Old British sports cars are growing in popularity among gearheads, mostly for their performance, but also for the sometimes quirky design. In fact, some of the rarest cars are more desirable in unrestored form, which is a bit of a problem among modifiers and tuners.
Taking the classic E-type as an example, it takes a brave person to attempt to improve on perfection. An impossible challenge? No, not necessarily. In recent years, there has been a handful of professional resto-mods that have arguably made the best even better.
With a lot of careful planning and hard work, it is possible to modify a classic British sports car and produce some insanely stunning results.
10 Ford RS2000 Dragster
Between 1975 and 1981, Ford's Escort claimed an impressive 20 WRC wins, the domination of the Rally scene encouraged Ford to produce a road version under the now-famous RS2000 name.
Even now, the popular coupe is a common amateur track car, however, this dragster conversion does take things a bit further. Based on a stock RS2000, the owner managed to squeeze a big-block V8 under the hood.
9 Ian Callum Jaguar Mk.2
Jaguar's finest hardly needed a makeover, but famed designer Ian Callum did just that. A subtle tweak here and there produced the hottest Mk2 Sedan we have ever seen. From the outside, Jaguar's familiar profile remains, the addition of cooling vents, bigger wheels, and custom bumpers feel like they are true to the original
The famous XK engine also has been tweaked, enlarged to a 4.4-liter volume, and fitted with a custom twin-bore exhaust system lets the big cat breathe easier. The results speak for themselves with 280 HP on tap.
8 Triumph Spitfire
The legendary spitfire name evokes images of WW2 fighter aces, the Triumph offering is somewhat disappointing in the performance stakes with the last cars built making do with 1.5-liter engines.
Built the old-fashioned way, with a separate chassis and body, makes the Spitfire perfect for a bigger engine. One Gearhead carried out the ultimate classic engine swap with the asthmatic 1.5-liter unit making way for a muscular 5.3-liter V8 topped with Edelbrock heads. Sure the bodywork isn't perfect, but it certainly looks meaner than the original.
7 Sunbeam Tiger Mk 1A
By the 1950s, Britain's post-war car industry was in full swing producing some of the most beautiful cars the world had seen. There was, however, a problem. Most of these cars featured dated engines that didn't live up to the sporty image.
The Tiger, despite being assembled in Britain, had American power. Much of the roadster's development was the combined work of Carroll Shelby and Ken Miles. Under the hood, original cars had 4.3-liter V8 engines, most of which have long since been modified. This stunning one-off creation has been customized to resemble Doane Spencer's famous 60s racer.
6 Jaguar E-Type
Once famously described as the most beautiful car in the world, Jaguar's iconic E-Type sports car is highly prized among collectors, making it an odd choice for modifying.
The culmination of two years' hard work, this stunning 1974 E-type is the work of none other than Chip Foose, no other tuner would have gotten away with desecrating such a classic icon. Standing as a testament to the level of detail on this one off-show car, most purists would be hard-pressed to find anything that doesn't fit the image of the roadster. And in case anyone asks, this Jaguar has a modern 6.2-liter V8 under the hood.
5 Austin Healey Sprite
Undeniably, in factory form, the Sprite isn't a great looking car with its bug-eyed appearance, making it hard to take the small British car seriously. Despite its appearance, the lightweight roadster with 43 HP was a popular choice among amateur racers.
Best thought of as the starting point for something great, the Sprite is easily and cheaply modified as this 1958 example proves. Wearing a custom streamlined body, the "Canlas" special was a regular on the amateur racing scene during the early 1960s.
4 MG Midget
Growing in popularity among gearheads, resto-mods are a great way for owners to transform a cherished classic sports car into something more usable and practical.
From the very beginning, it was clear the MG midget was seriously outclassed, and yet British Leyland continued to produce the dated design for almost twenty years. Cheaply designed and built makes the MG a prime candidate for modifying. A simple paint and detailing job makes all the difference to the little roadster.
3 Ford Capri
The working man's sports car, Ford's Capri was the sports car to be seen in the 80s. The last models are arguably among the best, with punchy 2.8-liter V6 engines in a range of special editions.
Offering simple, good old-fashioned handling, the Capri was hugely popular among gearheads, and most would have been modified at some point. In fact, the simplicity of the design makes it the perfect project car, like this 1987 example proves. Looking stunning in black with side exiting exhausts giving a clue to the V8 Coyote motor under the hood.
2 Mini Cooper
Small cars were never meant to have huge, powerful engines, Mini's original Cooper made do with 57 HP from its 1.2-liter inline four-cylinder, proving a successful Rally car in its day.
Barely containing its transplanted engine, this Cooper now features a 1.6-liter turbocharged Honda unit that produces 360 HP. Surely one of the most powerful and fastest Mini ever built.
1 Koenig XJS Special
Despite its impressive handling and performance, the XJS was never a huge hit in the beauty stakes, the oddly styled rear buttresses being one of the weaker styling points didn't fit with traditional Jaguar styling past or present.
Enter famous car tuner, Willie Koenig, with a history of extreme styling makeovers to his credit, the XJS was in dire need of a more aggressive aero package. To a large extent, it worked, the wider arches, custom bumpers, and rear wing make the car look more aggressive. Have the modifications stood the test of time? Possibly, depending on personal taste.