The 50 Best Sports Cars of All Time

In My Humble Opinion
1

The January 2005 issue of Classic Motorsports has an article on the 50 Best Sports Cars of All Time, as chosen by the readers of the magazine. Obviously, I can’t post the article; but here’s the list:
[ul][li] MGB[/li][li]Jaguar E-Type[/li][li]Porsche 911[/li][li]AC/Shelby Cobra[/li][li]Chevy Corvette Stingray[/li][li]Datsun 240Z[/li][li]Jaguar XK120[/li][li]Triumph TR2, TR3[/li][li]Austin-Healey Sprite/MG Midget[/li][li]Austin/Morris Mini[/li][li]Alfa Romeo Guilietta[/li][li]BMW 2002[/li][li]Austin-Healey 3000[/li][li]Porsche 356[/li][li]Triumph Spitfire[/li][li]Datsun Roadster[/li][li]Triumph TR4, TR250, TR6[/li][li]Shelby GT350, GT500[/li][li]MGA[/li][li]Lotus 7[/li][li]De Tomaso Pantera[/li][li]Alfa Romeo GTV[/li][li]Lotus Europa[/li][li]Sunbeam Tiger[/li][li]Austin-Healey 100/4[/li][li]Fiat 124, 2000[/li][li]Lotus Elan[/li][li]MG T-Series[/li][li]Ford Mustang[/li][li]Volkswagen Beetle[/li][li]Volvo 1800[/li][li]Alfa Romeo GTV6[/li][li]Chevrolet Camero Z28[/li][li]AMC AMX[/li][li]Yenko Stinger Xorvair[/li][li]Datsun 510[/li][li]Reliant Scimitar[/li][li]Ferrari 250 GT[/li][li]Jaguar XJS[/li][li]Mazda Miata[/li][li]Opel GT[/li][li]Saab 96[/li][li]TVR Griffith, Tuscan[/li][li]Fiat 850[/li][li]Morgan Plus 8[/li][li]MGC[/li][li]Turner 950[/li][li]Lancia Fulvia[/li][li]Opel Manta[/li][li]Singer Le Mans[/ul][/li]Perhaps it is not surprising that the MGB should be chosen The Best Sports Car of All Time by readers of Classic Motorsports. The magazine used to be called British Car, before they expanded to include cars from other countries. Here is the paragraph that explains why the MGB was voted #1:

I’ve owned MGBs, and I agree with what the article says. MGBs are lots of fun to drive! And with over half-a-million examples produced, it is one of the most popular sports cars ever. But would I choose it as #1?

Well, I also owned a Porsche 911SC. The 911 was faster, felt more ‘solid’, and handled much better. It was like a rocket. Maybe the CG was a bit too far aft, but it never got out of hand. And the visibility out the windscreen was much superior to that of the MGB. In my opinion, the 911 should be #1.

‘The Best 50 Sports Cars’ were chosen by readers. I would assume that the choices were made for many reasons. Some may have voted for the car they own. Others may have voted for cars they used to own or which they did own. Did styling play a larger part than performance? Should it? I guess that readers looked at the overall ‘package’ and decided what they like best. Certainly there are faster, better-handling cars than the MGB. Certainly there are cars less troublesome than the Jaguar E-Type. A few of the cars on the list aren’t, in my mind, ‘sports cars’ at all! A VW Beetle a ‘sports car’? Really! The Mini might count, as it is ‘peppy’; but the XJS is more of a touring car.

What cars would you put at the top of the list? Exoticness and exclusivity probably shouldn’t count, but who am I to say they shouldn’t be factors? It seems that the choices were made based on the overall ‘package’ – how the whole car fits together, robustness, styling, ease of maintenance, performance, cost, historical value, numbers produced, and je ne sais quoi.

2

Volkswagen Beetle as a sports car–huh?

I’ve owned or driven several of these and agree with many, especially the better German and Italian choices. Fiat sucked just as much as the MGB rocked. I’m definitely no fan of Saabs or AMCs, certainly not as true “sports cars.” I think the Dodge Viper belongs on the list. Sure, it’s heavy as hell, but it’s a blast to drive and looks great–more, IMO, than any Datsun or Volvo I’ve ever touched.

Of course, this all hinges on semantics. Do American “muscle cars” count as sports cars? If so, I’ve several recommendations from the late 60s/early 70s, including most anything with a hemi. Think Challenger/Charger, Roadrunner, Super Sport, etc. A Mustang with a 429. What about tricked out dragsters. They are as American as apple pie, and deserve some mention, even if they’re not stock.

A lot of this is apples and oranges. No way can a 60s American muscle car compete with the handling of a Ferrari or Jag. But the acceleration and overall experience are outstanding.

