American cars are often overlooked when discussing the most beautiful cars. Usually, the Jaguar E-Type and some precious Italian exotics get all the glory, but there are many American models that deserve to be mentioned.
Granted, beauty is in the eye of the beholder, but we think these 24 cars are among the finest-looking American cars ever made. Some of these cars are notoriously unreliable, others are slow, but that doesn't matter because they look good, and that's all we care about.
After all, it's not important whether you win or lose; it's all about how you look while playing the game.
1967 Shelby Cobra 427
The Shelby Cobra 427 still looks as fresh today as it did in the late 1960s. It lures in car enthusiasts with its beautifully curved body, but under those stunning looks, there's a proper hairy-chested sports car that's not for the faint of heart.
There are no windows or a roof here, so the Cobra isn't exactly practical. What its superlight body does have is a mighty 7.0-liter V8 engine that sends 425 wild horses to the rear wheels. Real Shelby Cobras are ridiculously expensive these days, but luckily, there are plenty of replicas out there, and they look just as good.
1958 Chevrolet Corvette C1
When Chevrolet first released the Corvette, it was only available with an inline-six engine that didn't live up to expectations set by the car's beautiful design. In 1955, Chevy came to its senses and put a V8 under the hood of the ‘Vette.
In our opinion, the later first-gen Corvettes made from 1958 are the best-looking ones, as they appear much more aggressive with the quad headlights.
1963 Chevrolet Corvette C2
Following the first-generation Corvette was never going to be an easy task, but the second-generation ‘Vette crushed it. It was smaller than its predecessor, and the iconic quad headlights were now gone—quite literally, as the C2 featured pop-up headlights.
The split window model that was only sold in 1963 is the most sought-after today. While the rear vision may have been obstructed, it worked wonders for the C2 Corvette's overall design.
1966 Ford GT40
In the 1960s, Ford tried to buy Ferrari, but the Italian carmaker pulled out of the deal at the last second, having used Ford to get Fiat to pay more. Henry Ford II became obsessed with destroying the Italians at the 24 Hours of Le Mans, and the GT40 was the car that ended Ferrari's dominance at the French racetrack.
The Ford GT40 was built on a Lola chassis, and it was not only fast, but it looked amazing as well. Combining a European chassis with American muscle was a winning strategy, and the beautiful GT40 would later inspire two modern-day Ford GT generations.
2005 & 2016 Ford GT
In the mid-2000s, Ford brought back the Ford GT, and there was no doubt where the inspiration came from. It looked a lot like its older sibling that once dominated Le Mans.
Whereas the 2005 Ford GT didn't replicate the GT40's wins at Le Mans, Ford wanted to celebrate the 50th anniversary of its 1966 Le Mans victory, so the Mk2 Ford GT was born. In 2016, the second-generation Ford GT took 1st and 3rd in its class, proving that it was more than just a pretty face.
1934 Chrysler Airflow
Chrysler introduced the beautiful Airflow in 1934, and it flopped spectacularly. Apparently, people didn't like how it looked, so practically nobody bought it. These days, however, we really appreciate the Chrysler Airflow's design, both because it's stylish and because it was so far ahead of its time.
It had near-perfect weight distribution with passengers in the cabin, the sleek, aerodynamic body helped lower fuel consumption, and its construction was a forerunner of the modern unibody cars.
1955 Chevrolet Bel Air
Few American cars are as iconic as the 1955-57 Chevrolet Bel Air. It was available in multiple body styles, but the two-door coupe and convertible models are the cream of the crop.
Over the years, the Bel Air has made numerous appearances in movies and TV shows, most notably in the 1973 cult classic American Graffiti. The Chevy Bel Air's influence even reached the shores of Japan, as the Prince Skyline, the genesis of the Nissan GT-R, featured a design that's more than a little inspired by the gorgeous Chevy.
1956 Studebaker Golden Hawk
Once upon a time, Studebaker was among the biggest names in the American car industry. In 1967, its doors were closed for good, and these days, most people have forgotten about the stylish cars that rolled off its production line.
