We could put together a list of the one-off concept cars (although we might just include one or two for fun), but this isn’t that kind of list. These are some of the most desirable cars on the planet, for different reasons.
It also just so happens they have become extremely rare; some were always destined to be exclusive collector cars and others just didn’t quite sell as well as expected and became more sought after over time. When talking about Italian sports cars, it is impossible to avoid clichés, but these cars have inspired millions of new automotive enthusiasts simply by existing and truly deserve all the recognition they get.
10 Ferrari F40 Competizione
As far as special edition Ferrari’s go, the F40 is the least rare among them, having churned out over 1300 cars, giving in to the insatiable desire at the time.
It certainly isn’t all that rare even by their standards, however, the Competizione is one of the rarest Ferraris ever produced. With only 10 cars out in the wild, it is considered the ultimate, ultimate Ferrari, the last analog supercar, and one of the most desirable cars out there.
9 Lancia Delta S4 Stradale
Without a doubt, the S4 has to be one of the ugliest cars on this list. It was an out-and-out homologation special and has become incredibly valuable in recent years.
With only the bare minimum produced to satisfy the homologation requirements, and only around 60 left in the world, it has become one of the most valuable Lancias. In race tune, this mid-engine wedge-shaped sports car was able to go from 0 to 60 mph in 2.3 seconds, faster, on gravel, than an F1 car from the same era.
8 Pagani Huayra Roadster BC
The limited run has been capped at 40, which is a shame for any of us wanting (dreaming of) one.
It has everything, somehow retaining its lines even as a roadster and an engine that will not only give you the power of your dreams, it will also give you metronomic German reliability. This rolling art is pure quality down to the very last bolt, it stands to only become rarer and more valuable.
7 Lancia Delta Integrale Evo II
It certainly isn’t the rarest car on the list, but it is gradually getting there. It wasn’t a limited-edition homologation special; it was actually the last/best hot hatch the brand would ever make.
Arguably the best hot hatch ever, it has seen a sharp rise in value. It was almost always expensive, when it came out it was expensive for a hatchback, then it also stayed pretty valuable for two decades, but not it is so sought after the average selling prices are up by 60% compared to 5 years ago.
6 Ferrari 330 Zagato
As it happens, the 330 GTC is already pretty rare, also often overlooked, but one car that is impossible to ignore is the Zagato version that was quite simply the antithesis of its donor car.
It started life as a normal GTC and the owner had a small accident, so with the help of the importer, he sent the car back to Italy and had Zagato work their magic and create this one-of-one masterpiece.
5 Maserati A6GCS Berlinetta
Honestly, it is rather hard to believe the car was designed in the 50s, this was when the marque was reaching its peak as an F1 race team, and the success on the track translated into the production of one of the most beautiful performance cars.
So rare, it is almost forgotten, finding one today will be hard and actually buying it even harder, with so very few left it is impossible to tell what they are worth.
4 Lancia Stratos
Originally. this was going to get a Fiat engine, with Ferrari reluctant to supply the key ingredient. But as the Dino came to the end of its lifespan, its heart found a new home in the middle of a short wheelbase rally car.
It truly equates to so much more than the sum of its parts, there is little wonder the Stratos has inspired so many enthusiasts over the years.
3 Ferrari 250 GTO
Currently, the most expensive car on the planet, if you do ever even get a chance to see one in person, consider yourself lucky.
It was Ferraris's answer to the astonishingly beautiful E-Type Jaguar. Beautiful in its own right, even if the Jaguar was still a bit better looking, the Ferrari would just brush it aside with actual drivability and performance.
2 Lancia 037
As a rally car with the boost turned up to 11, it could produce well over 300 horsepower. As a road car, it produced a more muted, marginally more reliable 200 ponies.
It was made in very small homologation numbers, so finding one today is pretty much impossible.
1 Alfa Romeo Stradale 33
It is one of the most beautiful cars ever, so much subjectivity here, but it is really hard to argue against that fact.
It was a race car made road legal, only 18 were made in the late 60s and only 7 are left on the road today. Equipped with a 2-liter V8 that could rev all the way up to 10,000 rpm and rocket the Alfa all the way past 160 mph, it was one of the first real supercars.