A car's interior makes a huge difference to the overall experience of driving it, as a bad cabin can spoil even the most capable of cars. On the other hand, an incredible one can transform a car from mundane into brilliant. Many of the best interiors ever have come from European manufacturers, with the likes of Mercedes-Benz and Rolls-Royce sitting at the top of the game for decades.
It's not just them though: sifting through the archives of Euro models brings up all manner of cars with excellent insides, from minimalist sports car cabins to plush executive cars built for the richest and powerful people on Earth. Oh, and of course some incredibly strange designs made it off the production line too. Let's take a look at some of the most notable classic European interiors and discover what it is that makes these old cars' insides so special.
10 Mercedes-Benz 280SL Pagoda
Right off the bat, it's easy to see why many consider the Mercedes 280SL to have one of the best interiors of all time. The all-red color scheme might be an acquired taste, but design-wise the cabin is impeccable, a neatly arranged collection of dials, switches, and leather.
Interiors on old SLs are so renowned that there are entire companies that specialize in restoring them, like Hemmels, who restored the car pictured. For a classic open-top cruiser on a sunny day, there isn't much better than a 280SL.
9 Ferrari 275 GTB/4
Everything about the interior of the Ferrari 275 GTB/4 oozes retro charm, from the wooden steering wheel down to the old-school sports seats. It's easy to see why collectors will pay so much money for these cars, as sitting in one must feel like being transported back in time.
Well, either that or those seats are just a lot comfier than they look. It's clearly an enthusiasts car, with an H-pattern manual shifter and dials reduced to a minimum to keep the driver-focused. Only a lucky few will ever be able to afford a classic Ferrari like this, so everyone else will just have to admire them from afar.
8 Bentley Continental T
Nowadays Bentley has updated their interiors into much more modern affairs, but 25 years ago they still very much looked like an English gentleman's living room. Almost everything in the car was made from solid wood with lashings of leather, apart from the rather incongruous plastic switches.
The 1997 Continental T is an exercise in excess, providing classic luxury for a discerning (and generally quite elderly) clientele. Today, examples of certain old Bentley models can be found dirt cheap, so it's a great used car to buy for some old-school English pompousness.
7 Lamborghini LM002
Way before the arrival of the Urus, Lamborghini first tried its hand at an SUV with the LM002. Originally intended for military use, the car saw a limited civilian production run. Today, the car has shot up in value, mostly thanks to the market's current infatuation with SUVs.
The interior of the LM002 is actually quite an inviting place to be, given the brutish look of the outside of the car. It's got plenty of retro touches, like the square buttons that control the lights and wipers. The other unusual thing about the car's interior is how far apart the driver and passenger seat, which gives some idea of just how wide the LM002 is.
6 Maserati Bora
Can't get enough of the color black? Then this Maserati Bora might be the one. There's a reason that all-black interiors continue to be popular today, and that's because they look good in pretty much every car.
Apart from looking very sleek, another design triumph in the Bora is how measured every aspect of the dash is. An awful lot is going on there, but somehow it all works and doesn't feel cluttered or messy.
5 Mercedes-Benz S600 Pullman
A favorite among everyone from dictators to pop stars, the Mercedes Pullman limousine is about as luxurious as a car can get. Unlike many interiors, the focus is on the rear seats, as buyers of a Pullman will expect to be chauffeured around.
Much like a first-class aircraft cabin, the interior of the Pullman is restrained, not over-the-top or tacky. It's a masterclass in refinement, with every feature catered to the VIP passenger. Considering it used to be the most expensive car in the world when it was on sale, most buyers would certainly expect it to be.
4 Rolls-Royce Corniche
Rolls-Royces have always been about wafting comfort, the kind that's so smooth it's almost sleep-inducing. One way of making sure a driver stays awake is to buy an open-top Rolls: that way, the sensation of cold wind hitting their head should more than do the trick.
This particular convertible Rolls-Royce Corniche was once owned by Frank Sinatra and recently went up for auction in Birmingham, UK. It sold for £140,000, which equates to roughly $198,000. Considering all of the high-quality materials sitting inside the car, that actually seems like a fairly reasonable price.
3 Citroen DS
French oddballs Citroen have been making unusual cars for years, often weird in their appearance and sometimes in their interiors too. The DS is one such car, as it featured unique ideas like a single-spoke steering wheel and a horizontal speedometer.
The car's most notable feature though was the radical hydraulic suspension, which kept the car perfectly level over road bumps and potholes. It was an innovation that won several awards at the time and went on to influence the designs of luxury cars for decades after.
2 Jaguar E-Type
Enzo Ferrari famously called the Jaguar E-Type "the most beautiful car in the world", and its design is outstanding even today. Its interior is likewise top-notch, as it keeps things focused for the driver while still offering lots of information by way of the dials in the center console.
Despite their charming looks, E-Types are reportedly not actually that great to drive, at least by modern standards. Oh well, at least E-Type owners can take comfort in the fact they've got one of the best-designed cars both inside and out.
1 Maserati Boomerang Concept
This delightfully weird Italian creation completely re-imagines the format of a car's cabin, pushing all the dials into one central column. The car also has to win the prize of the world's weirdest steering wheel, given that it doesn't even really look like one anymore.
The car was the work of renowned designer Giorgetto Giugiaro, and it was displayed at the 1971 Turin Motor Show as the Maserati Boomerang Concept. The car was later reworked and launched as the Maserati Bora, and the Boomerang was sold to a private collector. It's since made countless appearances at car shows and even starred in a run of adverts for fashion brand Louis Vuitton in 2014.