The Pininfarina-designed Fiat 124 Spider debuted in the U.S. in 1968 to an eager audience. With ample trunk space and enough room in the cabin for two people not to touch shoulders, the roadster quickly became a road trip classic. “It doesn’t have much power, but it’s cute,” Martin says. “It’s a great summertime car.” If you can’t find an original model online, know that Fiat is introducing an updated 124 Spider for 2017.

Introduced in 1959, the bulbous British roadster became the last of the “big Healeys” when it ended production in 1967. Curvaceous and brass, the Austin-Healey 3000 was an automotive icon of the Swinging Sixties. “This was the final version of the ‘Big Healey,’ with its powerful six-cylinder engine and overdrive,” Martin says. “It will cruise easily at 75 mph on today’s freeways.” You can occasionally find a late-model Austin-Healey 3000 through Hemmings and other classic car-buying websites.

The Datsun 240Z started the Japanese sports car craze when it arrived in America in the early 1970’s. Offering lots of power and a pleasant interior for not much money, the Datsun paved the way for Toyota, Honda and Nissan to gain acceptance with U.S. consumers in the following decades. Classified ads from Hemmings and AutoTrader Classics have many Datsun 240Zs listed for sale.

If you watched television in the 1980s, you will likely remember Thomas Magnum, played by Tom Selleck, tooling around Hawaii in one of these targa tops on Magnum, P.I. Produced from 1975 to 1985, the two-seater V8 Ferrari 308 GTS represented elegance and adventure. The originals used on set were auctioned when the series ended, but you might find one on display at attractions such as the Cars of the Stars Motor Museum in Cumbria, England, or Universal Studios Hollywood.

Built from 1991 to 1995, this Italian-made V16 supercar was originally designed as the Lamborghini Diablo. But when Chrysler purchased a stake in Lamborghini and the Diablo’s designers modified the plan, mastermind Marcelo Gandini took his original blueprints to automotive engineer Claudio Zampolli, who built it as a Cizeta. Cizeta built only a handful during the car’s initial production run, but they occasionally resurface on the market.

Porsche’s first production car, the rear-engine, rear-wheel drive Porsche 356, survived four high-flying generations before it was laid to rest in the mid-1960s. Considered the most highly developed of the four-cylinder Porsches, the 356 is also regarded by vintage car experts as the most fun to drive. Procuring one isn’t difficult: about half of the 76,000 cars originally produced survive.

The McLaren F1 announced the British supercar maker’s foray into modern racing when it was unveiled in 1992. Six years later, it set the record for the world’s fastest production car, at 242 mph. “The McLaren F1 was Formula One legend Gordon Murray’s high-tech supercar answer to Porsche and Ferrari,” Hagerty says. “And it didn’t just exceed the standards they established, it obliterated them. Driving an F1 is a sublime ballet of shocking power, braking, and control.” McLaren only built 64 of these, but fortunately, it just put up for sale chassis #69, the 60th model built. If you have eight figures to spend, you can contact specialoperations@mclaren.com.

The quirky Volvo P1800 was stylish enough for Roger Moore to drive one in the spy thriller TV series The Saint. This two-seater sports car is durable: one surviving model has clocked more than three million miles. Its brethren belong to private owners, but check with the Volvo Owners Clubs if you’d like to find one for sale or make an owner an offer.

Based on the first full-size car Rolls-Royce made after the war, the original Silver Dawn drophead launched in 1949 and retired in 1954. The name was intended to mark the dawn of a new era for the world and Rolls-Royce’s place in it. Slightly smaller than pre-war cars, the Dawn helped the British bespoke carmaker reintroduce motoring craftsmanship while bringing the company into the modern age. They’re extremely rare: only three of the original 28 dropheads remain in the U.S., and those are owned by private collectors. Happily, the carmaker is introducing a successor model after a 60-year hiatus.

Acura’s halo car from 1990 to 2005, the NSX is young but mighty. “While it’s not as sexy as its European rivals, the Acura NSX showed the rest of the world that supercar specs and daily-driver manners could co-exist,” Hagerty says. “It inspires confidence and begs you to keep pushing, braking later, and turning harder. It may be the most underrated car on this list.” Its successor, the new Acura NSX, reaches customers this year and is likely to inspire renewed interest in the original. Fortunately, Acura made 9,000 first-generation NSX cars so finding one online is easy.

