Top 10 Rarest Classic Cars
1. Rolls-Royce 15hp
On our number one spot is one of the rarest, oldest and most expensive cars in the world today - the 1904 Rolls-Royce 15hp (horsepower). This is the first ever vehicle made by Charles Rolls and Henry Royce, back in 1904 in Manchester, UK. From six of those cars produced, only one still exists and you can see it touring museums and automotive shows around the world.The name of the vehicle is pretty simplistic, as it refers to the horsepower of the engine, which was a lot for the beginning of the 20th century. The first vehicle by this luxury automotive company we know today could reach the speed of 62km per hour and marked the start of Rolls-Royce’s history. It would be extremely hard and unnecessary to put a price tag on this iconic car, but it is currently insured for €32,5 million.
2. Ferrari 250 GT Spyder Convertible
The second place in our list of rare, gorgeous cars is reserved for the convertible model of Ferrari 250 GT Spyder. It is in fact the rarest of all Ferraris because only one of these was ever manufactured, as all other versions of the 250 GT line were coupes. The owner of the convertible is Bob Lee, a collector from New York who bought the car in 1956 for $9,500 dollars. Today, the estimated value of his Ferrari is €9,3 million, but many are certain that Lee could sell it for much more at an auction.
3. Aston Martin Bulldog
Produced in 1979 by Aston Martin as a test model, the Bulldog is an oddly looking car, which reminds us a lot of the DeLorean we know so well from the Back to the Future movies, perhaps because of the gull-wing doors. The initial plan for this project was to produce around 25 of those vehicles and test how they perform on the market, but it never actually came to that.
The Bulldog had a code name as well, DP K9 01, named after a character form the British TV series Doctor Who. Apart from its unusual looks, this vehicle was quite powerful as well, sporting a 600 horsepower 5,3 later turbo V8 engine. The Bulldog was auctioned by Aston Martin in 1980 and sold for €121,000 and resold again in 2011 for the amount of €1,2 million.
4. 1954 Oldsmobile F-88
Deemed as a car that influenced the style of all cars that come after it, the Oldsmobile F-88 is the dream car for almost all classic car collectors. Built in 1954, this vehicles sports an extremely elegant and luxurious look. What makes it even more special is its 250 horsepower V8 engine and fibreglass body. And to crush the dreams of all car lovers around the globe, only four cars of this model were ever produced. Currently you can admire the beauty of one Oldsmobile F-88 at the Gateway Colorado Automobile Museum. Another one was also recently sold at auction for €3,2 million. So you better get in line for the next one that will be sold, if anyone ever decides to let go of this gorgeous car.
5. Packard Panther
The Packard Panther was built in 1954 as a show car with the goal of presenting to the world what the company’s upcoming 1955 models would feature, therefore in was never produced in large quantities. Only four of those luxury vehicles were produced, one of which was a convertible version. The Packard Panther had a fibreglass body and Clipper taillights, and only two of the four cars exists to this day. Reportedly, one of them was sold in auction in 2006 for €335,148 to an unknown buyer.
6. Dodge Coronet Convertible
Produced twice over the course of four years, the Dodge Coronet Convertible is one of the rarest American muscle cars in the world. Only four of those cars were manufactured, two in 1967 and two in 1970. Even though there is nothing that makes this vehicle extraordinary in terms of appearance or technical features, its scarcity is more than enough for it to be famous among car collectors.
7. Porsche 916
The Porsche 916 can definitely be called Porsche’s hidden gem. The 916 is Porsche’s rarest model ever built and remains one of the rarest vehicles in the world to this day. Produced in 1972, only 11 cars of this magnificent model were made and they were all prototypes. This model wouldn’t have been so rare today if its price back then was not as high as $14,000, which was a very large sum for those years. Porsche decided that this price tag would be too high to make the vehicle attractive for a feasible amount of buyers and the project was eventually replaced by Porsche’s 911 model.
At the times, the Porsche 916 was the fastest and lightest Porsche model ever built, with a top speed of 233km per hour. It is a true shame for perhaps all car lovers, especially those devoted to Porsche, that this model did not make it past the 11 prototypes that were made. However, there are still a few original Porsche 916s in the hands of collectors, one of which was sold recently for the price of €2,7 million.
8. Talbot Lago Grand Sport
Talbot is a car manufacturing company with a rather controversial story. Throughout the years from 1903 until 1994, the company went though the hands of various owners, including Peugeot and Chrysler. For eighteen years (1960-1978) no cars were produced under the company’s name and it was on the verge of bankruptcy numerous times. Talbot is well known for producing both vehicles for daily use and some cars for Formula One. In 1981 Talbot was the first prize winner of the World Rally Championship.
But out of Talbot’s infamous history of car production came out a real gem called Lago Grand Sport. Introduced in 1948, the Talbot Lago Grand Sport had two versions - a racing and a luxury one. Only 12 cars from the luxury version were ever manufactured, which makes this vehicle extremely scarce and therefore of high interest among classic car lovers and collectors. Reportedly, an original Talbot Lago Grand Sport has reached the price of €2,3 million in an auction.
9. 1921 Helica de Leyat
On the day that the 1921 Helica came out the newspapers called it ‘The plane without wings’. Made in France and designed by the French automobile manufacturer, Marcel Leyat, the 1921 Helica is famous for its extraordinary look and originality. What makes this car absolutely unique is that it is powered by a huge propeller that resembles that of an aircraft, rather than a normal engine.
Even though Marcel Leyat kept working on the model for a few years, only 30 1921 Helicas were produced, because of the model’s unusual appearance and dangerously high speed. Currently all of the remaining Helicas are a part of private collections. The estimated price for a 1921 Helica in a good shape is €18,6 million, so if you are lucky enough to ever find one for sale, you would have to be willing to spend a tiny fortune to get your hands on this piece of history.
10. Tucker ’48
The Tucker ’48, or also known as the ‘Tucker Torpedo’, got its name after the person who made it, Preston Tucker, and the year it was made in, 1948. This car comes with a curious backstory, as Preston Tucker produced only 51 of those cars before his automobile company was shut down in March, 1949 due to stock fraud accusations and an investigation, followed by bad publicity. Even after Preston Tucker was proven innocent in court, he never managed to put his company in motion again and those 51 Tucker ’48s remained the only ones ever manufactured. In 1988 movie director Francis Ford Coppola made a film called Tucker: The Man and His Dream, based on the story of Preston Tucker and the production of the Tucker ’48. Contrary to this vehicle’s price back in 1948, which was somewhere along the lines of $1,000, the Tucker ’48’s value today is estimated to be €1,1 million.
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