One such car is the Golden Hawk, which embodies everything that makes American classics so great. It was available in colors other than gold, but no matter which color the buyer chose, it had a white accent at the tail wings. Unlike many other American classics, Studebaker showed some restraint and didn't go overboard with the chrome.
1957 Chrysler 300C
Chrysler has used the 300 moniker for decades, but other than the sinister-looking modern-day car, we think the 300C from 1957 is the best-looking one. Incidentally, it also looks as mean as its modern namesake.
With its quad headlights, angry grille, and gradually rising wings, this does not look like a car anyone should mess with. Under its hood, there was a 375-horsepower 392 Hemi engine, so it didn't just look mean, it packed a punch as well.
1933 Duesenberg SJ
The Duesenberg SJ was a supercharged version of the Model J, an American luxury car built to compete with the world's fastest and most luxurious cars, like Rolls-Royce. The Duesenberg had a long hood, it was dripping with chrome, and the swooping fenders made it look fast even when standing still.
It didn't just look fast; it was fast. The Duesenberg SJ could reach 60 mph in eight seconds and had a top speed of 140 mph at a time when most performance cars couldn't even hit 100 mph.
1959 Cadillac Eldorado
The iconic '59 Cadillac Eldorado is famous for its large tailfins with dual bullet tail lights. Its design was more extravagant and lavish than anything else available at the time. Its name hints at its opulence, as it's a mix of two Spanish words that translate into “the golden one” and “Lost City of Gold.”
The Eldorado is a massive land yacht designed to draw stares from envious traffic users. It's certainly not among the most practical vehicles, but who cares when you can cruise around with this much style?
1997 Plymouth Prowler
Plymouth stunned the automotive world when it brought out the retro hot rod-styled Prowler. Then, as soon as gearheads learned that it would “only” have a V6 engine rather than a V8, they immediately turned their noses up at it.
The Plymouth Prowler was a colossal failure, but it really deserved better. Looks-wise, it's perhaps the most daring and stunning car of its era. Even though it only had a 3.5-liter V6, it still produced 250 horsepower, so it wasn't weak. These days, people are coming to their senses, and the long-discontinued Prowler is now more sought-after than ever.
1967 Ford Mustang
The Ford Mustang was unveiled in 1964 and was immediately a hit with the car-buying public. It was available in hardtop, convertible, and fastback bodies, and while they all look good, we're partial to the stylish fastback ‘stang.
1967 saw the first significant update of the first-gen Mustang, and the car grew in size in order to fit a big-block V8 under the hood. This is arguably the most iconic version of the legendary pony car. It has near-perfect proportions and looks mean and aggressive. Even Carroll Shelby couldn't keep his hands off it, resulting in the Shelby GT350 and GT500 high-performance versions.
Delorean DMC-12
If this were a list of the fastest or most reliable American cars, the DeLorean wouldn't be here, but as far as style and design go, it's undoubtedly among the best. Even Doc Brown said, “If you're going to make a time machine out of a car, why not do it with some style?”
With its stainless-steel bodywork and gullwing doors, the rear-engined DeLorean was light-years ahead of the competition in the style department. Unfortunately, it was so unreliable that it eventually became a bad joke.
1967 Pontiac GTO
The original Pontiac GTO is often credited as the first muscle car. Strictly speaking, there were others before it, but the GTO certainly deserves credit for making the segment more popular among car enthusiasts.
The 1967 Pontiac GTO kept the curvaceous “co*ke-bottle” styling of the '66 model but with a new set of tail lights and various other changes. It also packed a 389 V8 that churned out as much as 360 horsepower in the High Output model.
1996 Dodge Viper
If there ever was a car that lived up to its name, it's the Dodge Viper. It's as dangerous as it is stunning, and it spends all its time devising new and creative ways to scare its owner.
The original Viper commanded respect; those who didn't it faced severe punishment. Under its long hood lies a powerful V10 engine, and if you want driver aids such as traction control or ABS, keep moving, because the Viper is not for you. It may be a dream car, but in the wrong hands, it's an absolute nightmare.
