Iconic Cars

Iconic Cars

As vehicle insurance specialists, we thought it was about time that we found out which car is the most iconic! Our team have pulled together a list of 50 specially selected cars from across the decades and globe that we think are all pretty iconic; from the quintessentially British Aston Martin DB5 to the as famous film car, the DMC DeLorean, the footballers favourite Mercedes G Wagon to the all-electric Tesla Model S, these cars have their place in history as well as many people’s memories and lifetimes.

As part of finding the ultimate iconic car, we are asking members of the public to vote for their top three candidates – simply vote below for your three favourites from our list and provide your details.

The top 12 will be revealed later in the year – which iconic car do you think will take the number one spot?

 

AC Cobra Aston Martin DB5

AC COBRA - A sports car manufactured by British company AC Cars, with a Ford V8 engine. It was produced intermittently in both the United Kingdom and later the United States since 1962.

ASTON MARTIN DB5 - A British grand tourer (GT) produced by Aston Martin and designed by Italian coachbuilder Carrozzeria Touring Superleggera.[5] Originally produced from 1963 to 1965, the DB5 is best-known for its role in the James Bond films.

Audi TT Audi Quattro

AUDI TT - The Audi TT is a production front-engine, 2-door, 2+2 sports coupé and roadster, manufactured and marketed by Audi from 1998 to 2023 across three generations. The Audi TT takes its name from the Isle of Man TT (Tourist Trophy) motorcycle race, but has also been attributed to the phrase "Technology & Tradition. The last of the 662,762 Audi TTs was manufactured in November 2023.

AUDI QUATTRO - A road and rally car, first shown at the 1980 Geneva Motor Show on 3 March.[1][3] Production continued through 1991. The word quattro is derived from the Italian word for "four" to represent the fact that the vehicle delivers power to all four wheels

Austin Healey 3000 Austin 7

AUSTIN HEALEY 3000 - A British sports car built from 1959 until 1967. It is the best known of the "big Healey" models. During its production life, the car changed from an open sports car, albeit with a child-transporting 2+2 option, to a sports convertible. The 3-litre 3000 was a highly successful car, which won its class in many European rallies in its heyday and is still raced in classic car competitions by enthusiasts today.

AUSTIN 7 - An economy car that was produced from 1923 until 1939 in the United Kingdom by Austin. Its effect on the British market was similar to that of the Model T Ford in the US, replacing most other British economy cars and cyclecars of the early 1920s.

Bentley Continental GT BMW M3 E30

BENTLEY CONTINENTAL GT - The Bentley Continental GT is a grand touring car manufactured and marketed by the British company Bentley Motors since 2003. A two-door coupé or convertible, and has four seats, it was the first new Bentley released after the company's acquisition by Volkswagen AG in 1998, and the first Bentley to employ mass production manufacturing techniques.

BMW M3 E30 - The BMW M3 is a high-performance version of the BMW 3 Series, developed by BMW's in-house motorsport division, BMW M GmbH. M3 models have been produced for every generation of 3 Series since the E30 M3 was introduced in 1986..

BMW 2002 Turbo Bugatti Type 35

BMW 2002 TURBO - The first European turbocharged road car and vanishingly scarce. BMW made a scant 1672 of them, between early 1974 and the close of play in mid-1975. They were all left-hand drive, but you could buy it here for £4,220.

BUGATTI TYPE 35 - An iconic race car design produced by Bugatti between 1924 and 1930. It was extremely successful when raced by the factory works team. It was also bought by a diverse roster of privateer clientele from around the world. It pioneered the concept of a holistically conceived, race-ready car available for purchase.

Bugatti Veyron Chevrolet Corvette

BUGATTI VEYRON – A mid-engine sports car, designed and developed in Germany by the Volkswagen Group and Bugatti. The original version has a top speed of253 mph and was named the 2000s Car of the Decade by the BBC television programme Top Gear.

CHEVROLET CORVETTE - The Chevrolet Corvette is a line of American two-door, two-seater sports cars manufactured and marketed by General Motors under the Chevrolet marque since 1953. Automotive News wrote that after being featured in the early 1960s television show Route 66, "the Corvette became synonymous with freedom and adventure," ultimately becoming both "the most successful concept car in history and the most popular sports car in history."

Citroen 2 CV Citroen DS

CITROEN 2 CV - An economy car produced by the French company Citroën from 1948 to 1990. Introduced at the 1948 Paris Salon de l'Automobile,[1] it has an air-cooled engine that is mounted in the front and drives the front wheels. Conceived to help motorise the large number of farmers still using horses and carts in 1930s France.

