IconCar Editorial's articles
BMW 507: The Beautiful Car That Almost Killed BMW
The BMW 507 is one of the most beautiful cars ever built — and it nearly bankrupted BMW. Only 252 were made, each hand-built in aluminium at a ruinous loss, and Elvis Presley owned one. Now a multi-million-dollar blue chip.
Toyota 2000GT: Japan's First Supercar
The Toyota 2000GT proved Japan could build a world-class sports car — an E-Type-like coupe built with Yamaha, a James Bond car, and the first Japanese car to sell for over $1 million. Only about 351 were made.
Maserati 3500 GT: The Car That Made Maserati
The Maserati 3500 GT was the first Maserati built in real numbers for the road — a Touring-bodied grand tourer that turned a racing marque into a maker of beautiful cars and secured its future.
Mercedes 300 SL Gullwing: The Road Car Born From Racing
The Mercedes-Benz 300 SL Gullwing turned a Le Mans winner into the most glamorous road car of the 1950s — gullwing doors, the first fuel-injected production engine, and the fastest car of its day.
Matching Numbers: The Phrase That Can Double a Car's Value
"Matching numbers" means a classic still has the original engine it left the factory with — and it can double the value. Here is what it means and how the professionals verify it.
Alfa Romeo 8C 2900: The Pre-War Masterpiece
The Alfa Romeo 8C 2900 is often called the most beautiful pre-war car — only around 40 built, a 1936 Mille Miglia 1-2-3, Touring Superleggera bodies, and values of $20–40 million.
Porsche 356: The Car That Started Porsche
The Porsche 356 was the company's first car (1948), Ferry Porsche's rear-engine design that set the formula the 911 inherited. The lightweight Speedster became a collector icon.
Shelby Cobra: The Roadster That Beat Ferrari
Carroll Shelby dropped a Ford V8 into a British AC roadster to create the Cobra, which beat Ferrari to the 1965 GT world title. The first car, CSX2000, sold for $13.75 million.
Jaguar D-Type: Three Le Mans Wins and a Record Price
The Jaguar D-Type won Le Mans three years running (1955–1957), was shaped by aerodynamicist Malcolm Sayer, and in 2016 a race-winner sold for $21.78 million — the most valuable British car ever auctioned.
Lamborghini Countach: The Supercar That Defined a Generation
The Lamborghini Countach defined the supercar for the 1970s and 1980s — Marcello Gandini's wedge, the first scissor doors, and a mid-mounted V12. The early LP400 now trades past $1 million.
Bugatti Type 57SC Atlantic: Four Built, One Lost Forever
The Bugatti Type 57SC Atlantic is among the rarest and most valuable cars ever made — Jean Bugatti built just four in the 1930s, one vanished in WWII, and a survivor sold privately for a reported $40 million.
Antoine Dufilho: When a Car Becomes Sculpture
Antoine Dufilho, a self-taught French sculptor, turns iconic cars into stacked sheets of steel and aluminium that seem to move as you walk around them — the automobile treated as art.