The 20 Greatest Classic Cars on Earth, Ranked

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By Douglas A. McIntyre Published
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The 20 Greatest Classic Cars on Earth, Ranked

© falun / iStock Editorial via Getty Images

Among all the hobbies out there, some, like knitting or gardening, are financially accessible to most. Others remain exclusive to the world’s wealthiest. Collecting classic cars is one such pursuit, perhaps more than any other.

Renowned clothing designer Ralph Lauren possesses an extensive collection, and former late-night TV host Jay Leno boasts ownership of a staggering 180 classic cars and 160 classic motorcycles, valued at $52 million when last evaluated last July. Notably, Leno even possesses a Lamborghini Miura, often hailed as the pinnacle of classic cars. (Also read: These Are The Most Outrageous Car Collections In The World.)

The Classic Car Report from insurance comparison website Confused.com aimed to find the most “in-demand” classic cars and their dollar values. The research used these yardsticks to evaluate each model: annual Google searches; rarity, that is, the number of each model available in the world; the current average value;  and the increase from original value. 

These metrics were used to create a score, with 10 as the highest possible number. The study included 200 classic car models. Information also was pulled from various sources, including Car and Classic. Prices came from Hagerty’s valuation tool. 24/7 Wall St. reviewed the report to find the world’s greatest classic car.

The Lamborghini Miura took the crown with an impressive score of 8.58. Produced from 1966 to 1973, the car features a 3,929 cc Lamborghini V12 engine, a rear mid-engine configuration, and a top speed of 171 miles per hour. Its value has skyrocketed by 1,500%, reaching approximately $1.8 million since its inception. A mere 764 Miuras were manufactured. The study’s authors commented, “It was the fastest production road car in the world when it was released and scored highly across the board here.” (Also read: This Is the Most Dependable Car Brand in America.)

These are the 20 greatest classic cars in the world

20. Ferrari 308
> Classic car score: 5.64
> Number produced:6,116
> Value:$254,316

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leekris / iStock Editorial via Getty Images

19. Porsche 550
> Classic car score: 5.89
> Number produced: 90
> Value:$4,928,613

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Alistair McLellan / iStock Editorial via Getty Images

18. Jaguar D-Type
> Classic car score: 6.22
> Number produced:16
> Value:$8,871,504

Gaschwald / iStock Editorial via Getty Images

17. Ferrari Testarossa
> Classic car score: 6.25
> Number produced:929
> Value:$285,860

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Sjo / iStock Unreleased via Getty Images

16. Ferrari 512 BB
> Classic car score: 6.25
> Number produced:7,177
> Value:$237,559

simonbradfield / iStock Unreleased via Getty Images

15. Aston Martin DB5
> Classic car score: 6.51
> Number produced:1,059
> Value:$1,084,295

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14. Mercedes-Benz 300 SL
> Classic car score: 6.58
> Number produced:3,258
> Value:$7,392,920

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13. BMW M1
> Classic car score: 6.65
> Number produced:453
> Value:$645,648

ehughes / iStock Unreleased via Getty Images

12. Toyota 2000 GT
> Classic car score: 6.66
> Number produced:337
> Value:$842,793

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Spanish Coches / Wikimedia Commons

11. Nissan Skyline GT-R
> Classic car score: 6.69
> Number produced:67,300
> Value:$293,745

Bim / iStock Unreleased via Getty Images

10. Jaguar E-Type
> Classic car score: 6.69
> Number produced:1,268
> Value:$113,358

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9. Plymouth Superbird
> Classic car score: 6.98
> Number produced:1,935
> Value:$460,332

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8. Lancia Stratos
> Classic car score: 7.02
> Number produced:139
> Value:$1,626,442

7. Bugatti EB 110
> Classic car score: 7.02
> Number produced:492
> Value:$634,805

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Sjo / iStock Unreleased via Getty Images

6. Datsun 240Z
> Classic car score: 7.20
> Number produced:543
> Value:$89,306

Sjo / iStock Unreleased via Getty Images

5. Lamborghini Countach
> Classic car score: 7.42
> Number produced:998
> Value:$1,922,159

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Gaschwald / iStock Editorial via Getty Images

4. AC Cobra
> Classic car score: 7.42
> Number produced:1,983
> Value:$1,429,298

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falun / iStock Editorial via Getty Images

3. Ferrari 250 GTO
> Classic car score: 7.89
> Number produced:36
> Value:$69,000,586

Sjo / Getty Images

2. Ferrari F40
> Classic car score: 8.51
> Number produced:1,311
> Value:$2,562,879

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Sjo / iStock Unreleased via Getty Images

1. Lamborghini Miura
> Classic car score: 8.58
> Number produced:764
> Value:$1,823,587

Photo of Douglas A. McIntyre
About the Author Douglas A. McIntyre →

Douglas A. McIntyre is the co-founder, chief executive officer and editor in chief of 24/7 Wall St. and 24/7 Tempo. He has held these jobs since 2006.

McIntyre has written thousands of articles for 24/7 Wall St. He is an expert on corporate finance, the automotive industry, media companies and international finance. He has edited articles on national demographics, sports, personal income and travel.

His work has been quoted or mentioned in The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, Los Angeles Times, The Washington Post, NBC News, Time, The New Yorker, HuffPost USA Today, Business Insider, Yahoo, AOL, MarketWatch, The Atlantic, Bloomberg, New York Post, Chicago Tribune, Forbes, The Guardian and many other major publications. McIntyre has been a guest on CNBC, the BBC and television and radio stations across the country.

A magna cum laude graduate of Harvard College, McIntyre also was president of The Harvard Advocate. Founded in 1866, the Advocate is the oldest college publication in the United States.

TheStreet.com, Comps.com and Edgar Online are some of the public companies for which McIntyre served on the board of directors. He was a Vicinity Corporation board member when the company was sold to Microsoft in 2002. He served on the audit committees of some of these companies.

McIntyre has been the CEO of FutureSource, a provider of trading terminals and news to commodities and futures traders. He was president of Switchboard, the online phone directory company. He served as chairman and CEO of On2 Technologies, the video compression company that provided video compression software for Adobe’s Flash. Google bought On2 in 2009.

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