Jaguar E-Type

Unveiled at the Geneva Motor Show in March 1961, the Jaguar E-Type caused an instant sensation. Its long sculpted bonnet, set-back cabin and taut lines were the work of Malcolm Sayer, an aerodynamicist from the aviation industry. He gave it a silhouette that is both sensual and deeply functional. Enzo Ferrari himself is said to have called it the most beautiful car ever made.

Beneath this skin lay the legacy of the D-Type, three-time winner at Le Mans: a 3.8-litre straight-six, a monocoque body and disc brakes on all four wheels. It exceeded 240 km/h for a price well below that of its Italian rivals.

Produced until 1975 in three series, the last of which received a 5.3-litre V12, more than 70,000 were built. Part of the collection of MoMA in New York, it remains one of the absolute icons of car design.