10 VINTAGE EUROPEAN CARS THAT ARE TRUE COLLECTOR'S GEMS

Every single automotive enthusiast loves classic cars, there's no debate about it. But when it comes down to which cars are the best for collectors... well, that's when things get a bit blurry.

There are numerous different car segments that collectors lust over. Take for instance legendary supercars that defined the 2000s like the Ferrari Enzo and Porsche Carrera GT; these automotive pieces of art turned into collector's items nearly instantaneously. Others argue that as long as a car is rare, it will inevitably become a collector's icon. And then we have some unforgettable American muscle cars from the '60s which powered-obsessed gearheads can't get enough of which are also revered by auto collectors.

That said, there's one automotive segment that towers over all the aforementioned in not only value but variety too: Classic European cars. More often than not, classic cars that came from countries like Italy, France, Germany, and Britain became worth a fortune. These are the most sought-after collectors cars with European blood.

BMW M1

Although ridiculously powerful Bimmers like the M8 Competition exist, the BMW M1 was the only supercar BMW actually built that didn't feature a hybrid engine. Originally meant to be a Lamborghini, the BMW M1 features a mid-engined 3.5-liter inline six that put down 273 hp and 243 lb-ft of torque. In turn, the BMW ran to 60 mph from a stop in just 5.4 seconds.

Although these figures sound abysmal in comparison to modern supercars, these figures were potent for a late '70s performance car. Unfortunately for us, only 397 road-legal examples of the BMW M1 exist. Then again, that's great news for collectors since these typically sell for an average of $522,863 at auction.

Porsche 911 (901)

Although there are some totally overrated and severely underrated Porsches that exist, the first-generation Porsche 911 remains an objectively admired car. Contrary to popular belief though, the first-ever Porsche was not the 911, it was the 356, but the 911 was such a remarkable sports car, that Porsche is synonymous with it, and still makes new 911s to this day.

Released in 1964, the first Porsche 911, called the 901, featured as you guessed, a 2.0-liter flat-six boxer engine with only 130 hp, but eventually, this engine grew in power and size too. Regardless, the Porsche 911 remains one of the world's most favorite sports cars because Porsche stuck to the 911's roots since day one and became one of the most iconic sports cars that redefined performance. Every Porsche 911 that followed was rear-wheel-drive, had a flat-six boxer engine, and a manual gearbox, and shared the same silhouette as its granddaddy.

Mercedes-Benz 300 SLR Uhlenhaut Coupe

Famous for being the world's most expensive car sold at auction, fetching a handsome €135 million ($142.9 million) last year at Sotheby's, the Mercedes-Benz 300 SLR Uhlenhaut Coupe is hands-down the most sought-after collector's car in 2023. After all, only two of these Uhlenhaut Coupe ever existed alongside a handful of roadsters too.

Powering the gull-winged Mercedes classic sports car was a naturally aspirated 3.0-liter inline-eight engine with up to 306 hp and 229 lb-ft of torque. Even more impressive though is the fact that this 1955 uber-rare Mercedes-Benz sports car could do 0-60 mph in just 7.2 seconds and had a top speed of 186 mph. Not that you'd be brave enough to dash down a racetrack in this $100 million+ car.

Aston Martin DB5

One of the most iconic movie cars of all time, the Aston Martin DB5 is a priceless collector's item. Apart from its dashing good looks, the DB5 nested a 4.0-liter straight-six underneath its hood – or bonnet as the Brits say – that put out 282 hp and 288 lb-ft of torque.

Unfortunately, by today's sports car standards, the Aston Martin DB5 is a rather sluggish car, and can't outrun affordable cars that go from 0-60 in under 8 seconds since the DB5 does 0-60 mph in 8.1 seconds. Something tells us that the Bond movies slightly portrayed the DB5 to be quicker than it actually was. The Aston Martin DB5 still stands as one of the coolest cars to ever exist nonetheless, and they typically sell for about $1 million.

Jaguar E-Type Series 1

Often referred to as the most beautiful car of all time, the Jaguar E-Type is the exact opposite of a depreciated European sports car. Its iconic car design stood the test of time, alongside its raspy 3.8-liter or 4.2-liter inline-six, the Series 1 Jaguar E-Type proved to be one of the most sophisticated grand tourers ever made.

