top three beauties…

Ferrari 275GTB: “That car still has presence. It is a testament to Mr Pininfarina’s sense of proportion and good taste, although it would have been a joint effort between him, Scaglietti and Enzo Ferrari himself.”

Pegaso Z102 Thrill: “One of my favourites at school. Touring did some beautiful cars: they were more famous in the States than even Pininfarina. Perhaps because I was in Torino when it came out, it has stuck in my mind.”

Jaguar E-type: “A gorgeous car, although you have to put proper tyres on it. It looks narrow, like a woman in high heels. It doesn’t have the stance cars have today.”

Most proud of... De Tomaso Pantera

“It made the most impact, although other cars I did were more beautiful. I bought a Pantera six months ago, redesigned the front and rear and refashioned the interior. It sold for $120k – I might do another!”

Bugatti T41 Royale Coupé Napoleon

Chosen by: Paul Bracq

Bracq’s career began in 1953 as assistant to Philippe Charbonneaux. He became chief of Mercedes’ advanced design studios in ’57, leading the design of the SL, SE, 600 and 220D. A decade later he worked on the TGV with Brissonau et Lotz, before a spell as director of design for BMW then 22 years as chief of interior design at Peugeot from ’74.

Top three beauties…

Bugatti T41 Royale Coupé Napoleon: “The wings are a fantastic design and the wheels are very modern. It was a great honour to be allowed to help with the rebuild of the Royale Esders Roadster.”

Aston Martin DB9: “It’s more beautiful than the current Ferraris. I don’t understand modern Ferrari design: the new California looks like a big VW Karmann-Ghia!”

Ferrari 250GT SWB: “At speed it’s beautiful, like the GTO. I saw both at Montlhéry and the Short Wheelbase is the most alluring, the most harmonious. It’s best in silver or black: black best controls the light on the shapes.”

Most proud of... BMW Turbo

“I was left alone to do this car: the management didn’t have the time to look. It was done very fast – in just six months – and I was very free. Michelotti was a nice guy: he built the prototype and every week I went to Turin to look at some detail or another. The Turbo was done as a promotional car for the 1972 Munich Olympic Games.”

Phantom Corsair

Chosen by: Patrick Le Quément

Renault’s vice president of corporate design will be inextricably linked with the firm whose stylistic direction he has shaped since 1987. Le Quément started out two decades earlier with Simca and Style International, before spending more than 15 years with Ford in the UK, West Germany and North America. He also spent two years as director of corporate design for VW before the switch to La Régie.

Top three beauties…

Ferrari 250GT Lusso: “The Lusso has always been a favourite and a major influence on me being a designer. Enzo had one, despite thinking it wasn’t 100% a Ferrari because it was a bit feminine. It has perfect proportions, a real purity and a slightness, something you find on most Ferraris of the time but not necessarily today. It’s feminine in feel but still a sports car, a sculpted car. I love the centrally mounted speedo to impress the girls! I have a picture of me behind the wheel of a Lusso that a designer did for my 40th birthday.”

Bugatti Type 57SC Atlantic: “To me it’s the epitome of the flamboyant pre-WW2 sports cars, but it’s not Figoni et Falaschi... this car is a thoroughbred, despite being overwhelmingly ‘styled’. I like the technical touches, such as the pointless riveted body. It has proportions that one pens when you think of cars from the late ’30s, but is a beautiful object. It has the lightness associated with French design, despite Ettore Bugatti being from Italy. My feeling is you are influenced by your environment, although perhaps a little less today.”

Phantom Corsair: “This was the inspiration for the 1982 Ford Sierra. It was the theme model that we discovered around the end of the ’70s. It is certainly not beautiful, but it has a presence that is quite rare, with the body covering the wheels and a nose like an aircraft; you wonder how much you could see of the road with the nose climbing before dropping down. I saw it, but never drove it. I feel bad about excluding the Facel Vega Facel II: it is one of the most desirable cars and if I had to have one car to drive it would be the Facel II. It is a beautiful, majestic car.”

Most proud of... Renault Twingo

“It was the first car I was responsible for when I joined Renault. Some work had been done by a designer who is now head of Citroën: it was smaller, narrower and it had smaller wheels and a horrible front end that looked like a Pekinese dog. I was convinced we had to get the proportions right. There was a big question: ‘Could we make a car beneath the Clio with a wider track?’ It was the first battle I had: I won. Some loved it, some hated it. I wrote to the president of Renault and said: ‘I think you have to vote for instinctive design rather than extinctive marketing.’ He wrote back: ‘I agree.’”

