The 7 Greatest British Sports Cars Of All Time

British sports cars have a storied and truly remarkable history. British Sports Car Hall of Fame notes that while manufacturers were producing the precursors to modern sporting vehicles before World War II, the economic burden of rebuilding after the war's end and the vast exposure of American servicemen to English automotive excellence led to a surge in exports in the aftermath. Americans loved the sleek designs and the cool demeanor of English roadsters (and their drivers), and English production lines were happy to capitalize on this desire for the products of their engineering.

All this led to a booming automotive industry that has only grown more iconic in the years since. One Stop Racing notes that seven of the ten currently competing Formula 1 racing teams headquarter their operations in the United Kingdom, even though teams hail from all over the world, and with the sport truly touching upon the entire globe.

British sports cars are often set apart by their minimalistic design and classically sleek body design. Without any further ado, here are seven of the most beloved British sports cars ever built.

The Jaguar E-Type is another iconic example of classic British car-making excellence. The E-Type was introduced in 1961 at the Geneva Motor Show, according to Stratsone. The E-Type paved the way for classic, rounded Jaguar features; Sports Car Digest calls this vehicle the classic antihero car, noting it took the British automotive world by storm when it was introduced. What made this car different was that it was made in huge volumes and was accessible by a large swath of the public rather than remaining an out-of-reach luxury item that only song could attain.

Jaguar had already had success in the racing world, with its C-Type, winning races in the decade before. With this new E-Type coming into vogue, the public began to get behind the Jaguar name as a consumer model and not just a racing accessory. E-Type UK notes that this Jaguar was driven by all manner of celebrities at the tops of their game including George Harrison and Frank Sinatra. What's more, Jaguar notes that a relaunch of this classic model is in the works. This means that drivers in the modern world may be able to soon take advantage of a slice of unique British sports car history without the enormous price tag that a vintage model will surely demand.

Like many other British sports cars found on this list, the Aston Martin range finds its origin in the world of racing. Dick Lovett notes that the founders of what would later become Aston Martin — Lionel Martin and Robert Bamford — started out as car salesmen and racers themselves. Decades later, Aston Martin would produce the DB5 (as a blip in the 1960s), and then the iconic V12 vantage. Both of these cars would serve as the base vessel for Bond movie magic. Both the DB5 and V12 Vantage were driven by Sean Connery, Daniel Craig, and Pierce Brosnan, respectively as three iconic and generational Bond heroes in titles such as: "GoldenEye," "Tomorrow Never Dies," Thunderball" "Casino Royale," "Skyfall," and "Die Another Day" (via Aston Martin F1). Of course, the Bond Aston Martin vehicles would incorporate all kinds of unique modifications and upgrades that aren't available to the common driver. Yet the Aston Martin in its commercial configuration still packs extreme levels of style and power under the hood and inside the carriage.

Aston Martin reports that the V12 Vantage Coupe brings 700 horsepower to bear and can reach a top speed of 200 mph. Aston Martin notes that the modern build of this icon is both "the fastest and fiercest Vantage ever made."

Of course, the Aston Martin DB5 would also make this list. It's no shock that Aston Martin would be the builder of two iconic British sports cars. As noted, the Aston Martin DB5 was the original ride for the classic James Bond adventures. However, this isn't the only thing that makes the DB5 an iconic driving machine.

Aston Martin notes that this vehicle was featured heavily in "Goldfinger," and often enjoys the moniker, "the most famous car in the world." Aston Martin F1 reports that the DB5 has featured in eight Bond films, ranging from 1964's "Goldfinger" to the most recent "No Time to Die," released in 2021. There's even a miniature replica "DB5 Junior" for children who can't get enough of the car!

The DB5 saw an enlarged engine capacity (bringing it up to 4 liters) over the previous DB4 Vantage model, the DB5 also sports a synchromesh ZF five-speed gearbox. Aston Martin reports that the car could achieve a 0 to 60 acceleration in 7.1 seconds, and reached a top speed of 142 mph. Obviously, compared to a modern muscle car these numbers might seem pedestrian. However, in a '60s classic this proved to be a set of stunning achievements housed in a beautiful frame that would quickly go on to be known as a modern classic in the world of automotive innovation and design. This Aston Martin came in a hard top convertible or standard model and drivers could even purchase a DB5 that included a three-speed automatic transmission rather than the classic stick shift.