You’ll see plenty of Land Rovers on the roads nowadays but none are quite as attention-grabbing as the original Land Rover 1948. This British-made all-terrain vehicle is now known as the Series 1, although the design hasn’t changed drastically over the years. With its boxy, utilitarian design, the Land Rover was originally the brainchild of brothers Maurice and Spencer Wilks, who took inspiration from the WW2 Willys Jeep. 

As steel was in short supply during its conception, the body of the Land Rover was crafted from aluminum. A few things have changed over time, including the steering wheel, which initially sat in the middle.

If you prefer a contemporary alternative, check our round-up of the best luxury SUVs of the year.

Volkswagen’s most iconic car is definitely the Beetle, first designed in 1925 by a Hungarian student and applauded for its lightweight design. While most competing cars at the time were known for being heavy and difficult to drive, the Beetle was lightweight and free, a joy to drive for anyone who sat behind the wheel. 

It’s also one of the few classic cars with an original design still in production. If you head to Mexico, you’ll still see plenty of original Volkswagen Beetles driven around in almost perfect condition. As well as the millions of them across the rest of the world, of course.

The DeTomaso Pantera fused together two of the best parts of the car industry: that sleek, ubiquitous Italian design and the sturdy, unbreakable mechanics from the United States. Marry the two, and you’ll find yourself with a Pantera, or “Panther”. 

The Pantera was designed by the Italian design firm Carrozzeria Ghia’s American-born designer Tom Tjaarda and quickly became one of the coolest mass-produced cars of its time. Its 20-year production run ensured plenty of Panteras on the streets after its first reveal at the 1970 New York Motor Show. Ford requested to buy the rights to the vehicle, which ensured an even greater production run than before. 

Sure, the Lamborghini Miura might look a little different to today’s interpretation but, for its time, this beautiful classic car was truly ahead of the game. Often regarded as the world’s first supercar, thanks to its advanced designs and powerful performance, the Miura has kept its legendary status long after production ran dry. 

Its name comes from that of a particularly ferocious Spanish fighting bull, thought to represent the car’s tenacity and speed. This cool old car is one that’s had more than a few adjustments over the years, all released in a range of vibrant and personality-filled colors.

The Dodge Viper takes things a little further than your standard classic car in pretty much every way—from speed to sleek design, to almost all other capabilities. This new classic car comes with a love/hate relationship, with some adoring it for its tenacity and others dismissing it as a loose cannon. 

A brilliant example that falls somewhere in the middle comes from its initial conception, which took Chrysler CEO Lee Lacocca a mere 30 minutes to sign off. That’s compared to the long, lengthy process it’s taken to sign off virtually every other car in the world. 

Take a quick look at the BMW 3.0 CSL and you might be reminded of another famous vehicle: the Batmobile. Designed to be just as happy driving on racetrack or road, this beast of a car came in limited numbers and only 1,265 have ever been produced. 

Lighter than not only its BMW siblings but also many other cars of a similar nature, the CSL had all the characteristics to promise one incredible drive. It’s one that’s taken the crown plenty of times, winning three rounds of the 1976 World Championship for Makes and competing against the likes of the Porsche 911 and Ford Capri.

The 1971 Ford Thunderbird is one of those classic cars that come with endless conversation and bursts of nostalgia. It’s an old car you can’t help but smile at as soon as its outsized body and unique charm find their way into the topic of conversation. 

A car that underwent multiple personality changes throughout the main period of its life, the Thunderbird drew together all of the classic Ford features and combined them with something a little more luxurious. In General Motors’ opinion, the bigger the better was the way forward when it came to cars. Known for consistently outselling the Buick Riviera, Oldsmobile Toronado, and Cadillac Eldorado, it firmly kept itself in the limelight for years.

An unbreakable passion for adventure: that’s what you’ll be reminded of as soon as you’ve made yourself comfortable behind the wheel of a 1989 Jaguar XJS. A classic car made for fun days out and spontaneous decisions, this car is one that kept itself remarkably together and refused to ever break down. 

When it first came out, the XJS was pitied for its trailing rear buttresses but, as time has passed, that overall opinion has taken a complete 180. While it’s still one you’ll be able to find nowadays, that wasn’t always the case: the XJS was almost pulled from the overall Jaguar lineup at the start of its life.