Lancia Stratos

Chosen by: Ken Okuyama

Having graduated from Musashino University in ’82, Okuyama went to the USA for further training at the Art Center College of Design before joining General Motors. He later moved to Porsche AG and then Pininfarina SpA in 1995, becoming design director of the legendary carrozzeria in 2004 and overseeing the creation of the Ferrari Enzo and 612 Scaglietti. In 2006, he left to set up Ken Okuyama Design.

Top three beauties…

Ferrari Dino

Lancia Stratos

Mini

Most proud of... Maserati Quattroporte

“I like the Enzo and Quattroporte best among my designs, particularly the Quattroporte for its simple beauty. Simple, modern, timeless is my design philosophy. Easy to say, hardest to get!”

Bat 5 by Bertone

Chosen by: Roy Axe

At 29, in 1967, Axe was made chief stylist for Rootes where he styled the Sunbeam Rapier. A year later he became director of design for Chrysler UK, then Chrysler Europe and finally rose to director of automotive design in Detroit during the Iacocca era. In 1982 he returned to the UK to establish a new design operation for Austin-Rover, leaving in 1989 to form Design Research Associates Ltd. Axe retired in 1999, and sadly passed away in 2010. This interview was conducted in 2009.

Top three beauties…

Jaguar XK120: “Not a totally original design, but a production car that looked just out of this world in 1948. I go to lots of car shows and the XK120 still stands out: there are lots of fine examples about. This was the influential car for me and I feel that William Lyons was one of those people who deserve to be called a genius.”

Ferrari 166 Barchetta: “The Barchetta had such wonderful proportion and flair and looks unbeatable. Carlo Anderloni gave this car a great look that I drool over to this day. The body was so tight over the mechanicals and, in an era when wheels were well inboard, the wheels on the edge look is just wonderful.”

BAT 5 by Bertone: “I was inspired by this impractical design. It was so outrageous, yet so perfect in proportion. It manages to look totally futuristic even today.”

Most proud of... MG EX-E

“Many of my favourite designs did not reach production, a cross the in-house designer must bear. At Rover I instigated the MG EX-E and Rover CCV programmes, whose purpose was to show what the new team could do. The Heritage museum still has these cars and I am happy with them. Given the creativity of management to go with the talent, they would have made a different story for Rover. I was also proud to have worked with Rolls-Royce and Peter Ward to design the Bentley Java and so demonstrate the possibility of a smaller Bentley – which became a reality some years later under VW.”

Hispano-Suiza H6 'Tulip Wood'

Chosen by: Dennis Adams

Self-taught via building specials, Adams joined Lister in 1957 to work with Frank Costin, with whom he also created the first Marcos cars. Having styled the 1800, in 1975 he moved to the Classic Motor Carriage Company in Miami as chief engineer and designer, where he built the first Adams Roadster. In 1980 he restarted the Adams Design Studio, working for Marcos, Rover, ERA, Avon Tyres, Corgi toys and others.

Top three beauties…

Hispano-Suiza H6 ‘Tulip wood’: “It has fascinated me all of my life. I also used to like ’50s Chevrolets. It was an admission you’d want to keep secret because they were so gross... they didn’t influence the Marcos!”

Lagonda Rapide: “I used to come home on my bicycle from Lister and pass a pre-war Rapide special. I drooled over that and often wondered what happened to it: I found out recently that it’s still in Trumpington, stored for 40 years. I’ve no idea who did the body. It was a two-seater with exposed wheels.”

Mercedes-Benz 500K: “The guy who backed Marcos in its West Country days was Greville Cavendish and he had a 500K. Like a fool, he’d taken out the straight-eight and put in a Perkins diesel; the original engine ended up in the River Avon but a friend of mine saved it. When I was in America I told a collector about the car: it was in my garage for nine months.”

Most proud of... Adams Roadster

“I incorporated every feature I had admired in the past – long bonnet, fold-flat ’screen etc. I was always thinking of mods and changing the moulds. It was based on the XJ6; I modified the location of the front wishbones and mounted the rear suspension differently. I used tapering bonnet louvres I’d seen on a vintage Alfa and put bonnet straps on. I love the feel of squashing the leather straps of a horse’s saddle into its tummy, so I got that feel by putting springs on the mountings on the Roadster. I built three and sold the business to a company in Somerset.”