The Italians are well known for their love of great Pasta, beautiful art, and of course, gorgeous cars. A bold claim that they make the best-looking sports cars might not be so far-fetched, and we are not just talking about the main powerhouses – Lamborghini and Ferrari. Even the less prominent ones have turned out some pretty special automobiles over the course of history.

Italian automotive designers have been able to successfully transfer their appreciation of art into car designs that have literally taken our breath away. Feast your eyes on this small selection that buttresses the claim that the charming Italians have no equal when it comes to creating the most beautiful sports cars ever made.

10 Lamborghini Miura SV

Lamborghini-miura-sv
via dupontregistry

The Miura SV was the last variant of the iconic supercar before it was replaced by the Countach. As far as sign-offs go, the Miura SV was quite a statement. First, it was the most beautiful of the lot. Gone were the silly ‘eyelashes’ that adorned the headlamps of the earlier models.

Lamborghini-Miura-SV
via eurocarnews

The rear wheel arches also gained a few pounds; flared out to accommodate the huge rear wheels. It made for an overall pleasant design that was easy on the eyes – until the V12 engine roared to life and took center stage.

9 Lancia Aurelia Spider

Lancia-Aurelia-Spider
via classic

Here’s one you might not have heard about. The full name of the car is the Lancia Aurelia B24 Spyder America, in reference to its target market. The car benefitted heavily from the classic styling touches of Pininfarina and the result was an elegant open-top cruiser with a sweeping windscreen and unique quarter bumpers.

Lancia-Aurelia-Spider
via twitter

At the time, Pininfarina was a small outfit and its assembly line could only manage to produce 240 units of the car in total. Fewer units exist today making it a very special collectible indeed.

8 De Tomaso Pantera

De-Tomaso-Pantera
via wsj

With the De Tomaso Pantera, what you get is a silky blend of Italian flavor and gritty American charisma. The car was the brainchild of Alejandro De Tomaso, an Argentinian who moved to Italy when he was 27 and eventually set up an Italian Sports car company.

De-Tomaso-Pantera
via supercars.net

The company produced the Pantera supercar while Ford supplied the V8 powerplant. The De Tomaso Pantera was a beautifully designed machine and offered a refreshing alternative to stable names like Lamborghini and Ferrari. The car had reliability issues but it still remained quite popular with over 7,000 units produced over a 20-year production run.

7 Alfa Romeo Montreal

Alfa-Romeo-Montreal
via autoweek

The Alfa Romeo Montreal had eyelashes, but unlike in the Miura, these ones were quite pretty. They were functional too; retracting to fully expose the headlights when needed. The sleek luxury coupe was designed by the same person who was primarily responsible for the Miura.

Alfa-Romeo-Montreal
via guideautoweb

You can see the similarities where the lines flow along the front of the car. A variety of factors including emission laws and safety regulations prevented the car from being sold in America but Alfa Romeo still managed to sell almost 4,000 units.

6 Fiat Dino Spider

Fiat-Dino-Spider
via classiccargarage

The Fiat Dino Spider debuted at the 1966 Turin Auto Show and was powered by a Ferrari-designed V6 engine that produced 158hp. The body shell was designed by the famous Pininfarina and that alone was enough to make the car stand out. You can see the signature curves especially at the front end of the car where they bulge to accommodate the front wheels.

Fiat-Dino-Spider
via wikipedia

The sports car was a joy to drive with its 5-speed manual transmission and even today, it’s hard not to be impressed by an image of the curvy cruiser, rolling down the highway with the top down.

5 Alfa Romeo 8C

alfa-romeo-8c
via motor1

This one makes very little sense when it comes to practicability. You can only fit 2 people in it; cargo space is non-existence and it will cost an eye-watering $300,000. However, people don’t usually buy cars like this for practicability and the fact that it’s one of the most beautiful modern sports cars is bound to trigger some impulsive spending – that is, if you can afford it.

alfa-romeo-8c
via bringatrailer

Various design elements come together rather nicely in the Alfa Romeo 8C and it’s just as well that the car has a ridiculously loud exhaust note – such beauty should not pass by unappreciated.

Related: Top 10 Italian Cars Ever Produced, Ranked

4 Pagani Huayra

Pagani-Huayra
via pinterest

When the Pagani Huayra was first announced as replacement for the legendary Zonda, many car purists were skeptical that Horacio could top the achievements of the Zonda. However, those doubts quickly faded when in February 2011, the covers were officially lifted off the Huayra at the Pirelli Headquarters in Milan.

Pagani-Huayra
via autoevolution

The name ‘Huayra’ comes from an ancient South American language and simply means, ‘god of wind’. The car indeed resembles something that was carved by the wind. Horacio poured his heart and soul into every element of the car and the level of detail is almost beyond belief.

3 Maserati A6 GCS

Maserati-A6-GCS
via reddit

It is one of the most beautiful Maseratis ever made but the fact that only 2 survive today means that most of us will only get to admire the it from online images. In total, 4 units of the car were produced and they were all for a single customer back in the 50s.

Maserati-A6-GCS
via supercars.net

Again, the styling was inspired by Pininfarina and it’s hard to miss the prominent grille or massive Maserati trident stamped on the front end of the car. However, instead of making the car look hideous – think BMW – these elements only add to the overall charm of the car.

Related: 10 Most Wanted Classic Italian Cars

2 Alfa Romeo Tipo 33 Stradale

Alfa-Romeo-Tipo-33-Stradale
via drivemag

The incredible Tipo 33 Stradale was produced from 1967 to 1969 and in that time, only 18 units rolled off the assembly line. The car’s engine produced 227bhp but then it weighed a scant 700kg and that power made for some pretty impressive race-style performance on the public roads.

Alfa-Romeo-Tipo-33-Stradale
via topspeed

The Tipo 33 Stradale looks like a very stylish space bubble with prominent wheel arches and rear vents that hint at its racing DNA. Today, the cars are valued at over $10 million – and that’s if you can convince any of the current lucky owners to part with the car.

1 Ferrari 250 GTO

ferrari-250-gto
Via: www.motorpasion.com

The car’s name is usually uttered with quiet reverence and awe. The hallowed 250 GTO resides at the very top of the list when it comes to collectible cars. In fact, it is the current record holder of the most expensive car sold privately – and the record holder at a public auction for good measure.

ferrari-250-gto
via cnbc

Much of the car’s value is down to its racing pedigree but looking at the car, it would be hard to deny the special allure of those rounded vents in the car’s snout or the elegant curves that define the car’s outline. It’s a shame then that only 36 units were produced.

Next: These 10 Cars Prove That No One Does Luxury Like European Carmakers