10 rare cars you haven't heard of

Hundreds of people around the world are passionate about collecting. Some collect works of art, others - artifacts of past centuries, utensils, household items. And there is a special category of collectors whose passion is rare, unique things that have long been a real treasure for someone. Believe it or not, there are individuals who can shell out $ 1.2 million for a decorative living room vase or bathroom window! That is exactly how, with a passion for rare and outlandish gizmos, trade began in ancient times - if someone else has a similar rare thing, it can be exchanged for something. And it is natural for a person to accumulate rare things, because they distinguish him from the crowd. Human desires and needs will never weaken - they ruled the world from the beginning of history to the present day.

Cars! Greatest male passion. So it was in the last century, and it will be so in the distant future. A number of models, especially in vintage bodies of the first half of the twentieth century, became very popular with the richest collectors in the world, who devoted every free minute to hunting for another rare specimen. So as not to drown in the thousands of different models that have emerged over the decades of car manufacturing, we have compiled a list of 10 of the rarest cars in the world that you may have never heard of. The list is compiled according to the degree of popularity and fame of the models, the cost is indicated at the time of release.

10. Packard Panther

This graceful, graceful beauty fully lives up to her name - Panther. It has the most striking, stylish and unique design for its era, its front part resembles a cat's face. The Packard Panther concept was intended to show the car of the future, while the design of most of the other manufacturers' models has remained largely unchanged in recent years. And, of course, ambitious plans were combined with meticulous attention to detail.

The Packard company planned to release a large batch of new machines, but by the end of the 1950s production had not yet been fully developed, and the Panther remained a rare, one-off piece. But how rare it was, just as brilliant! The Packard Panther was available for about $ 800,000. Believe it or not, if you look at it from the front, you will see that the bumper and grille of this car form a silhouette of a panther, which is one of its most recognizable features.

9. Tucker 48

As the name suggests, this car was released in 1948, that is, a very, very long time ago, which tells us about its considerable value. Looking at this car, we see that it was a time of really BIG cars. Any man in the forties was not averse to driving a personal sedan, but he also often needed to take his family with him. Imagine driving such a gentleman, in a double-breasted jacket and a fedora hat, with two children (a son and a daughter) in the back seat, with a charming hostess wife on his right hand - and all this in a car that roars like a lion, as soon as you start it.

This large, powerful model was designed by Preston Tucker, but only 51 were born. Tucker's company went bankrupt and went bankrupt, and since then "forty-eighth" is one of the rarest cars in the world. In 1988, to the 40th anniversary of our hero, the film "Tucker - a man and his dream" was shot, dedicated to Preston Tucker and his brainchild. These days, the cost of one car is estimated at $ 1.2 million.

8. Aston Martin Bulldog

If you park nearby Aston Martin Bulldog and DeLorean, you might get the impression that they are just old and new models of the same car, they have so much in common. And the overall squat shape, like a racing car, and doors that open upwards are the calling cards of these models. The Bulldog can also be mistaken for one of the older Lamborghini models. Lamborghini's signature design is known all over the world, and only one car has managed to reproduce this graceful shape and elegant style - the Aston Martin Bulldog.

In general, Aston Martin has always strived to maintain the design of its cars in a classic manner, even in modern models, but all of them cannot be compared with the Bulldog. The doors that flip up like fenders are a unique feature of this vehicle. Aston Martin intended to produce a limited edition of 25 cars to test the waters for future sales, but only ONE was eventually built. Today its price is $ 1.3 million.

7. Mercedes Benz 300SL Gullwing

Continuing the theme of cars with "vertical" doors, the Mercedes Benz 300SL is a good example of a luxury coupe, no worse than the current luxury coupes, which, despite the exorbitant price, are sold in dealerships in huge quantities. The Mercedes Benz 300SL represents the perfect combination of rarity and high cost. This handsome man was produced for about two years, until the concept of a completely new roadster was developed at the plant. Despite the not very long history of production, this car managed to become famous as one of the fastest for its time.

All this, plus a powerful engine (3 liters, hence the "300" in the name), and classic European coupe design make the 300SL one of the most valuable and expensive cars in the world. Its price today is $ 1.5 million. But can millions of dollars and kilometers per hour be able to describe the unearthly delight that you experience while sitting behind the wheel of this steel bird, spreading its wings in low-level flight over the cold land?

6. Talbot Lago Grand Sport

Wow Talbot Lago! It looks just like a Batmobile, except a little less fantastic. There is also a strong resemblance to the front of the Talbot and the vintage Aston Martin; by "vintage" I mean the design concept embodied in the DB-5, familiar from the James Bond films. The rear of the car, although it looks like a patterned curved, still gives the impression that the body of the car is elongated. This is one of the main distinguishing features of the model.

Talbot lago Grand Sport would look great even in a presidential cortege, its very shape, design and price give out belonging to the high society. In short, if we add a dash of stylish Aston Martin design to the powerful, almost racing car, we get the Lago. In the entire history of this legendary brand, only 12 copies of the Talbot Lago Grand Sport have been produced, and each will cost you $ 2.5 million.

