When many think of the Mercedes-Benz 300 SL, they perhaps think first of the coupe that absolutely stunned the automotive world when Mercedes introduced it at the New York Auto Show in 1954. Its gull-wing doors that opened upward into the roof gave it the iconic nickname that has been inseparable ever since.
Known as the “Rambo Lambo” for monster proportions, monster looks and monster capability, the Lamborghini LM002, also was a 6,600-pound, 4-wheel drive leviathan powered by a V12 and capable to traversing the Arabian Peninsula at very high speed – without a road. On Rodeo Drive, it was the ultimate status machine, able to frighten small children and make grown men swoon – and vice versa, too.
With just about every mainstream luxury segment accounted for, Mercedes-Benz has been lavishing much attention on its high-end offerings, with AMG on the performance side and Maybach on the uber-luxury side. The recently introduced Mercedes-Maybach S650 Cabriolet is the ultimate open S-Class.
We’ve assembled our “12 Classics Cars of Christmas” with cars that inspire lust but won’t end up gathering dust in the garage. A few, admittedly, may also bring back Santa’s own memories searching in every store only to find all have been sold. We even included a few stocking stuffers for family enjoyment.
Despite the Porsche 911’s immense and ongoing success, the 356 series has always maintained a loyal fan base. The 356 was, however, a notorious ruster, which claimed many of the 76,000 built from 1948-1965. The rarest, including the first 50 or so coupes hand-built in Gmund, Austria between 1948 and 1950, plus some later models, can fetch $1.5 million.
The Lamborghini Miura veritably defined 1960s sports car beauty. Its successor, the utterly unique Lamborghini Countach, introduced “brutal” to the equation and became a landmark supercar design.
The Levante takes its name from a warm Mediterranean wind. Maserati must get credit for successfully transferring its design language to the SUV form. There doesn’t appear to be a straight line anywhere on the body, just plenty of elegant curves and no attempt to look truckish. Squint, and you can see a bit of Infiniti’s SUV designs here and there, and the mini fender vents still look a bit Buick-ish to some.
The Ferrari Testarossa burst onto the scene in 1984 like a four-wheeled nuke, unleashed by Ferrari to reclaim territory that had been captured by the Porsche 911 Turbo and Lamborghini Countach.
In the late 1960s and early 1970s, Italy’s “big three” couture carmakers – Ferrari, Lamborghini and Maserati – responded to customer demand for high-end GTs that offered more room than their 1960s models. The Lamborghini Jarama secured its unique place in Lamborghini history as one of its last front-engine models.