Thought an older Bugatti might be more budget-friendly than a recent model? Think again. You need no better proof that the 1938 Bugatti Type 57 Atlantic will ever go out of fashion than by the knowledge that Ralph Lauren owns the very last one to ever be produced. First created as an entirely new design by Jean Bugatti, there were only ever 710 of these models produced. 

Known equally as a style icon as well as known for being one of the world’s most valuable cars, the Bugatti Type 57 Atlantic is still around and functioning today, more than 80 years after it first came to life.

The 1949 Rolls-Royce Dawn Drophead was originally sold after the war, in an effort to redefine luxury and bring back the heightened levels of comfort from before. While it quickly rose to popularity, it was noted for a few peculiar features including a lack of seatbelts and an engine that doesn’t actually fire. 

Then there were the buttons, which had subtle markings that made the first few drives something of a make-your-own-adventure challenge. These cars could be customized from conception and were initially brought out as affordable luxury vehicles. The most famous color was the Silver Dawn variant, of which 760 were produced.

Mention the Mercedes 300SL Gullwing 1954 and you’ll undoubtedly see ears prick up, especially if you’re in a circle of classic car fans. One of the most stylish and iconic classic cars in the world, the Gullwing firmly cemented its place as a premium offering as soon as it launched. 

Capable of reaching a top speed of up to 163 mph, it was the fastest production car in the world at the time. The “SL” in its name translates in German to super-leicht, or “super light”. That racing-ready body was designed to be as light as possible to hit top speeds.

The Chevrolet Corvette 1963 was a rare car even when it was first released, which means sourcing a journey in one of these nowadays—let alone even trying to buy one—is an adventure in itself. This famous American muscle car was known best for its “split-window coupe”, offering a unique perspective both from the inside and the outside. 

It was considered to be one of the most powerful cars of its time, with strong engines and buttery soft leather on the inside. A time capsule back into the 1960s, it’s worth the hunt if you can source access to one of these cars, even just for a quick glimpse.

There’s no classic car quite like the classic Mini. Modernized time and time again with new colors and features, this is the classic car you’re most likely to still see in action in the 21st century. Shortly after its initial release, the Mini quickly became one of the most popular classic cars of all time. 

Originally, it was known by the name “Austin Seven and Morris Mini-Minor.” Luckily the far more palatable name “Mini” caught on after its two creators merged. And, while new Minis fight for speed and attention, the original Mini was considered too fast, with an engine that was reduced to 850cc, taking 26.5 seconds to reach 60mph.

The Shelby Mustang was designed to look good and to drive fast. It wasn’t specially designed for comfort, and it definitely wasn’t designed for family days out. But at least it excelled in the area it originally chose. This stylish, high-performance classic car came in plenty of different variations, with edits made over the years to encourage faster speeds (well, just not quite like the fastest cars in the world), cooler designs, and everything in-between. 

Its name came from its collaboration between well-known and loved Ford Motor Company and  Shelby American, the high-performance vehicle manufacturer founded by former race car driver Carroll Shelby. You’ll spot a cobra symbol on many of these vehicles: a nickname it was given early in its time.

The Aston Martin DB5 was designed to be a talking point and that’s something that’s never really changed. Not only is this one of the most impressive classic cars, it’s also one of the rarest and the most iconic. 

Name dropped in the James Bond franchise as well as elsewhere in popular culture, its sky-high price has grown an estimated 790 times since it first arrived on the market. Conceptualized by the Italian designer Carrozzeria Touring Superleggera in Milan, this cool old car was always designed to make an entrance. The more time passes, the bigger the entrance promises to be. 

The sleek, stylish Ferrari 250 GTO is one of the most famous classic cars of all time and for a very good reason. This one-of-a-kind model sits worlds apart from the rest, both in its modernized design and expensive price tag (just like the world’s most expensive cars). 

When it first appeared, this car didn’t even have a name. Before it was christened officially, it was known internally as “Il Mostro”—the monster—because of its strange design. From its launch in the 1960s through to modern times, it’s a car that’s pushed forward full throttle, with a current value that even most millionaires wouldn’t be able to justify. Discover the history behind Ferrari to learn more about the brand and the incredible cars that followed in the 250 GTO footsteps.