Beauty over performance isn't a choice gearheads take lightly when it comes to sports cars. It's a process that is a lot easier when looking at past masters, these classics were among the fastest in the world when new, and can still deliver a buzz of excitement even now.
If we are perfectly honest, anything over 100mph is pretty fast, even by modern standards. So imagine how a 60s classic barreling along some twisty back road with little more than a skinny set of tires to keep things under control would have felt? No driver aids to stand between man, machine, and driving heaven.
If all that has got classic motoring ideas taking shape, then these 60s British-built sports cars are definitely worth considering.
10 Austin Healey MK III (1964-67) - 123mph
Sacrificing outright performance for wind-in-the-hair motoring, it should come as no surprise that over 90 percent of all Austin Healey's ever built found buyers overseas. The model was especially popular with American gearheads in more favorable climates.
Although the Healey first appeared in 1959, it would be the later MkIII that gained the most popularity, largely thanks to improved build quality and reliability, coupled with a more powerful 150hp BMC engine that also increased top speed to 123mph.
9 Daimler SP250 Dart V8 (1959-64) - 127mph
For sure, the Sp250 Dart is never going to win any beauty contests, wearing a bug-eyed front end and kicked up rear fins, but this unique roadster was Daimlers first serious attempt to build a sports car for the masses.
Failing to reverse a trend of flagging sales for its luxury cars Daimler turned its attention to sports cars hoping to capture the same level of interest foreign buyers showed popular MG and Triumph models. Ultimately, the Sp250 failed, not through lack of ability with a 2.5-liter Hemi V8 motor the lightweight sports car had decent performance, setting a top speed of 127mph, but rather through poor build and reliability.
8 AC Ace (1953-63) - 130mph
Visually there is little to differentiate the AC Ace from its American Cobra cousin, it's only when you delve under the skin that the two personalities differ from one another, UK cars are a little more restrained than the fire-breathing US sports car.
Having said that, the Ace was a competent sports car. Later models from 1961 benefitted from a new 2.6-liter straight-six engine that produced 170hp and could propel two occupants to 130mph.
7 Jaguar XK150S (1959-60) - 135mph
The last of Jaguar's XK series, the XK150 never quite managed to hit the magic top speed its name suggested, the basic design evolved from the earliest XK120 had reached its performance limitations.
Starting with the XK120, Jaguar's XK series often outperformed expectations, but with each subsequent model number came decreasing performance margins, the XK150 never achieved 150mph. Instead, it settled for a more sedate 135mph, despite later cars receiving more powerful 3.8-liter engines.
6 Jensen Interceptor (1969-71) - 137mph
All-new for 1969 would be more accurately described as "interim." Interceptor II's didn't really offer any major updates over its predecessor, save for a few suspension tweaks and build quality updates.
Sticking with a tried and tested combination of quirky design and big performance numbers paid off, MkII's sold 1128 cars in a relatively short production period that lasted until 1971. We suspect most buyers were tempted by Chrysler's 6.3-liter V8 motor under the hood, even running in a stock 335hp configuration would yield a top speed of 137mph.
5 Aston Martin DB5 (1963-65) - 145mph
Having more screen appearances than many A-list celebrities is actually a bad thing, Aston Matin's DB5 is often portrayed as a British gentleman's sports car. In reality, the luxury GT lacked in few areas that would have left it trailing rival brands.
Wearing an Italian-designed body, the DB5 is easily the most recognizable Aston ever made, most gearheads will be able to put a name to this classic. Under the skin, it was equipped with a muscular 4-liter straight-six turning out 325hp, the DB5 certainly had the grunt to deliver 60mph in 8-seconds, flat out hitting an impressive 145mph.
4 TVR Griffith 400 (1963-64) - 146mph
UK-based carmaker TVR has always had a reputation for outrageously powerful sports cars, the most famous of which is the plastic 80s wedges, but this wasn't the beginning of the brand's obsession with power.
The Griffith name came about by chance, race driver Jack Griffith experimented with TVR's Grantura chassis and managed to squeeze a Ford 4.7-liter under the hood leaving everything else stock. Needless to say, the newly designed Griffith exceeded all performance expectations with a top speed of 146mph, the changes quickly making their way into production cars.
3 Jaguar E-Type S1 (1961-68) - 153mph
Sitting at the top of most classic gearheads' wishlist, Jaguar's E-type still looks as beautiful as the day it launched. Sure, later cars with numerous additions lost some of the initial glitz, but S1 models are still the benchmark for any designer.
At launch, the E-type offered owners genuine 150mph performance for less than half the price of its rivals, whether the actual performance claims could be replicated didn't matter, the motoring world was hooked. Jaguar was at the time still employing its proven XK6 motor producing 265hp, which was plenty fast enough for even the most demanding gearheads.
2 Aston Martin DB4 GT Zagato (1960-63) - 154mph
During the 60s, it was common for carmakers to commission special editions, often turning to external styling studies to make these unique cars stand out from production models. The results speak for themselves, as this Zagato bodied DB4 GT shows.
However, these are not just cosmetic makeovers, Zagato not only managed to make things a whole lot prettier but saved 110lbs over the original. We aren't going to get excited about a relatively small saving, but less is still less in a car that weighed 2700lbs, topping out at an impressive 154mph.
1 Jaguar XJ13 (1966) - 175mph
Jaguar may have abandoned the XJ13 race car program, but every cloud has a silver lining. This prototype served another purpose as the unofficial development mule for Jaguar's upcoming V12 engine design.
If the project had gone the distance perhaps Jaguar would have added to its collection of Le Mans victories and just maybe gearheads would have seen a road-going version. With the sole example restricted to development and demonstration runs, we are left to reminisce of what could have been Jaguar's fastest sports car until the arrival of the XJ220 30 years later.