Best of the British
has had royal connections and continues to do so to this day. 5. McLaren F1, 1992- 1998 From an all- purpose 4X4 to an allconquering hypercar. The McLaren F1 set standards previously unseen when it arrived in 1992 — no surprise when you consider it resulted from a project using the talented mind of car designer Gordon Murray and the performance know- how of Ron Dennis' F1 team.
Powered by a 6.1- litre V12, the F1 weighed only 1138kg and offered formidable performance. A top speed of 386km/ h shattered previous records, as did the £ 500,000- plus asking price. Just 106 were made. 4. Aston Martin DB5, 1963- 1965 Would the DB5 be so highly acclaimed if it were not for James Bond? We'll never know. But there's no arguing that it is one of the most achingly good- looking cars to be created, and not just in the UK.
Powered by a 4.0- litre straightsix producing 282bhp ( 210kW) — or 315bhp ( 234kW) in the Vantage — 007 clearly made a wise choice. It was produced in low numbers, though — just 1059 were made over two years — which goes a long way to explain why they sell now for astonishing fees. 3. Land Rover Series/ Defender, 1948- 2016 Last year's final run of Defenders was a momentous occasion, pulling down the curtain on 68 years of production.
Created after World War II and modelled on military jeeps, the Defender received few additions over the years. Although it evolved into something a little more refined by the turn of the century, even the cars produced last year remained fairly simple and basic. It was once the ultimate utilitarian vehicle. Now it's extremely collectible. 2. Jaguar E- Type, 1961- 1975 Enzo Ferrari said the E- Type was the most beautiful car he'd seen when it first arrived in 1961.
With sophisticated independent suspension, a monocoque body and a full serving of disc brakes, the chassis could cope with the 265bhp ( 272kW) being fed to the rear wheels by a 3.8- litre motor. It was around half the price of a Ferrari or Aston Martin and went on to become a successful racer. Get one today and it's destined to be worth a small fortune. 1. Mini, 1959- 2000 The Mini is the deserving winner. It was more than a vehicle, it was a life- changer, bringing affordable motoring to the masses from the late 50s and became a model that touched multiple generations. Not only did it show that a small car could be big on the inside, maximising the interior space to make it a viable family motor, but it also dominated race series on and off tarmac during a marathon 41- year production run. e
said: ‘ By the time the Mini was replaced, 5.3 million had been built. It had become a convertible, estate, van and pickup. Minis were once as common as lamp posts on UK roads.
“Now the originals are cherished classics and still dominate classic motorsport, too. No wonder our experts said the mighty Mini is the mightiest British car of all time.”