Many things are associated with American automobiles. To begin with, their size. The roadways of the United States are dominated by behemoths that are rarely seen in other nations. Other nations may soon have to enlarge their roadways to accommodate cars like the Tesla Cybertruck and GMC Hummer, which will be available in a few months. American automobiles, particularly muscle cars like the Dodge Charger and pony cars like the Ford Mustang, are notorious for their noisy V8 engines.
One thing American cars are not known for, though, is design. American cars may compete with European cars when it comes to power and cost, but they’re usually blown out of the water in the design department. Not all of them, though. Over the years, we’ve seen some absolutely gorgeous American cars that give the Jaguar E-Type a run for its money. Let’s explore ten of them.
Beautiful American Cars
1. 1963 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray
The awe-inspiring 1963 Corvette Stingray is the most gorgeous American vehicle of all time. Over the previous six decades, the renowned Corvette moniker has produced a slew of stunning cars, but none compare to the Stingray. ​​​​​​​
The sleek lines, razor-sharp fender designs, shark-like front end with concealed headlamps, and split-window rear end of the Stingray all looked fantastic. Collectors are ready to spend seven figures for one, which comes as no surprise.
2. Shelby Cobra Daytona
We wanted to add the Shelby Cobra in our list, but we decided to go with the next best choice — the Shelby Cobra Daytona — to avoid a massive debate over whether it’s American or British. The Daytona was based on the Shelby Cobra’s chassis and drivetrain, although it was constructed in the United States by Shelby American. ​​​​​​​
The Daytona was designed with racing in mind, primarily to compete against the Ferrari 250 GTO in the GT Class. Only six cars were manufactured, making it one of the most sought-after American automobiles of all time. ​​​​​​​
3. 1967 Ford Mustang Shelby GT500
With over six decades of manufacturing, the Mustang is America’s pride and pleasure. For the most of the Mustang’s manufacturing life, Ford has held to the same successful formula: a fantastic design, superb dependability, and a huge V8 under the hood. ​​​​​​​
The 1967 GT500 is our favourite of all the Mustang variations and special editions Ford has produced throughout the years. It’s no wonder that this automobile appeared in Hollywood films like Gone in 60 Seconds because it looked spectacular from every aspect. ​​​​​​​
4. Hennessey Venom F5
Hennessey Performance has been creating some of the greatest bespoke vehicles we’ve ever seen for decades. Hennessey decided to construct its own high-performance supercar after years of working on other companies’ vehicles. The result was the Venom F5.
Hennessey intended the Venom F5 to compete with European supercars, thus it was designed to appear as nice as some of Ferrari’s best-looking models. The Venom F5 is also extremely powerful, with a 6.6-liter twin-turbo V8 producing 1,817 horsepower and 1,193 pound-feet of torque. ​​​​​​​
5. Dodge Viper
When it debuted in the early 1990s, the Viper was an instant smash. The sleek design, raw attitude, and character, as well as the big V10 in the front, were all praised. The Viper was so good-looking that it inspired cars like the VLF Force 1 and the Bristol Fighter, among others. ​​​​​​​
The second-generation Viper GTS, which was debuted as a new model in 1996, is our favourite of the Vipers. The GTS was a sleek coupe with a 450-horsepower 8.0-liter V10 engine. ​​​​​​​
6. Pontiac GTO
Although the GTO was not the first muscle vehicle, it is often credited for popularising the muscle car market in the 1960s. The GTO began as an optional package for the Pontiac LeMans, but its style and performance were so popular that Pontiac had to create it a separate vehicle in 1966. ​​​​​​​
The original and second-generation GTOs are, without a doubt, the most attractive. The third and fourth versions didn’t look as well, but the fifth-generation rebadged model was the worst of them all. ​​​​​​​
7. Buick Riviera
The Riviera, which has been in production for nearly three decades, is largely regarded as one of Buick’s greatest automobiles. The Riviera was largely considered as GM’s first personal luxury car, because to its attractive coke bottle shape and lightweight nature in comparison to its fierce opponent, the Ford Thunderbird. ​​​​​​​
The Riviera comes in multiple versions, but we believe the first, second, and third editions have the nicest designs.
8. SSC Tuatara
The SSC Tuatara has been the most divisive vehicle in recent years. Last year, SSC claimed that the Tuatara had broken the production car speed record with a high speed of 330 mph, but had to repeat the top speed run after automotive experts questioned the footage displaying it. ​​​​​​​
While some enthusiasts may disagree on the Tuatara’s true peak speed, we can all agree that the car is truly magnificent. ​​​​​​​
9. Tesla Model S
Tesla startled the automotive industry in 2012 when it unveiled the Model S, an all-electric premium automobile. The design of the Model S was the feature that drew the greatest attention. The Model S featured an eye-catching design that made it one of the best-looking sedans at the time, unlike other green vehicles like the Nissan Leaf or Toyota Prius.
The performance of the Model S is also commensurate with its design. The newest Plaid variation is one of the world’s fastest vehicles, clocking it just 1.9 seconds to reach 60 mph.
10. Ford GT
Ford planned to design a car that would interrupt Ferrari’s winning streak at Le Mans in the 1960s. The renowned Ford GT40, which memorably won the 1966 Le Mans, was the outcome. The GT40’s beautiful aerodynamic design was one of the reasons that helped it win the championship.
Ford opted to celebrate the GT40 with the GT half a century later. The current Ford GT features a design that is quite similar to the GT40, although it is more sophisticated and attractive.