Top 5 Most Beautiful Cars Ever, According to Jaguar Design Mastermind Ian Callum
Ian Callum, the legendary director of design for Jaguar, clearly knows a thing or two about pretty cars.
Prior to establishing the gorgeous Jaguar lineup, Callum designed the hot Aston Martin DB7, and then the Vanquish and DB9 that followed. He really likes his own creations, but in a recent interview, we asked him to give us a list of the cars he think are the most beautiful ones ever created. Here’s what he said:
Jaguar F-Type Coupe
He said this mainly after some coercion from his Jaguar PR handlers, but it’s hard to suggest that this isn’t one of the prettiest cars of all time. This successor to the Jaguar E-Type is available with a V6 or V8, and as a convertible or coupe, although Callum specifically made sure that it was the Coupe that was defined as his favorite.
Ferrari 250 GT Short Wheel Base (SWB)
The only Italian car in Callum’s good books, the 250 GT is a gorgeous car that can cost an unimaginable amount of money. Last year, a 250 GT California Spyder SWB fetched more than $15 million at auction.
Under the hood of these Ferraris are 3.0-liter V12 engines that put out 276 hp, while disc brakes were used at all four corners to keep the car under control.
1965 Buick Riviera
What’s this? An American car on Callum’s list of beauties? Indeed, the first-generation Riviera was a beautiful coupe, sporting a massive V8 under that long hood. It’s hard to argue with Callum though, as other famed designers have called out the Riviera as a gorgeous ride including Sergio Pininfarina and Jaguar founder and designer Sir William Lyons.
Jaguar Mark 2
Speaking of Jaguars, Callum also gave a shoutout to the Mark 2, an elegant sedan that helped establish a design for the brand back in the 1960s. It’s a stereotypically British car, as evidenced by being used as the main character in Inspector Moorse. The Mark 2 helped set the tone for the more modern S-Type, which simply wasn’t as good looking as the source material.
Porsche 911 (993)
Finally, Callum called out the 993 generation Porsche 911 as one of his personal favorites. A hard choice to argue with, it’s also kind of obvious. The 993 is the last of the hand-built and air-cooled 911s, while regarded by many as the prototypical 911. This is the lean, mean German machine that helped establish the automaker’s legacy in the mid ’90s, even if it didn’t differ radically from the 964 before it. Simply put, the 993 was the Porsche 911 that usually springs to mind when you think of this German brand.
Sami has an unquenchable thirst for car knowledge and has been at AutoGuide for the past six years. He has a degree in journalism and media studies from the University of Guelph-Humber in Toronto and has won multiple journalism awards from the Automotive Journalist Association of Canada. Sami is also on the jury for the World Car Awards.
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Ian Callum is one of my design heros. That said, i disagree with him on a couple of these. The F type is cool, but one of the 5 best of all time? No way. The 1955 Maserati A6GCS Berlinetta is missing from this list. And I'd replace the MkII Jaguar with the E-Type. And where's the Alfa Romeo Tipo 33 Stradale? And what about the Bugatti Type 57C Atlantic?
Jaguar Mark 2 look like cars of terminators hero.