CITROEN DS - A front mid-engined, front-wheel drive executive car manufactured and marketed by Citroën from 1955 to 1975, in fastback/sedan, wagon/estate, and convertible body configurations.

DeLorean DMC-12 Ferrari F40

DELOREAN DMC -12 - A rear-engine two-passenger sports car manufactured for the American market from 1981 until 1983—ultimately the only car brought to market by the fledgling company. Designed by Giorgetto Giugiaro, the DeLorean is noted for its gull-wing doors and brushed stainless-steel outer body panels, as well as its lack of power and performance incongruous with its looks and price. Though its production was short-lived, the DeLorean became widely known after it was featured as the time machine in the Back to the Future films.

FERRARI F40 - A mid-engine, rear-wheel drive sports car. It was built from 1987 until 1992 and was designed to celebrate Ferrari's 40th anniversary and was the last Ferrari automobile personally approved by Enzo Ferrari. At the time it was Ferrari's fastest, most powerful, and most expensive car for sale.

Fiat 500 Ford Capri

FIAT 500 (2007) - The Fiat 500 is an A-segment city car manufactured and marketed by the Italian car maker Fiat, a subdivision of Stellantis, since 2007. The 500's styling recalls Fiat's 1957 Fiat 500 nicknamed the Bambino designed and engineered by Dante Giacosa, with more than 4 million sold over its 18-year (1957–1975) production span. The 500 has won more than 40 major awards, including "Car of the Year" (2007) by the British magazine Car, the 2008 European Car of the Year, and the "World's Most Beautiful Automobile".

FORD CAPRI - A fastback coupé built by Ford of Europe, it used the mechanical components from the Mk2 Ford Cortina and was intended as the European equivalent of the Ford Mustang. The Capri went on to be highly successful for Ford, selling nearly 1.9 million units in its lifetime.

Ford Cortina Ford Escort MK1

FORD CORTINA - A medium-sized family car manufactured and marketed initially by Ford of Britain, and then Ford of Europe in various body styles from 1962 to 1982, over five generations. It was the United Kingdom's best-selling car of the 1970s

FORD ESCORT MK1 - A small family car that was manufactured by Ford of Europe from 1968 until 2000. In total there were six generations, Its successor, the Ford Focus, was released in 1998, but the final generation of Escort was phased out gradually, with the panel van version ending production in 2002 in favour of the Ford Transit Connect.

Ford Model T Ford Mustang

FORD MODEL T - The Ford Model T is an automobile that was produced by the Ford Motor Company from October 1, 1908, to May 26, 1927.[16] It is generally regarded as the first mass-affordable automobile, which made car travel available to middle-class Americans.

FORD MUSTANG - A series of American automobiles manufactured by Ford. In continuous production since 1964, the Mustang is currently the longest-produced Ford car nameplate. Currently in its seventh generation, it is the fifth-best selling Ford car nameplate.

Ford Thunderbird Jaguar E type

FORD THUNDERBIRD - A a personal luxury car manufactured and marketed by Ford Motor Company from model years 1955 to 2005. Introduced as a two-seat convertible, the Thunderbird was offered variously as a four-seat hardtop coupe, four-seat convertible, five-seat convertible and hardtop, four-door pillared hardtop sedan, six-passenger hardtop coupe, and five-passenger pillared coupe, with the final generation designed again as a two-seat convertible.

JAGUAR E TYPE - A British front mid-engined sports car that was manufactured by Jaguar Cars Ltd from 1961 to 1974. Its combination of exceptional aesthetics, advanced technologies, high performance, and competitive pricing established the model as an icon of the motoring world.

Jaguar Mk II Lamborghini Countach

JAGUAR MK II - A mid-sized luxury sports saloon built from late 1959 to 1967 by Jaguar in Coventry, England. The previous Jaguar 2.4 Litre and 3.4 Litre models made between 1955 and 1959 are identified as Mark 1 Jaguars.

LAMBORGHINI COUNTACH - The Lamborghini Countach is a rear mid-engine, rear-wheel-drive sports car produced by the Italian automobile manufacturer Lamborghini from 1974 until 1990. It is one of the many exotic designs developed by Italian design house Bertone, which pioneered and popularized the sharply angled "Italian Wedge" shape.

Lamborghini Miura Lancia Stratos

LAMBORGHINI MIURA - A sports car produced by Italian automaker Lamborghini between 1966 and 1973. The car was the first automobile with a rear mid-engined two-seat layout, which has since become the standard for high-performance sports cars. When released, it was the fastest production road car.