5. Porsche 916

We are so accustomed to the image of Porsche, which has been formed in our minds over several generations, that it comes to mind every time we see this name, regardless of which model actually stands in front of us. Perhaps the fact is that Porsche has indeed been faithful to one concept for many years, and our imagination is not to blame. For many years, Porsche has tried to maintain a consistent Gecko design concept in as many of its models as possible. But any slight bend, dent or cut can make a big difference to the overall design experience! And the Porsche engineers were able to find a brilliant way out of the situation, demonstrating this in the 916.

The influence of the Gecko design is still strong, especially the cockpit, but the differences are many and striking. A series of 11 of these beauties was released, of which one was sent to the USA. Indeed, a rare specimen! Its maximum speed is 145 mph (approx. 233 km / h), which is one of the highest figures at the time of the start of production of the "nine hundred and sixteenth", that is, the beginning of the 1970s. The cost of this model has recently been about $ 3 million.

4.1954 Oldsmobile F-88

1954 was the year when things that we today call "classic" or "vintage", including cars, were just beginning in the minds of people. The irrepressible desire for a beautiful life brought to the streets a whole armada of powerful, stylish, memorable cars, including the Oldsmobile F-88.Oldsmobile has certainly always avoided bold colors and bold shapes in its car designs. In those years, the cars were solid and solid, unlike today's copies. Although modern cars look like aliens from the distant future, manufacturers have recently been trying to adhere to the principle of "economy" so that the car takes up as little space as possible.

Oldsmobile has collected in its design all the signs of what we call "classic" and "vintage" today. Imagine what a ride on this miracle of technology could have been, and even back to those blessed, vintage fifties. Despite the eight-cylinder V-engine with a capacity of 250 hp, this handsome man, unfortunately, was not destined to roar through the city streets. Only four cars of this model were lucky to get out of the factory gates. If anyone wants to become the owner of one of them, they will have to shell out $ 3.5 million.

3. Ferrari 250 GT Spyder Convertible

La Bella Italia! Which in translation means - beautiful Italy. This country has something to boast to its guests - beautiful women, landscapes, interesting people of all kinds and unique style, world-famous cuisine and endless romance. Oh, I almost forgot to mention their gorgeous cars, which are examples of quality build throughout their history of production. Ferrari can often be seen on the streets of Italian cities, and outside the country too. And they are sold for hefty millions of dollars! But not this model; she does not ride the same streets with mere mortals.

The Ferrari 250 GT Spider Convertible was made in ONE piece, since after the release of this model all the others were in a coupe. The only car ever produced was bought by car collector Bob Lee and is still in his collection to this day. The cost of this unique car is currently estimated at $ 10 million. So if your last name is Trump or Gates, you have a chance to fill your garage with an Italian steel stallion!

2.1921 Helica De Leyat

Lord, this is not a car ?! If you pull yourself together and try to look at it technically, you can see that this miracle is on four cookies. Okay, not cookies, but rims. No, even cut it, I won't call it wheels! They are wearing bicycle tread tires. A noble-sized horn catches the eye, more like a pipe sticking out forward in the manner of a horn. In general, its front looks like the back, and from the back the car looks like it is in front. Everything is mixed up in this Frankenstein! It has a huge propeller in front, like those found on hovercraft.

The fact is that it was produced in the 20s. At the very beginning of the 20s. In fact, it is one of the oldest surviving vehicles and certainly one of the rarest. Only 30 pieces were produced. They produced such cars in France, and French engineers in those years tried to find a new approach to the automotive industry. One of the areas of development was the concept of an "airplane without wings", that is, a car with a propeller engine. The huge rotor propeller in front was supposed to give the passenger sitting behind the driver the feeling that he was flying in an airplane. This giant propeller pulled the car behind it, and people flew along the road, as if in the sky.

1. Rolls-Royce 15 HP

The Rolls-Royce 15 HP is by far the rarest and most unique vehicle in the world. Realizing that their car would revolutionize transportation, Charles Rolls and Hendry Royce launched a model that became their pride and the starting point for their brand's success. Production started in 1904, at the dawn of the 20th century, when the first motorized carriages appeared, which made a real revolution in transport since the last century.
Since ancient times, mankind did not know any other transport than a horse. The maximum of manufacturability was concentrated in the carriage, where the horse was harnessed.

And so, at the dawn of a new century, a real miracle of technical progress appears - a carriage that moves itself. Without a horse, contrary to centuries of experience! Can you imagine how exciting it was to organize the production of something like this in that era? Only six Rolls-Royce 15 HP were produced and only ONE survived to this day. The name of the car is derived from the engine power of 15 hp, which by today's standards looks very modest, if not ridiculous. But in those years, such an engine was perceived in a completely different way.

A real beast! Although its design does not look very stylish compared to modern ones, in those years all cars looked like that. The "last of the Mohicans" Rolls-Royce 15 HP can be seen at auto shows around the world. Due to its venerable age, the Rolls-Royce 15 HP no longer has a selling price like other cars on our list, and is already valuable as a museum piece. But the insurance companies that take care of him estimate the cost of this instance at $ 35 million.