As Europe’s biggest classic vehicle marketplace, the team at Car & Classic are in a prime position to name the best classic car ever, and that is exactly what they have done!
However, the results haven’t come from opinion but from actual data based entirely on statistics. Car & Classic analysed data that went back further than 15 years and looked at the number of classic cars sold, the number of monthly searches, average sale prices, and hashtag use on Instagram.
The findings of the study revealed that the best classic ever is the Porsche 911.
The top 10 classic cars are:
| Rank | Vehicle | Cars sold on C&C | Monthly searches | Average Sale Price on C&C | Hashtag uses as of May 2023 |
| 1 | Porsche 911 | 21,141 | 1,450,000 | £58,409 | 4,960,404 |
| 2 | Ford Mustang | 8,332 | 1,200,000 | £31,107 | 4,490,482 |
| 3 | Land Rover Range Rover | 7,551 | 3,240,000 | £18,745 | 5,205,454 |
| 4 | Chevrolet Corvette | 6,165 | 1,120,000 | £34,807 | 5,812,154 |
| 5 | Jaguar E-Type | 6,028 | 140,000 | £89,240 | 162,951 |
| 6 | Volkswagen Campervan | 7,052 | 104,000 | £26,545 | 1,066,256 |
| 7 | Land Rover Defender | 5,995 | 896,000 | £17,872 | 155,396 |
| 8 | BMW 3 Series | 8,107 | 362,000 | £11,055 | 887,380 |
| 9 | Ford Escort | 4,874 | 675,000 | £22,382 | 299,824 |
| 10 | Mini Cooper | 3,379 | 2,240,000 | £16,111 | 4,059,781 |
Porsche 911 – The Best Classic Car Ever
The Porsche 911 is one of the most recognisable sports cars in the world. The name 911 is commonly known by petrolheads and non-car fans alike. Although the Porsche 911 has gone through quite a few changes in its almost 60-year production run, the silhouette has always been instantly recognisable and has become an icon in the automotive world.
Dale Vinten, Head of Editorial at Car & Classic said “Whilst a 1973 Porsche 911 Carrera 2.7 RS could set you back the best part of £500,000, there are many more affordable models, which bring the average sale price of a 911 on Car & Classic to £58,000 – the third highest average selling price of any make and model on the site. This first-generation 1973 Porsche 911 Lux Targa sold last year for £115,000, and would probably fetch even more now.”
Ford Mustang
In second place was the Ford Mustang. It has been hailed as the ‘ultimate American muscle car” and has been in continuous production since 1964. Average Mustang sale price on Car & Classic is around £31,000 and it is one of Ford’s most successful models.
When speaking about the Mustang, Dale said “For a classic ‘60s matching numbers example in excellent condition you could quite easily pay the best part of £250,000. However, there are many more modestly priced cars available too. This 1967 Mustang 2+2 Fastback sold for £50,500 at the end of last year, and was in excellent condition with only 7k miles on the clock.”
Land Rover Range Rover
The Land Rover Range Rover has been in production since the 1970s and came third in Car & Classic’s study. When looking at the model of car most searched for, ‘Range Rover’ is the most-searched term with more than 3,000,000 average monthly searches.
“You can pick up a classic second-generation Range Rover from as little as £5,000 if you’re happy to have a car that is well used or needs a bit of TLC. The average sale price of a classic Range Rover on Car & Classic is around £18,000 (13th highest average sale price),” reveals Vinten. “But if you’re looking for an early first-generation model in excellent condition, you could pay over £100,000. As always, a good example with extremely low mileage can command more than average prices, like this 1973 Range Rover which sold for £27,750.”
Chevrolet Corvette
Just like the 911, Mustang, and Range Rover, the Chevrolet Corvette has been in production for over 60 years. Although it is the 4th best classic car in the study, it is actually the most ‘Instagrammed’ classic car with almost 6,000,000 related hashtags.
“A premium classic car with average sale prices on Car & Classic of over £34,000, a pristine Chevrolet Corvette could set one back to the tune of more than £100,000. Or you can drive off in a 1988 Corvette C4 Targa for £7,600 if you don’t mind a left-hand drive car,” said Dale Vinten.
Jaguar E-Type
The legendary Jaguar E-Type was once described by Enzo Ferrari as “the most beautiful car in the world” so it shouldn’t be much of a surprise that it’s featured on the list of best classic cars ever. The average sale price of a Jaguar E-type on Car & Classic is over £89,000, making it the marque and model with the highest average sale price on the website.
“If you are looking for a Series 1 Roadster in excellent condition, you can expect to spend up to £250,000,” predicts Vinten. “A Series 2 or 3 will cost less, as they are not as desirable, but in decent condition you can expect to pay around £40,000-£50,000. Even a barn-find 1969 E-Type Series II Roadster can set you back to the tune of £33,000.”
Volkswagen Campervan
The iconic VW Campervan has always been an extremely popular classic vehicle. Dale said about the VW Camper “The average sale price of VW campervans on Car & Classic is just over £26,000, but prices range from as little as around £3,500 for rough examples up to well in excess of £35,000. For middle-of-the-road split-screen models, such as this 1963 Type 2 Sundial Campervan, you’re looking at around £23,250.”
Land Rover Defender
Another Land Rover in the top 10 best classic cars ever comes in the form of the legendary Defender. As the workhorse of the British countryside, Dale Vinten said about the Defender “Some are worked harder than others, and you can expect the value of a Land Rover Defender to fluctuate depending on age, mileage, and condition. The average sale price through Car & Classic in recent years is around £17,800 – but a pickup variant such as this 1987 Defender 110 can be ‘picked up’ for less than £5k.”
BMW 3 Series
Dale explains that “The average price is a little over £11,000 on Car & Classic’s website, making the BMW 3 Series amongst the more affordable classics available. This modern classic 1992 E30 convertible was just over £10k. But in reality, certain models – in excellent condition – such as the M version, can set you back closer to £40,000 or £50,000.”
Ford Escort
As one of the easiest classics to maintain, the Ford Escort has always been versatile and extremely popular. Taking ninth place in the lineup, Dale said “At home on the track as much as it is the road, thanks to a colourful rally history, the average selling price of a classic Ford Escort on Car & Classic is just over £22,000. But sale prices vary hugely. While you can pick one up in need of some work for a few thousand pounds, a pristine condition classic rally car could cost the best part of £90,000. For example, this 1977 Mk2 1600 Sport Rally car (LHD) fetched £44,000 at the beginning of the year.”
Mini Cooper
Another iconic classic car, the Mini Cooper takes the title of 10th best classic car ever.
“The average sale price on Car & Classic is just over £16,000. But if you get an early Mini Cooper in pristine condition you can expect to part with over £100,000 to make it yours,” concludes Vinten. “That said, one of the last carburettor-equipped Minis, this 1991 Rover Mini Cooper, sold for £7,500 only last month.”
