Next to exotic Italian sports cars and desirable German-engineered cars, the British automotive industry often gets overlooked. However, some of the most beautiful and fastest cars in history have always come from Britain.
Every country is known for a specific quality when it comes to the cars they make. Japanese cars are reliable, Italian cars are fast and beautiful, and American cars are oversized and powerful. But Britain? Their cars are the definition of luxury and class. And in that regard, no one makes better luxury cars than the British.
That said, here we have set aside 10 of the greatest cars produced by British automakers, from sports cars to commuters to opulent land yachts.
10 Mini
The Mini brand is now owned by BMW, but it was once recognized as the most British car ever built. The super-compact car was in production from 1959 until 2000. There are very few cars that are as famous as the Mini. The car became an instant hit when it first came out and quickly became an icon of British pop culture.
In over 40 years, 5 million Minis have sold around the world. The car was an absolute home run but also an incredibly competitive Rally car that won multiple races in the '60s and early '70s. It still rides on that reputation today and is a beloved commuter choice for enthusiasts worldwide.
9 Lotus Esprit Turbo
This Lotus was in production from 1980 until 1992. The car was powered by a turbocharged 2.1-liter inline four-cylinder that produced 210 horsepower and could reach the top speed of 150 mph and push the Esprit from 0 to 62 mph in just 5.6 seconds.
This is one of the most iconic vehicles ever made by the British automaker. This car was also used by James Bond in the movie 'For Your Eyes Only'. The Esprit is considered one of the most successful supercars to ever come out of the country.
8 Bentley Continental GT
This fantastic Grand Tourer has been in production since 2013 and it truly represents what this British automaker is all about. This car is stunning and classy, but it hides an incredible engine under the hood.
The GT is powered by a twin-turbocharged 6.0-liter W12 that produces 626 horsepower and can reach a top speed of 207 mph, dashing to 62 mph in just 3.6 seconds. This car is an elegant beast. It's also one of the most popular cars produced by Bentley as very few vehicles can match its power and luxury.
7 Rolls-Royce Wraith
In typical Rolls-Royce fashion, this car is very expensive as it has a starting price of $330,000. However, it is worth every dollar simply due to having virtually no competition. This is the most powerful car ever built by Rolls-Royce as it is powered by a 6.6-liter V12 that produces an obscene 624 horsepower and can push the car to a top speed of 155 mph with an acceleration from 0 to 62 mph in just 4.3 seconds.
Plus, these supercar numbers combine with the extreme luxury that only a Rolls-Royce can offer. The name of the car comes from the Rolls-Royce airplane Wraith Eagle VIII that made the first nonstop transatlantic flight in 1919.
6 McLaren P1
The P1 was in production from 2012 until 2015 and it was an absolutely fantastic hybrid hypercar. The McLaren was powered by a 3.8-liter V8 bi-turbo that produced 727 horsepower and a power unit that added another 176 horsepower, bringing the grand total to a jaw-dropping 903 horsepower.
The car can reach an electronically limited top speed of 217 mph and it can go from 0 to 62 mph in just 2.8 seconds. This car is so fast that it can reach 152 mph in less than 10 seconds. This terrifying and incredibly quick hypercar is also quite rare as only 375 units were built by McLaren.
5 Aston Martin One-77
As the name suggests only 77 units were made of this incredibly quick Aston Martin. This is the fastest front-engined car ever made. It's powered by a huge 7.3-liter V12 that produces 750 horsepower and it can go from 0 to 62 mph in just 3.4 seconds with a top speed of 220 mph.
The car is incredibly light as the One-77 is mostly made of carbon fiber as the chassis only weighs 396 lbs. The original engine comes from a DB9, but Cosworth redesigned it to produce even more power.
4 Jaguar XJ220
This rather unique-looking car was the fastest vehicle in the entire world for two years from 1992 until 1993. The XJ220 was powered by a twin-turbocharged 3.5-liter V6 that produced 542 horsepower. It could reach a top speed of 220 mph and could go from 0 to 62 mph in just 3.2 seconds.
Although an absolute beast, the car was never truly appreciated during its production days. This is due to the fact that the prototype mounted a huge 6.2-liter V12. However, it was not feasible for the production version due to its weight, which left a lot of buyers angry.
3 Aston Martin DB5
An impressive blend of style and power, it was James Bond’s car for a reason. The beautiful DB5 was in production from 1963 until 1965. It was powered by a great 4.0-liter straight-six cylinder that produced 282 horsepower and could push this beauty to a top speed of 145 mph.
The DB5 used by James Bond in 1965 sold for an incredible $6.4 million in 2019. The car was designed by Italian coach-builder Carrozzeria Touring Superleggera, which is known for building ultralight vehicles.
2 McLaren F1
This icon was the fastest and most technologically advanced supercar ever built when it reigned during the '90s and early 2000s. Powered by a 6.1-liter V12 that produced 618 horsepower, this beast could reach a top speed of 240.1 mph, thus pulverizing the record held by the Jaguar XJ220.
The car was in production only until 1998 but it took another 7 years before another car was able to surpass that speed. A special GTR version of this fantastic car won the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1995. It has been almost 30 years since it first came out and this McLaren is still one of the fastest and most advanced cars to this day.
1 Jaguar E-type
This car is widely regarded as one of the best-looking and most important cars of all time. When it first came out in 1961, the E-Type was powered by a 3.8-liter inline-six-cylinder that produced 265 horsepower and could push the car to a top speed of 150 mph, which is an incredible achievement for the '60s.
However, what cemented this car as an absolute icon was not the immense power but the beautiful design. This car was so majestic that Enzo Ferrari himself called it the most beautiful car in the world.