LANCIA STRATOS - The Lancia Stratos HF known as Lancia Stratos, is a rear mid-engined sports car designed for rallying, made by Italian car manufacturer Lancia. It was highly successful in competition, winning the World Rally Championship in 1974, 1975 and 1976; as well as winning the 1974 Targa Florio, winning the Tour de France Automobile five times and the Giro d'Italia automobilistico three times.

Landrover series 1 Lotus Seven

LANDROVER SERIES 1 - Compact British off-road vehicles, produced by the Rover Company since 1948, and later by British Leyland. Inspired by the World War II jeep, it was the first mass-produced civilian four-wheel drive car with doors, and an available hard roof.

LOTUS SEVEN - The Lotus Seven is a sports car produced by the British manufacturer Lotus Cars between 1957 and 1973. The Seven is an open-wheel car with two seats and an open top. It was designed by Lotus founder Colin Chapman and has been considered the embodiment of the Lotus philosophy of performance through low weight and simplicity. The original model was highly successful with more than 2,500 cars sold, due to its attraction as a road legal car that could be used for clubman racing

Mazda MX-5 McLaren F1

MAZDA MX-5 - The Mazda MX-5 is a lightweight two-person sports car manufactured and marketed by Mazda with a front mid-engine, rear-wheel-drive layout. The MX-5 is marketed globally and, with more than 1 million sold is the best-selling two-seat convertible sports car in history.

MCLAREN F1 - A a sports car designed and manufactured by British automobile manufacturer McLaren Cars and powered by the BMW S70/2 V12 engine, of which a limited number was produced. On 31 March 1998, the XP5 prototype with a modified rev limiter set the Guinness World Record for the world's fastest production car, reaching 240.1 mph.

Mercedes-Benz S-Class Mercedes G Wagon

MERCEDES-BENZ S-CLASS - The Mercedes-Benz S-Class is a series of full-sized luxury sedans, limousines and armored sedans produced by the German automaker Mercedes-Benz. The S-Class is the designation for top-of-the-line Mercedes-Benz models and was officially introduced in 1972 with the W116, and has remained in use ever since. The S-Class is the flagship vehicle for Mercedes-Benz, being positioned above the other Mercedes-Benz models.

MERCEDES G WAGON - A four-wheel drive luxury SUV manufactured by Magna Steyr and sold by Mercedes-Benz. Originally developed as a military off-roader, later more luxurious models were added to the line.

Mercedes 190SL MGB

MERCEDES 190SL - A two-door luxury roadster produced by Mercedes-Benz between May 1955 and February 1963. It was first shown in prototype at the 1954 New York Auto Show, and was available with an optional removable hardtop.

MGB - A two-door sports car manufactured and marketed from 1962 until 1980 by the British Motor Corporation (BMC), later the Austin-Morris division of British Leyland, as a four-cylinder, soft-top sports car.

Mini Cooper Morris Minor

MINI COOPER - Owner of the Cooper Car Company and designer and builder of Formula One cars, saw the potential of the Mini for competition. Issigonis was initially reluctant to see the Mini in the role of a performance car, but after John Cooper appealed to BMC management, the two men collaborated to create the Mini Cooper. The Austin Mini Cooper and Morris Mini Cooper debuted in September 1961.

MORRIS MINOR - An economy car produced by British marque Morris Motors between 1948 and 1971.[7] It made its debut at the Earls Court Motor Show, London, in October 1948.[8] Designed under the leadership of Alec Issigonis, more than 1.6 million were manufactured in three series.

Nissan 350Z Pagani Zonda

NISSAN 350Z - The Nissan 350Z is a two-door, two-seater sports car that was manufactured by Nissan Motor Corporation from 2002 until 2009 and marks the fifth generation of Nissan's Z-car line. The 350Z entered production in 2002 and was sold and marketed as a 2003 model from August 2002.

PAGANI ZONDA - A mid-engine sports car produced by Italian sports car manufacturer Pagani. It debuted at the 1999 Geneva Motor Show. Produced on commission in limited units, as of 2019 a total of 140 cars had been built, including development mules. Construction is mainly of carbon fibre.

Porsche 911 Porsche 918 Spyder

PORSCHE 911 - A two-door 2+2 high performance rear-engined sports car introduced in September 1964 by Porsche AG of Stuttgart, Germany. The car has been continuously enhanced through the years but the basic concept has remained unchanged.

PORSCHE 918 SPYDER - The Porsche 918 Spyder is a high performance sports car manufactured by German marque Porsche. The 918 Spyder is a plug-in hybrid. Production began on 18 September 2013, with deliveries initially scheduled to begin in December 2013, and a starting price of £711,000). The 918 Spyder was sold out in December 2014 and production ended in June 2015.

