Classic cars refer to old cars that used to work in the early days. Some classic cars are classic in design and of extraordinary significance, and are the objects that car fans around the world are keen to collect. In this issue, the fan editorial department has selected ten representative classic classic cars, and car fans and friends to see how thrilling stories are behind their fame under the wash of the years.
Text: Song Yixing
1. Ferrari 250 GTO
When it comes to legendary sports cars, I believe most people will first think of the Italian Prancing Horse - Ferrari, accompanied by countless flowers and applause, but this 250 GTO, which has long been auctioned for a high price, may not be so widely known. At the 2018 Pebble Beach Motor Show, the sports car was successfully auctioned for more than 300 million yuan, which is equivalent to 115 cash entry-level Ferrari Roma.
The 250 GTO is considered Ferrari's most treasured car because the 250 GTO has achieved numerous accolades at multiple Grand Prix. It is equipped with a V-type twelve-cylinder engine with a maximum output of 302 hp, a maximum torque of 333 Nm, and an acceleration time of only 5.8 seconds per 100 kilometers. Such power data represents the highest level of car-making technology in the 1960s. At the same time, it is also a racing car that can be legally put on the road, and collectors are naturally eager to do so.
2. 捷豹 E-Type
The Jaguar E-Type is the most legendary model in Jaguar's history. Ferrari founder Enzo Ferrari once hailed it as "the most elegant car ever made". Prince Harry, the sixth heir to the British throne, rode the Jaguar E-Type at his wedding.
The first E-Types on the market were powered by a 3.8-liter inline six-cylinder engine on the XKR, matched with a 4-speed manual and a 3-speed automatic transmission, with a maximum power of 265 hp, a peak torque of 325 Nm, and an acceleration time of 6.8 seconds per 100 kilometers. The car was once considered a direct competitor of Ferrari to the 250 GTO, which sold for only 1/3 of the 250 GTO. The elegant slipback design is the biggest highlight of the E-Type. To this day, many coupe and sports car designs are still learning from the E-Type.
3. Aston Martin DB5
The DB5 model was born in 1963, and the first generation of the DB5 model was powered by a 4.0-liter inline six-cylinder engine with a maximum power of 286 horsepower and a peak torque of 390 Nm. The drive method is the front and rear drive. The British-born sports car did not initially have much popularity, and the Jaguar E-Type of the same period was obviously more popular.
However, the release of the 007 series of movies changed this situation. At the time, in order to coincide with the premiere of "Goldfinger", Aston Martin invested a huge amount of £25,000 to modify the DB5 model, including a machine gun hidden in the front and rear lights, a liftable bulletproof steel plate hidden in the luggage compartment, a tire shredder that can protrude from the axle, and so on. This is also one of Aston Martin's most discerning investments, and in the subsequent 007 series, the DB5 became Bond's royal model, and its popularity continued to rise.
4. Alfa Romeo 8C 2900B Berlinetta
In 1930, Alfa Romeo designed the 8C 2900B to compete in the various races of the time, and with its elegant shape and unique power structure, it was hailed as the most modern and technically advantageous sports car of the 1930s.
The 8C 2900B's slender engine cover, which occupies two-thirds of the body, is designed as a "butterfly cover" that opens left and right, and the air vent is also designed on the cover. The 8C 2900B is powered by a 2.9-liter in-line eight-cylinder engine that, with the help of two superchargers, delivers a maximum power output of 180 horsepower. In addition, it has won a series of classic car awards such as the Grand Prix of the Pebble Beach Motor Show in the United States.
5. Porsche 356
When it comes to Porsche, most fans probably think of the 911 series first, because it has given birth to too many classic models. If you want to talk about which car carried the beam of the Porsche brand before the birth of the 911, then there is only one answer, that is, the Porsche 356.
In 1948, in a small town in Austria, the first Porsche 356 with the Porsche logo was born. It was also the first model designed by Ferdinand Porsche to bear the Porsche name. The 356 is small and simple in structure, but it is the first Porsche model to use a light air-cooled engine, and the layout of the mid-engine allows the entire front cabin of the 356 to be made very low for a better view. The Porsche 356, which has a mass of only 585 kg, is capable of running at a top speed of 140 km/h.
6. Mercedes-Benz 500K
As a classic model of Mercedes, the biggest highlight of the 500K is the streamlined body structure and the soft downward rear design, which can be said to be an epoch-making classic design in the 1930s. The design of the car was written by the famous designer Hermann Ahrens.
Many people say that the 500K is the least mercedes-benz car, because it has a 5-meter-long body and intricate interior and exterior decoration, and is also equipped with a 5.0-liter inline eight-cylinder engine and a folding soft top with mica flakes. If you cover the logo of the Three-Fork Star, there is absolutely no objection to saying that it is an American car. The 500K was born in 1934, its exquisite workmanship, due to the scarcity of production, has become a classic car with a high collection value.
7. Bugatti Type 57
The Bugatti Type 57 series was designed by Jean Bugatti, son of founder Etoile Bugatti. The 57 series has a unique and beautiful body design that combines racing performance and luxury car functions for everyday use as well as long-distance travel.
From 1934 to 1940, a total of 57 models were produced 710. It uses an in-line eight-cylinder engine based on type 49 and a drastically modified twin camshaft 3.2-litre cast iron. The 57 model is a classic because of its stunning design, but also because it has brought Bugatti great commercial success and outstanding results on the track.
8. Ferrari Testarossa
Ferrari's Testarossa has origins dating back to the early 1980s, with pininfarina, known as the "father of the supercar", code-named F110. The design team was led by Leonardo Fioravantino, who helped create many of Ferrari's early models.
Ferrari opted for a naturally aspirated engine to power the Testarossa, with the longitudinal 4.9-litre horizontally opposed twelve-cylinder engine with a single overhead camshaft design, four valves per cylinder, and a dry sump lubrication system. The engine has a compression ratio of 9.20:1, a maximum power of 390 hp and a peak torque of 490 Nm. In terms of performance, the Testarossa was one of the fastest cars of the time, with a 5.8-second acceleration of 100 km/h and a top speed of 290 km/h.
9. Pontiac GTO
Born in 1963, the Pontiac GTO is hailed as the most classic muscle car in the history of high-performance cars and is also recognized as a classic classic car. Usually, it is not easy for such American muscle cars to be recognized by fans around the world as classic cars.
The car is powered by a V8 engine with a maximum power of 325 horsepower, which is equipped with a manual 3-speed transmission and a heavy-duty clutch. Its birth has given rise to a whole new segment. Pontiac has sold a total of 700,000 Pontiac GTOs in history, and it can be said that it has witnessed the rise and fall of American muscle cars.
10. Red Flag CA72
In the same year that the first domestic car in New China, Dongfeng CA71, was introduced, the central government issued a task to FAW to manufacture domestic high-end cars, so the Hongqi CA72 was born. Hongqi CA72 is the first real Hongqi senior car in China, which was originally tested with reference to Chrysler C69, and the body was completely designed by the Chinese people.
In August 1958, the first Hongqi CA72 luxury sedan was successfully trial-produced. It is equipped with a V-type eight-cylinder engine with a maximum power of 220 horsepower and a hydraulic continuously variable transmission. The earliest CA72 had five small red flags side by side on the side of the fender, representing workers, farmers, merchants, students, and soldiers. On October 1, 1959, 10 brand-new CA72 Red Flag sedans took the stage at the National Day celebration in the capital. It also won the honor of the first Chinese classic car in history at the 2018 Pebble Beach Motor Show.