With 266 hp at its disposal, the E-Type was definitely no slouch, but as we mentioned before, its beauty was the main selling point. Fortunately, the Series 1 E-Type is one of the more affordable collector's cars on our list with some of the cheapest examples for $73,000 on Bring a Trailer.

McLaren F1

Not only was the McLaren F1 the fastest car back in the day with a top speed of 240 mph, but it remains the fastest production powered by a naturally aspirated engine. This naturally aspirated engine was in fact not built by McLaren, but rather by BMW, and it was an incredibly powerful 6.1-liter V12 with 618 hp and 479 lb-ft of torque. But the performance figures of the McLaren F1 alone aren't the only reason why collectors adore this hypercar so much.

The McLaren F1 featured some unique engineering feats that nearly no other car has... These include 3 seats on the interior, some engine components being gold-plated for heat insulation, and a 6-speed manual gearbox, among other things. If you're a big-time car collector, you need a McLaren F1 in your arsenal.

Alfa Romeo Tipo 33

It's no secret that Alfa Romeo builds some of the most beautiful cars in the world, but many forget about the Tipo 33's existence entirely. Well, that's probably because only 18 Alfa Romeo Tipo 33 examples saw the light of day; and unrightfully so. The Tipo 33 promised to be one of the best cars to leave the Italian carmaker's factory, but unfortunately, it was too expensive to sell in bulk.

Featuring an orgasmic flat plane crankshaft 2.0-liter V8 with a redline of 10,000 rpm as well as 227 hp and 152 lb-ft of torque, the Tipo 33 was a brutal performance machine. Due to its 1,543-lb curb weight, the Alfa Romeo Tip 33 could complete the standing 1 km (1.6 miles) in only 24 seconds – faster than any other car at the time.

Ferrari 250 GTO

Just because the Ferrari 250 GTO is the current second-most valuable car in the world with an auction price of $48.4 million doesn't mean it's any less desirable than the aforementioned SLR 300. After all, the Ferrari 250 GTO has quite a few characteristics that make it quite an attractive vehicle in a collector's eyes.

For starters, only 36 250 GTO models saw the day of light and each of them featured a tiny 3.0-liter V12 engine with a total of 296 hp and 216 lb-ft of torque. Keeping in mind that the Ferrari 250 GTO is about 60 years old, it's nowhere near as fast as the modern 'Raris, but that's not why collectors crave it. The 250 GTO is the perfect blend of style, race heritage, and exclusivity for buyers to want one.

Bugatti Type 57 SC Atlantic

Only built between 1936 and 1968, the Bugatti only made 4 examples of the Type 57 SC Atlantic... but only 3's whereabouts remain public knowledge. But that's a story for another day. The fact that only 4 examples exist on planet Earth is more than enough reason to want one, but if you need more information to justify your multi-million dollar purchase, we understand.

Underneath the gorgeously sculpted hood, the Bugatti Type 57 SC Atlantic housed a naturally aspirated 3.3-liter straight-eight engine with nearly 200 hp. Once again, keep in mind this was only 2 decades after the Model T made headlines, so the Atlantic was quite the performer and looker. In all honesty, though, the chances of seeing one of these, not even to mention one going on sale is excruciatingly low.

Lamborghini 350 GT

The Lamborghini 350 GT was Ferruccio Lamborghini's first-ever production car after he parted ways with Ferrari. Ironically, he purposefully named it the 350 GTO to one-up Ferrari's current 250 they sold at the time; just to show Lamborghini was superior to Ferrari. Albeit nothing like what we're used to Lamborghinis looking like today, the 350 GT remains a timeless symbol of automotive rivalry,

But don't think that the 350 GT was just a pretty face; it inhabited a 3.5-liter V12 engine with 280 hp and 240 lb-ft of torque that was potent enough to rock the Lamborghini 350 GT from 0-60 mph in under 7 seconds. As exotic Italian carmakers do, Lamborghini only made 120 units of the 350 GT, and nowadays, they typically sell for three-quarters of a million dollars.

Sources: Motor Trend, Ultimate Specs, Simply Petrol, Bugatti

2023-06-05T23:39:24Z dg43tfdfdgfd