The best-looking cars of all time – according to you

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder – mostly. I mean, we can all agree there’s a certain ‘right’ factor about the sinuous lines of an Aston Martin DB5. We can also agree the SsangYong Turismo is a minger.

But I wanted to know what you, the Carwow audience, really think are the best-looking vehicles ever built. So I took to social media and asked our followers on the r/UKCarwow subreddit what they reckoned.

Almost 150 comments later, I’ve a list as long as your arm – so I’ve picked ten, especially those which received lots of upvotes in agreement. Here are the cars that YOU voted as the most beautiful of all time.

Remember, you can buy a brand new or used car right here on Carwow. And you can sell your car, too. We’re here to help you through every step of your car-changing journey.

Before we begin, honorable mentions to the Fiat Multipla, Trabant, Dacia 1310 and Top Gear’s ‘Geoff’ – all of which were definitely serious suggestions...

Aston Martin DBS

Aston Martin in the 2000s couldn’t really do any wrong. The Vanquish and the DB9 were both absolute stunners, with the characteristic front grille flowing into beautifully proportioned lines and a gorgeously minimalist aesthetic that has defined its models since.

But it’s the DBS, produced in 2007, that scored the best with our Reddit audience. ‘There’s genuinely zero bad lines on the Aston Martin DBS’ commented u/cannedrex2406, and I can’t help but agree. It’s just a shame that during its starring Bond role in Casino Royale, all it really did was crash.

Volvo 850

Not necessarily a conventional choice, but users definitely resonated with u/horovin and his suggestion of this boxy beast – and it got a lot of upvotes. There’s something quite beautiful about the strictly utilitarian, so maybe the Volvo 850 has a place in this list – and there’s no denying that the racy 850 R looked the absolute business.

BMW 507

Only 253 examples of this ultra-rare roadster were built between 1956 and 1959, so examples fetch millions at auction. Designed by Albrecht von Goertz, it’s a true stunner with a sweeping, low-slung bonnet, prominent fenders and a pert rear.

The hefty price tag in period put it too close to true exotics, and it stumbled against the mighty desirability of Ferraris, but it still attracted an elite roster of owners including Ursula Andress, John Surtees and the King himself… Elvis.

Ferrari 250 GTO

Yes, it’s the obvious Ferrari answer, but it’s obvious for a reason. Built between 1962 and 1964, the 250 GTO has gone from racing weapon to rolling artwork, with a long bonnet, tucked-back cabin and a body that looks elegant, aggressive and outrageously expensive all at once – which it is, because one reportedly sold privately for $70m (£52.1m) in 2018. At auction, a 1962 330 LM / 250 GTO sold for $51.7m (£38.5m) in 2023.

There was some debate over whether the earlier 250 GT SWB Berlinetta is actually the prettier car, and that’s fair enough. The SWB is cleaner and more delicate; the GTO is lower, meaner and more motorsport-hardened. Both are pretty stunning.

Alfa Romeo 33 Stradale

Based on the Tipo 33 racing car and produced between 1967 and 1969, there’s something seriously dramatic about the 33 Stradale’s proportions – it’s all glass and curves, sitting impossibly low to the ground. Butterfly doors add just the right amount of theatre.

Plenty of other Alfas were mentioned, but this got the most upvotes – and was suggested by several different users too.

Citroen SM

Okay, I added this, but the post got lots of upvotes, so I think it’s valid… Citroen has a reputation as one of the most avant-garde car companies in history and the SM is perhaps the ultimate expression of that, coming after the already impossibly pretty DS.

With its two-door silhouette, long nose, squat rear and stunning detailing – including the best gear shifter design of all time – the SM certainly gets my vote as one of the best-looking vehicles ever made. If it wasn’t for their high price tags (and shameless unreliability from the Maserati V6 engines) I’d already have bought one.

Toyota 2000GT

One of only a few Japanese entrants on this list, but very well deserved. ‘It’s so well-proportioned’ commented u/Reddsoldierand, which pretty much nails it. Built between 1967 and 1970, the 2000GT proved Japan could do a genuinely world-class sports car.

With its long bonnet, tiny cabin, pop-up headlights and almost E-Type-like stance, it’s delicate rather than shouty, though a starring role in You Only Live Twice certainly didn’t hurt. Toyota only built 337, making it rare enough to feel exotic, but the shape is what really earns it a place on this list.

Jaguar XK120

If I’d asked my dad this question, this would have been his immediate answer, and I can certainly see why. Built between 1948 and 1954, the XK120 was Jaguar’s first proper sports car for nearly a decade, and its swooping aluminium-alloy bodywork signified post-war optimism.

It wasn’t particularly rare – over 12,000 were made, many of which were exported to the US. Its 3.4-litre straight-six engine gave it a top speed of 120mph too, so it wasn’t just a pretty face.

Mercedes 300SL Gullwing

Few cars have a single design feature so famous it becomes the name, but the 300SL Gullwing pulls it off rather neatly. Those roof-hinged doors weren’t just theatre, either – they were dictated by the car’s lightweight spaceframe chassis, though they also happened to make it look like nothing else on the road.

Built from 1954, the 300SL was genuinely exotic for its day, with race-car roots, fuel injection and a shape that still looks impossibly elegant now. It’s beautiful in that very Mercedes way: restrained, technical and expensive-looking, right up until the doors go up and it turns into pure drama.

Alfa Romeo 8C Competizione

The most modern car on this list, which says a lot – partly about how hard it is to make a truly beautiful new car, and partly about how spectacularly Alfa Romeo nailed this one. Launched in the late 2000s, the 8C Competizione looked back to classic Italian GTs without feeling like a lazy retro pastiche.

There’s a bit of 33 Stradale in the curves, a bit of old-school front-engined Ferrari in the proportions, and a whole lot of Alfa drama in the details. It may not have been perfect to drive, but as a piece of automotive sculpture it still feels almost indecently gorgeous.

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