Range Rover Rolls Royce Silver Ghost

RANGE ROVER - A 4x4 luxury SUV produced by Land Rover, a marque and sub-brand of Jaguar Land Rover. The Range Rover line was launched in 1970 by British Leyland and is now in its fifth generation.

ROLLS ROYCE SILVER GHOST - The origin of Rolls-Royce's claim of making the "best car in the world" – a phrase coined not by themselves, but by the prestigious publication Autocar in 1907. The chassis and engine were also used as the basis of a range of Rolls-Royce Armoured Cars.

Subaru WRX STI Tesla Model S

SUBARU WRX STI - The Subaru WRX STI is a variant of the Subaru WRX sedan produced by in-house tuning company Subaru Tecnica International between 2014 and 2021.

TESLA MODEL S - A battery-electric, four-door full-size car that has been produced by the American automaker Tesla since 2012. As Tesla's longest-produced model and second vehicle, the Model S is frequently regarded as one of the most significant and influential electric cars in the industry.

Toyota Supra Volvo P1800

TOYOTA SUPRA - The Toyota Supra is a sports car and grand tourer manufactured by the Toyota Motor Corporation beginning in 1978. The name "supra" is derived from the Latin prefix, meaning "above", "to surpass" or "go beyond".

VOLVO P1800 - A 2+2, front-engine, rear-drive sports car manufactured and marketed by Volvo Cars between 1961 and 1973. Originally a coupé (1961–1972), it was also offered in a shooting brake configuration toward the end of its production (1972–1973).

VW Beetle VW Golf Mk1

VW BEETLE - A small car produced by the German company Volkswagen from 1938 to 2003. One of the most iconic cars in automotive history, the Beetle is noted for its distinctive shape. Its production period of 65 years is the longest of any single generation of automobile,[c] and its total production of over 21.5 million is the most of any car of a single platform.

VW GOLF MK1 - A small family car manufactured and marketed by Volkswagen. It was noteworthy for signalling Volkswagen's shift of its major car lines from rear-wheel drive and rear-mounted air-cooled engines to front-wheel drive with front-mounted.

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Iconic Cars Prize Draw Terms and Conditions

  1. The prize draw is open to individuals across the UK, excluding any employees of Advisory Insurance Brokers Limited or any of its group undertakings from time to time, their families, agents or any third party directly associated with administration of the prize draw. 
  2. The promoter of the prize draw is Footman James (the “Promoter”). 
  3. The prize draw is free to enter, and no purchase is necessary. 
  4. All entrants must enter by voting for three (3) favourite cars and provide reason for votes and contact details
  5. The opening date for entries is 9:00am on 26/10/24. The closing date of the prize draw is 11.59pm on 18/11/24. Entries received after this time will not be considered. 
  6. The Promoter accepts no responsibility for entries not successfully completed due to a technical fault, technical malfunction, computer hardware or software failure, satellite, network or server failure of any kind. 
  7. A winner will be chosen by random draw by 02/12/2024.
  8. The winner will receive two (2) tickets for Goodwood Revival Hospitality with no cash alternative available.
  9. The winner will be notified using the details provided at entry. If the randomly selected winner does not respond to the Promoter within 1 week of being notified by the Promoter, then the winner's prize will be forfeited, and the Promoter will be entitled to select another winner in accordance with the process described above.
  10. The prize for the winner is non-exchangeable, non-transferable and no cash alternative is offered. 
  11. The Promoter reserves the right to replace the prize with an alternative prize of equal or higher value if circumstances beyond the Promoter's control makes it necessary to do so. 
  12. The decision of the Promoter regarding any aspect of the prize draw is final and binding and no correspondence will be entered into about it. 
  13. Participants are deemed to have accepted and agreed to be bound by these terms and conditions upon entry. The Promoter reserves the right to refuse entry or refuse to award the prize to anyone in breach of these terms and conditions. 
  14. The Promoter reserves the right to hold void, cancel, suspend, or amend the promotion where it becomes necessary to do so. 
  15. Insofar as is permitted by law, the Promoter, its agents or distributors will not in any circumstances be responsible or liable to compensate the winner or accept any liability for any loss, damage, personal injury or death occurring as a result of taking up the prize except where it is caused by the negligence of the Promoter, its agents or distributors or that of their employees. Your statutory rights are not affected. 
  16. Personal data supplied during the course of this promotion will only be processed as set out in the Promoter's privacy policy, which can be found at https://footmanjames.co.uk/fair-processing-notice
  17. The prize draw will be governed by English law and entrants to the prize draw submit to the jurisdiction of the English courts.