Shelby Daytona Coupe
Decades before the Dodge Viper scared car enthusiasts worldwide, its spiritual predecessor, the Shelby Daytona, did the same thing. The Daytona Coupe was largely based on the Shelby Cobra roadster but with a sleeker design than the Cobra's muscular look.
There was a reason behind the Daytona Coupe's almost European sports car-like exterior. It was built to take on Ferrari in the GT racing class and needed to be more aerodynamically efficient than the Cobra.
1961 Lincoln Continental
Lincoln was established in the 1920s as Ford's luxury division, and the Continental first appeared in 1939. Our pick of the litter would be the 1961 Lincoln Continental, as this massive land yacht has a sleeker, more understated design than its predecessor, and it's the only year with that front end. It also has awesome suicide doors, and the flat body panels gave it a muscular look that inspired several other models from that era.
The fourth-generation Lincoln Continental saw production from 1961 to 1969, with a couple of revisions along the way. While it didn't become more stylish with time, it did gain other updates and improvements.
1965 Buick Riviera Gran Sport
We can't make a list of the best-looking American cars without including the famous 1971 Buick Riviera personal luxury car. This was another behemoth from the American car industry's glory days, and it packed more style and comfort than you can shake a stick at.
The 1965 Buick Riviera Gran Sport had a 360-horsepower Super Wildcat V8 engine to ensure that it lived up to the promises made by its imposing exterior. Its vertical headlights were hidden behind clamshell doors in the fenders, a black vinyl roof was optional, and Buick moved the taillights from the body to the rear bumper.
1955 Ford Thunderbird
When Chevrolet revealed the Corvette in the early 1950s, the Bow Tie brand immediately had a leg up on the Blue Oval. A couple of years later, Ford had an answer in the form of the 1955 Thunderbird.
The Thunderbird had much sleeker and sportier styling than other Fords of that era, but it did share some of the same design language, such as single headlights and small tail fins. Car enthusiasts and automotive journalists loved the Thunderbird's styling, and it went on to outsell the Corvette by more than 23-to-one in its first year.
1936–37 Cord 810 / 812
Heading back to the 1930s, the Cord 810 must've been one of the scariest-looking cars of that era. It wasn't covered in chrome like most luxury cars, and it looked particularly sinister in all-black paint.
At the front, it had a horizontally louvered wraparound grille that earned it the nickname “coffin nose.” On either side of the nose was a wide pontoon fender with hidden headlights. The Cord 810 also had a long list of revolutionary solutions and technology, making it one of the most impressive models of the late 1930s.
1965 Chevrolet Impala
The Chevrolet Impala SS is easily among the most recognizable cars from the 1960s. Chevrolet completely redesigned the Impala for 1965, and the brand-new fourth-generation car set an all-time industry annual sales record in the States, with over 1 million cars finding a new home.
One of the reasons behind the record sales was the car's styling, which featured curved, frameless side windows and a sharper-angled windshield. While it wasn't the fastest American car on the market, it certainly gave the competition a run for their money in the style department.
1955 Packard Caribbean
Packard was an American luxury carmaker, and in its heyday, it built some of the best-looking American cars money could buy. The Caribbean was among the last models to roll off its assembly line, as the company closed its doors in 1958.
In 1955, the Packard Caribbean was available with two or three-tone paint. The large hood scoop on the 1964 model was now split into two smaller hood scoops placed on either side rather than in the middle.
1962 Studebaker Avanti
It was evident from day one that Studebaker meant business when introducing the Avanti. They marketed it as “America's only four-passenger high-performance personal car,” and the name Avanti is Italian for onward or forward.
According to legend, Studebaker president Sherwood Egbert doodled the Avanti on the back of an envelope during a flight. Its complex design meant it had to be made from fiberglass, as a traditional steel body would've been far too expensive. With the supercharged 4.7-liter V8 under its hood, the Studebaker Avanti broke 29 speed records for production cars.
