Britain's carmakers produce the best cars on the planet, period. Sadly that statement hasn't been true since the late 1960s, even then, they needed a little help in the athleticism department, turning to good ol' American power.
In reality, stuffing gorgeous British sports cars with American engines makes perfect sense, where else do you get big lazy engines with prodigious power outputs? The AC Cobra is a shining example of a great car screaming out for more oomph, Carroll Shelby came, saw, and went away with a stunning two-seater that, when combined with Ford V8s, created a monster. Just for the record, most European sports carmakers played a similar game, American V8s powering dozens of 60s icons.
It's a plan that worked, and in some cases still works today, like it or not, American engines are stronger and more powerful. Without them, scores of fast British cars just wouldn't have happened.
10 AC 428 Frua
Anglo-American gearheads rejoice, combining gorgeous British GT looks with American muscle, the AC 428 Frua is another of those 60s classics that most likely would have fallen flat on its face without a stonking great V8 under the hood. No prizes for guessing that AC opted for the biggest V8 they could find, 428 cu-inches of Ford's finest, pumping out 345 hp.
Produced between 1965 and 73, and built over an extended Cobra chassis, you'd expect good looks and big performance numbers alone would guarantee success. Unfortunately you'd be wrong, AC completed just 81 cars, with a split between fastback coupes and roadsters.
9 Gordon Keeble GK1
Moving swiftly on to another low-volume grand tourer, Gordon Keeble's self-named GK1 has an even more international flavor, built in the UK, powered by American muscle with a touch of Italian flair. Designed by none other than Giorgetto Giugiaro this on is a little on the odd side, the brands' logo featuring a tortoise of all things, hardly the sportiest of animals.
Curious animal world connections aside, the GK1 featured a tubular steel chassis and Chevrolet sourced 289 cu-in V8 engine. Once completed, the entire vehicle was shipped to Bertone of Turin to receive its steel panel work before being readied for end use.
8 Ultima Evolution Coupe
Time for something entirely more modern. Ultima Cars' approach to US powered mayhem kicks off with the Evolution. Think GT Le Mans car for the road, and you'd be spot on. Any crazy notions of practically should be checked at their home page, this is a proper hardcore carbon-fiber race car.
In base specification you get a 480 hp 6.2-liter engine outback punching it occupants towards the horizon with enough gusto to leave Porsche owners eating its dust. Potential buyers with nerves of steel can go much faster, at the top end Ultima provides an organ re-arranging supercharged 6.8-liter LS pumping out an incredible 1020 hp, sixty flashes past in 2.3-seconds.
7 TVR Griffith
We're hedging our bets with TVR's new sports car, once production finally commences, the Griffith, in light of everything we know so far, is going to be blisteringly quick. And thanks to American sourced power, it'll be a lot more reliable than TVRs of old.
Going back to TVR's former Griffith, Rover power peaked around 340hp from a 5-liter displacement, giving a top speed of around 160 mph. The new Griffith is set to be a lot quicker, 200 mph the figure TVR are gunning for, using Ford Coyote V8s tuned by Cosworth delivering 500 hp is one we're looking forward to in 2022.
6 Allard J2
Conceived in a small London garage with US buyers in mind, Allard's J2 roadster was one of the first British-made exports to make an impact on US shores, small, light, and on arrival, engineless. Customers in the UK made do with 3.8-liter flathead V8s lifted from Ford's Pilot with 85 hp on tap, US buyers free to choose their own.
Popular with circuit racers of the time, engine choices varied considerably, the J2s chassis proved easy to modify, and It's not uncommon to find restored examples with period correct Oldsmobile or Cadillac V8s crammed under the hood.
5 Bristol Fighter
Vagueness over actual production numbers have been the subject of debate since Bristol first introduced the Fighter back in 2004, those in the know claim 14 cars were built, others putting the number into single figures. Bristol remains tight-lipped over the real number, as do they over Fighter variants, at one stage planning a "T" spec car with 1050 hp.
Regardless of which Fighter gearheads plumped for, Chrysler-sourced engines power the entire range, kicking off with a 525 hp 8-liter V10, lifted from the Viper, Bristol claiming a top speed of 210 mph. From this point onwards, Fighter numbers are more speculative than fact, weather Bristol actually built or sold any S-Spec versions with 628 hp is anyone's guess.
4 Rover P5B
Heads of state frequently used Rover's P5B coupe, even Queen Elizabeth herself has been seen behind the wheel of one of these quintessentially British luxury sedans. Under the hood, Rover's compact alloy 3.5-liter engine, in one form or another, appeared in dozens of cars, sedans, sports cars, and off-roaders, producing up to 340 hp.
Silky smooth in its power delivery, Rover knew it had a potential game changer on its hands, in the P5B paired with an automatic transmission, finding a quieter or more refined ride is near impossible without dipping your toe into Rolls-Royce territory. However, Rover merely "found" the V8 engine siting discarded at Mercury Marine, all credit for its design belongs to Buick.
3 Jensen S-V8
Government-backed to the tune of £10 million, Jensen made a return to the automotive show circuit with their first all new model in 2001, reviving a once famous British brand. Initial high praise led to 110 advance orders, possibly overwhelming the brand before finalizing the S-V8s pre-production quirks.
Priced at £40,000 locally, the S-V8 in effect a British version of the Mustang, sharing its 4.6-liter Ford modular V8 to the tune of 325 hp with a claimed 0-60mph time of just under five seconds.
2 Lola Mk.6
After two years and three race cars, Lola's Mk.6 production run was over, the lessons learned from its mid-engined chassis and power train installation would go on to inspire the greatest racer ever, Ford's GT40.
At the time still a novelty, mid-engined sports cars were still relatively unheard of, and brought the complexities of making room for the engine, transmission, and ancillaries. The solution was simple, rather than skimp on power, Lola used a small block 289 cu-in Ford V8 bolted directly to the Mk.6's aluminum monocoque chassis. Over time, bigger Chevy engines found their way into the Lola, but it was the original that led to the GT40.
1 MG XPower SV
All too briefly in 2005, MG Rover rolled the dice one final time, a do-or-die approach to resurrecting the Rover brand, resulting in project X80 during development taking on its Power Ranger-esque-sounding XPower SV title for production.
Starting off with a fairly sedate 320 hp Ford 4.6-liter V8 said to be capable of 165 mph, but more was to come with the SV-R boasting 385 hp from an enlarged 5-liter motor. The XPower legend either does or doesn't stop there, rumors abound concerning Rover's 1000 hp nitrous upgrade.