3

I think one of the hallmarks of a ‘sports car’ is handling, and that muscle cars were better at accelleration and going fast than they were at maneuvering around twisty roads. As such, I would not classify them as ‘sports cars’. I think they belong in their own ‘muscle car’ category. I don’t think I’d pick the Z28, the AMX or the Mustang for the list. I’d put them in the muscle car category (although the mustang was not all that powerful at first).

I’m mystified by #30, the VW Beetle. The paragraph on it says it was ‘inexpensive and reliable’. That doesn’t make it a sports car!

#36, the Datsun 510, never struck me as a sports car; but I understand that they are frequently raced. I guess that makes them qualify.

The only Saab on the list is the 96 (#43). I don’t know anything about them. The article says they debuted in 1960 and were powered by either a 3-cylinder two-stroke or a V4. It looks like a sports car.

4

Incidentally, this issue has an article on ‘Wind-Up Sports Cars’ that compares the MG Midget, Triumph Spitfire, and the Fiat 850. Fun stuff. :slight_smile:

5

Whoops. I was looking at the wrong photo. The 96 doesn’t really look like a sports car, but there are some photos of the Saab 96 in racing trim on this page. I guess it’s kinda sporty-looking.

6

I wonder if has something to do with a Bill Cosby bit on sports cars that wound up being a half-hour long.

For those not familiar with the bit, it takes up the entire side of an LP. Coz starts off polling the audience about sports cars and somebody shouts “Volkswagen!” This get Coz ragging on the VW (don’t close the doors with the windows up and stay off the Golden Gate!) and their drivers (“If the fanbelt breaks, we use a rubber band!”), then he stars on his habit of driving his Ferrari fast (and the cops hiding in his trunk) and bumping into Carrol Shelby, who gives him a Cobra (which does donuts around a tree while idling).

7

What a crap list.

I’m sick of nostalgia-coated memories. Even as a muscle car guy who’d love to own a Mustang SVT Cobra, how could you not list a Subaru WRX or an RX7 or BMW 3-series…ETC!

I mean, modern cars could thrash the crap out of most of the list and make the owner more happy.

People are so far from objective as to make the list a joke. It’s a list with no control left to people who masterbate at the thought of being able to inseminate their old cars…

…old cars I would love to own so that I could tease other people who wanted to own my mastabatory dream car.

8

Replace that VW Beetle with the Rabbit GTI

The Nissan Z-car on the list should be the 300Z Twin Turbo

9

As I said in the OP, it’s not just about performance. For example, the MG T-Series pretty much started the American sports car craze when returning G.I.s brought back TDs. Amazingly, the old-fashioned ‘square rigged’ Ts were still being produced in the 1950s when there were sleeker, more powerful, better-handling cars being made. So while a Honda Civic may outperform an MG-T (or many of the other cars on the list), there is an historical significance to the older cars.

Also, the list was compiled from responses from readers of Classic Motorsports. It makes sense that the choices would be what they are. (Most of them, anyway.)

By the way: In my opinion (and the magazines) the Mazda Miata is destined to be a ‘future classic’.

10

How about the ultimate dark horse sports car, the Dodge Omni GLH? That has the Beetele beat six ways to Sunday.

11

Subaru WRX: Maybe. We could spend all day arguing if a 4-door sedan can be considered a sports car.

RX-7: Hell yes! Particularly the first generation. I had two of 'em I liked them so much.

3-series: Gotta give that one a big fat NO. I gots one of those and while it’s truely a fantastic auto, I wouldn’t call it a sports car if you offered me fifty bucks to do so. And not the M3 either. And yes, I’ve driven one. To my mind, it’s too big, too heavy, too much luxury. I’d put it squarely in the GT category.

12

A list of the top 50 sports cars, with only 1 Ferrari, no Lamborghinis, no Maseratis, and no Mercedes.

I’d seriously consider the following for inclusion:[ul]
[li]Ferrari Dino 246GT (i know that some Ferrari purists don’t like the fact that it has fewer than 12 cylinders, but it was still a great car)[/li][li]Lamborghini Miura SV[/li][li]Maserati Bora[/li][li]Mercedes 300SL Coupe or 300SL Roadster[/li][/ul]

And what the hell is the Jaguar XJS doing on there? An overweight ugly piece of crap with all the handling sharpness of a barge.

I’m also quite surprised, given that it’s a British mag, and that some pretty crappy Brit cars seem to be making the list, that there aren’t any Aston Martins. Sure, they’re more GT than sports cars, but i reckon one of the old DB6s could make the list, or even one of the more recent Vantage or Vanquish.

13

I don’t agree. The greatest sports cars aren’t just about the best performance, or we’d have to start putting the Ford GT, the Bugatti Veyron, the McLaren F1, and all the other supercars at the top of the list. This is a list of the greatest sports cars, where ‘great’ means popular, changed the industry, started trends, and in general had a huge impact on the automotive industry and the public. The Datsun 240-Z was a revolution - the first mass-produced, inexpensive sports car with reasonable performance. The 300Z twin turbo was just the end of the evolutionary line started by that first car.

