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The Porsche 356 was the automobile that established Porsche as a manufacturer and created the basic engineering philosophy the company would carry into the 911 era. Produced from 1948 through 1965, the 356 evolved from a tiny, largely hand-built sports car using many Volkswagen-derived components into a sophisticated high-performance GT available with engines ranging from…

Introduced for the 1970 model year, the Datsun 240Z transformed the sports-car market. It combined attractive styling, a smooth inline six-cylinder engine, independent suspension, good performance and everyday reliability at a price substantially below many European competitors. Known internally as part of Nissan’s S30-series, the 240Z was sold in its home market primarily under the…

Introduced in 1966, the Maserati Ghibli was one of the most dramatic Italian grand touring cars of its era. Designed by Giorgetto Giugiaro while at Ghia, the Ghibli combined an extraordinarily low, angular body with Maserati’s competition-derived quad-cam V8, creating a front-engined GT that competed directly with cars such as the Ferrari 365 GTB/4 Daytona…

Introduced in 1987 to celebrate Ferrari’s 40th anniversary, the Ferrari F40 became one of the defining supercars of the 1980s and arguably the most important road-going Ferrari of its generation. Developed from the limited-production 288 GTO and experimental 288 GTO Evoluzione, the F40 combined a lightweight composite body, twin-turbocharged V8, minimal interior and extreme aerodynamic…

Introduced in 1962, the Alfa Romeo Giulia established the formula that would define Alfa’s sporting road cars for decades: a sophisticated twin-cam engine, responsive chassis, four-wheel disc brakes and relatively light bodywork combined with enough practicality for everyday use. During its long production life, the Giulia name encompassed everything from four-door family sedans to elegant…

Few automobiles define an era as completely as the Lamborghini Countach. Introduced as a prototype in 1971 and produced from 1974 through 1990, the Countach established the basic template for the modern Lamborghini supercar: a mid-mounted V12, outrageous wedge-shaped bodywork, dramatic scissor doors and performance intended to challenge the fastest road cars in the world.…

The Mercedes-Benz 300SL is one of the defining sports cars of the 1950s and one of the most valuable postwar automobiles. Produced from 1954 through 1963, the road-going 300SL combined competition-derived engineering, extraordinary styling and performance that placed it among the fastest production cars of its era. Its famous “Gullwing” doors, tubular spaceframe chassis and…

Introduced for 1964, the Chevrolet Chevelle was General Motors’ answer to the growing market for intermediate-size cars. Positioned between the compact Chevy II and full-size Chevrolet, the Chevelle quickly developed into one of Chevrolet’s most important model lines. It could be ordered as everything from an economical six-cylinder family sedan or station wagon to the…

Introduced in 1961, the Jaguar E-Type — sold in the United States as the XKE — combined exotic styling, sophisticated engineering and remarkable performance at a price far below contemporary Ferraris and Aston Martins. During its 14-year production run, the E-Type evolved from a lightweight, relatively pure two-seat sports car into a larger, more luxurious…

Austin-Healey 3000: Models, Variants and Year-by-Year Changes Produced from 1959 through 1967, the Austin-Healey 3000 was the final and most developed version of the “Big Healey.” It evolved from a relatively elemental British roadster with removable side curtains into a considerably more civilized sports convertible with roll-up windows, a proper folding top and a wood-trimmed…