When it comes to automotive history, few countries can match what Britain has achieved over the last century. The British automotive industry is best known for giving us premium automobiles from well-known manufacturers like McLaren and Aston Martin and smaller, niche manufacturers like Caterham, Ariel, and Noble.

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One type of vehicle that British automakers seem to be especially good at making is sports cars. Over the years, British automakers have produced many iconic sports cars with exquisite designs, excellent driving dynamics, and enough power to dominate the road and track. Let's delve into ten fantastic British sports cars whose impact on the industry is still being felt today.

10 Jaguar E-Type

Jaguar E-Type
Via Brightwells Classic Cars

If any gearhead was asked to come up with a list of the most beautiful sports cars of all time, the E-Type would likely be among their top choices, if not the top choice. When Enzo Ferrari first laid his eyes on the E-Type, he declared that it was the most beautiful car he'd ever seen - high praise coming from a man who produced icons like the 250 GTO and Testarossa.

Jaguar E-Type
Via Brightwells Classic Cars

The E-Type was not just beautiful; it had the power to match. Early models had a straight-six engine, which was later replaced by a V12. Producing between 365 and 372 HP, it was capable of a top speed around the 150 MPH mark, enough to make it one of the fastest cars of the 60s. The fact that companies like Eagle are making E-Type restomods is a testament to the car's legendary status.

9 McLaren F1

McLaren F1
Via The Telegraph

After dominating the F1 racing scene for several decades, McLaren decided to use its racing experience to develop a sports car to end all sports cars. The result was the F1, an incredibly quick sports car that's considered to be the greatest 90s car.

McLaren F1
Via: Robb Report

The F1 instantly made history when it achieved a top speed of 240.1 mph to become the world's fastest production car - a title it held for more than a decade. This was made possible by a 6.1-liter V12 cranking out 618 horsepower and various F1-sourced technologies.

8 Jaguar XJ220

Jaguar XJ220
Via Exclusive Car Registry

When Jaguar unveiled the XJ220 Concept at the 1988 British International Motor Show, every gearhead was impressed. The XJ220 had a sleek, futuristic design, and with a massive Jaguar V12 under the hood, it was going to be the fastest car ever produced. After announcing the XJ220 Concept, Jaguar immediately got more than 1,500 deposits, prompting them to put it into production.

Jaguar XJ220 Monza Red 2
via Mecum Auctions

Unfortunately, the production XJ220 was a bit disappointing as Jaguar had replaced the V12 engine with a turbocharged V6. Still, with a top speed of 212.3 mph, the XJ220 was blisteringly quick off the line, and for a while, it was the fastest car in the world.

7 Aston Martin DB5

Aston Martin DB5 Goldfinger parked outside
Via cnet.com

Aston Martin is known for producing some of the most luxurious sports cars, and the iconic DB5 is no different. However, the one thing that has earned the DB5 a cult following is the fact that it's one of the most beloved movie cars, having been featured in James Bond movies.

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Aston Martin DB5
Via William Loughran

The production DB5 did not have hidden machine guns and missiles like the movie car, but its 282-horsepower 4.0-liter straight-six made it a joy to drive. The DB5 is also among the most beautiful Astons ever, whether as a coupe or convertible.

6 Jensen Interceptor

Jensen Interceptor
Silodrome

Introduced in 1966, the Interceptor was an exciting car. The hand-built grand tourer had a fantastic design, luxurious interior, a massive engine, and one of the coolest-sounding names in any vehicle. After a warm reception, Jensen introduced the FF version, and it was even better.

Jensen Interceptor
Classic Car Garage

The Interceptor FF is widely regarded to have been way ahead of its time - it was one of the first performance sports cars to use four-wheel-drive, traction control, and anti-lock brakes. Sadly, a high price made it a commercial failure.

5 McLaren P1

McLaren P1
McLaren P1 - Mecum

The P1 is another special car that McLaren built to show that it could compete and win against the world's best sports cars. Introduced in 2013, the P1 was McLaren's answer to the two best hypercars in the world at that time - the Porsche 918 Spyder and the Ferrari LaFerrari.

Mclaren P1 worth
Via: Mclaren

The P1's performance was exemplary, thanks to a wide range of advanced technologies and 904 horses coming from a 3.8-liter twin-turbo V8 and an electric motor. McLaren produced just 375 P1s, each with a seven-figure price tag.

4 Lotus Elise

Lotus Elise S1
Via Shmoo Automotive

One of the main ways Lotus makes money is by selling some of its revolutionary technologies to other manufacturers. In the mid-90s, Lotus needed a new car to showcase some of the advanced technologies it had been working on, so it built the Elise. The Elise was an ultralight mid-engined sports car with a fiberglass body perched on a bonded extruded aluminum chassis.

Lotus Elise S1
Via Shmoo Automotive

Powering the Elise was a 1.8-liter four-cylinder engine pumping out 118 horsepower, enough to make the 1,500-pound sports car pretty quick.

3 1977 Aston Martin V8 Vantage

Aston Martin V8 Vantage
Via Aston Martin

When the V8 Vantage hit the streets for the first time in 1977, some automotive journalists called it "Britain's first supercar" while others called it the "British muscle car." This car was quicker than the iconic Ferrari Daytona to 60 mph and had a top speed of 170 mph - almost unheard of back then.

1977 Aston Martin V8 Vantage
via Cool Material

The V8 Vantage shared its engine with the Lagonda, but upgrades like increased compression ratio, bigger carburetors, larger inlet valves, and high-performance camshafts increased its output to 390 horsepower and 406 pound-feet of torque.

2 Lotus Esprit

Lotus Esprit
Via Mecum Auctions

Gearheads who grew up in the 70s - 80s era have a soft spot for the Lotus Esprit. The Esprit had a wedge-shaped design that made it look like it had been sent back from the future and made it one of the most popular poster cars. On top of that, the Esprit was a Bond car, and it could even turn into a submarine in the film The Spy Who Loved Me.

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Lotus Esprit in yellow
Via Mecum Auctions

The Esprit was not just about looks - it had plenty of power too. A turbocharged four-cylinder engine paired with nimble handling made it a joy to drive.

1 Jaguar XK120

Richard Rawlings’ Jaguar XK120 Roadster Replica
Via: Rare Car Network

When Jaguar unveiled the XK120 concept at the 1948 London Motor Show, it caused so much excitement that Jaguar founder William Lyons decided to put it into production. The XK120 had wooden frames and aluminum body panels and was available as a coupe or convertible.

Richard Rawlings Jaguar XK120 Roadster Replica
Via: Rare Car Network

To give it the power it needed, Jaguar equipped the XK120 with its brand new 3.4-liter straight-six XK engine pumping out 160 horsepower. The result was a top speed of 120 mph or even more with the windshield removed, making it the fastest production car.

NEXT: 10 Greatest Forgotten Classic Italian Sports Cars