By the same standard, I think the WRX belongs on the list. It changed the entire way we looked at sports cars, and it’s kicked off a whole new pocket rocket subcategory in cars.

The 2005 Ford Mustang might likewise be responsible for reinvigorating the American Muscle Car subcategory. Anyone wanna bet Chevy will have a new Camaro out in a year or two? Dodge has already announced the Charger, powered by a 340HP Hemi.

This is a great tiime to be a car fan.

14

The Beetle? Not no how, not no way. It’s a flower child car to this day.

the Z28 should be replaced by the Yenko Camaro. A better looking, kick ass car.

The Ford Mustang should be replaced by a Boss 302. Same reason.

I would add the Studebaker Hawk and the Avanti to the list and drop the Lotus Elan and the Fiats.

Since I’m not as familiar with all the worlds cars I would add some Chrysler cars like a 440 GTX with a six pack hood or a 426 Hemi Cuda with a Shaker hood scoop.

If the magazine is giving away any of the cars I would like a Sunbeam Tiger and the last model year of the RX7.

15

Sure Beetles were reliable, but so was the Karmann Ghia, the latter being much sportier. Now if you took the time to either trick the stock engine, or stuff a Corvair power plant in the back, you had some righteous ponies. :wink:

16

Generally agree, however I’ve travelled in an XJS, at speed, and the handling improves remarkably.

17

In regards to the Miata. I have owned an RX-7, a Miata and now have an RX-8. I enjoyed the Miata, but would take either the RX-7 and especially the RX-8 over it any day. I got a ticket on the first curvy road I drove the RX-8 on, because it was so much fun taking the curves at high speed. :stuck_out_tongue:

18

I see you point. Noticed I chose the 300 over the newer 350. For me the ultimate Z-car is the 300.

Just curious. Going by your criteria, do you think the Honda Civic should be on the list for it’s impact on tuning culture? As unsporty as it is.

19

It happened with the Datsun 510.

20

Wouldn’t those cars be ‘muscle cars’, rather than ‘sports cars’?

I used to totally dig the Sunbeam Tiger. (I saw red one a couple of months before I left L.A. Needed restoration. License plate: GET SMRT) From what I’ve read, it has gobs of power; but it doesn’t have the ‘balance’ that the Alpine does. It sounds like the Tiger needs to be driven carefully. Also from what I’ve read, the Alpine was very well-balanced but lacked sufficient power. Too bad they didn’t combine thebest attributes of each into a single car. Incidentally, I like the styling of the TR4 over the Sunbeam.

As for the RX7, I don’t know much about them; I just remember the commercials. It seems to me that the RX7 was a direct competitor to the Datsun Z-cars and the Porsche 924, but suffered from a problematic engine. (High operating temperatures, poor fuel mileage in an economy-conscious world.)

Back to the list. It’s a shame that British Leyland had such poor management. Unlike the Chevy Corvette (the later ones seem to be more GT cars IMO, though the Stingrays were nice) the MGB kept the same body all through its 18-year production run. The 1980 MGB looked just as good as when they first came out in 1962. But the engines were strangled by emissions equipment mandated by the EPA. The 1965-1967 models had 98 horses under the bonnet. By 1980 the same engine – burdened with pumps and plumbing – only produced 62½ horsepower.

British Leyland (and BMC before them) should have seen the writing on the wall a decade earlier, and should have developed a new engine. BL favoured Triumph over their other models, and that may have been their undoing. The TR6 sold well. Why replace it with the underpowered TR7 (‘The Shape of things to come’, AKA ‘The Car That Killed Triumph’)? The money they spent on the TR7 could have been used to make a stronger, more environmentally friendly motor for the MGB.

The late-1970s/early-1980s were a sad time for cars. IMO styling was a forgotten art. The 1979 oil embargo made the public look for more efficient cars, and stricter EPA regulations were being instituted. It seems that car makers tried to save money (after all, there was a recession) by making-do with older engine designs. MGBs were attractive sports cars, and sales indicated people liked them. When they were discontinued, there were so many of them that people still bought them. I saw lots of mid-to-late-1970s MGBs on the roads in the 1980s. But people like new cars. By 1990 MGBs were getting old – but people still wanted sports cars! Mazda had been developing the Miata, and offered the public a ‘virtual MGB’ – i.e., a nice little roadster at a reasonable price – in 1990.

If only British Leyland had had the foresight that Mazda had! The public wanted reasonably-priced sports cars, but BL stopped making them. Mazda knew a good thing when they saw it, and delivered the product.

I’m getting off-topic here, but it seems to me that something is missing from the American car market. Where can you get a new Fiat? A new Alfa Romeo? Where is the MG-TF? Where are the Pugeots and Citröens? The U.S. is sadly lacking in diversity when it comes to European automobiles.