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I'm not sure which car I would leave out, but I believe the Oscas of the early 1950's belong in the group somewhere.  I'd recommend the S 187 because it was so tiny (and I wanted to get one in the early 1950's), but they were all outstanding.

Ray  

The only car that I was really surprised, and disappointed, to find in the group was the Nissan 300ZX. I can't see this as a beatiful car. The 240 or 260 would have been correct. One car that does come to mind that should have been included is the Facel Vega. In fact I would have to say the FVs may have been the inspiration behind the Riviera and the Tornado.

Andrew  

The one that should of been part of the list was the 230/250/280 Mercedes SL convertible series. i had a 1964 230SL and loved it. A timeless design and style and practical with a suspension that could take rough roads faster than a 4x4, yet cruise any place in vegas in style. You missed a good one...  

The 62/63 Ferrari 250 GTO is the most beautiful car of all time - and it is not included?

The 275GTB/GTB4 always looked slightly off, with wheels/tires that are too small for the body.

The only thing wrong with the GTO is limited access. I've seen two in museums and two years ago was at the Monterey Historics with about 20 of them. My heart rate is still elevated.

Mike  

I was so infuriated (that's gotta be the best word for it) by your choices and deletions that I would have, in the heat of the moment, cancelled my 'Automobile' subscription. A cooler demeanor has overtaken me, enough so that I can say in calm words, 'WHERE IS THE 1963 AVANTI'?  

When I was 19, I had a good job with the trucking industry, and had an opportunity to buy a 1963 split window Corvette or a 1963 Studebaker Avanti. In my adolescent idealistic point of view, you had to die and go to heaven, and then maybe angels drove around that ultra beautiful car, the Avanti.  So I settled with the less spectacular 1963 split window Corvette.  That was a marriage of circumstance, not love.

As to your choices, that clunky 1963 Buick Rivera was no big thing in the design department: an elegant sort of rehash of autos already on the road. The 1966 Toronado was eye catching, but certainly not endearing.

(By the way, the original 1963 Avanti design was somewhat petite, enlarged in size to go up against cars like 1963 Riviera.  Would it have caught your fancy today were it produced in its originally intended dimensions?)

Nard  

This isn't a reply, just a modest correction to the "25 Most..." list.
Dump the little Nissan Z and immediately replace it with a Citroen DS.
That's the only really awful clunker.
Then replace the Cadillac 60 special with the earlier  (1940 or '41) version
with the more delicately drawn grille that goes with the rest of the car.
Finally, replace the big Jaguar saloon with a late '60s Mark II.
So 22 or 23 or 24 out of 25 isn't bad.
And as much as I like the Avanti - it's beginning to look a bit tired.
Automaven  

Well, I bought a 280SL in January 1969 because it seemed so right, although the Type E Jaguar was certainly a more basically beautiful car. However, as I was driving that same SL yesterday in glorious summer top-down weather
I couldn't imagine a 1969 Jag remaining as reliable and so right as my little Mercedes.
And while I get a big grin each spring as that car and I pull out of the garage for the first ride of the year, and I'm very satisfied that it still looks great,
I wouldn't call it one of the top 25.
Now my former '53 Studebaker hardtop...that's another story!
Automaven  

adalton:
The only car that I was really surprised, and disappointed, to find in the group was the Nissan 300ZX. I can't see this as a beatiful car. The 240 or 260 would have been correct. One car that does come to mind that should have been included is the Facel Vega. In fact I would have to say the FVs may have been the inspiration behind the Riviera and the Tornado.

Andrew

Agreed - the 240, not the 300ZX!  

The deTomaso Mangusta - beautiful!  

Nard:
I was so infuriated (that's gotta be the best word for it) by your choices and deletions that I would have, in the heat of the moment, cancelled my 'Automobile' subscription. A cooler demeanor has overtaken me, enough so that I can say in calm words, 'WHERE IS THE 1963 AVANTI'?  

When I was 19, I had a good job with the trucking industry, and had an opportunity to buy a 1963 split window Corvette or a 1963 Studebaker Avanti. In my adolescent idealistic point of view, you had to die and go to heaven, and then maybe angels drove around that ultra beautiful car, the Avanti.  So I settled with the less spectacular 1963 split window Corvette.  That was a marriage of circumstance, not love.

As to your choices, that clunky 1963 Buick Rivera was no big thing in the design department: an elegant sort of rehash of autos already on the road. The 1966 Toronado was eye catching, but certainly not endearing.

(By the way, the original 1963 Avanti design was somewhat petite, enlarged in size to go up against cars like 1963 Riviera.  Would it have caught your fancy today were it produced in its originally intended dimensions?)

Nard

Yes! The Avanti (with the round headlights)...  

6L_E350:
The 62/63 Ferrari 250 GTO is the most beautiful car of all time - and it is not included?

The 275GTB/GTB4 always looked slightly off, with wheels/tires that are too small for the body.

The only thing wrong with the GTO is limited access. I've seen two in museums and two years ago was at the Monterey Historics with about 20 of them. My heart rate is still elevated.

Mike

Agree with this also - the 250 GTO gets my vote over the 275GTB.  I like the 275GTB well enough, but in this class, definitely the 250GTO is the better choice.  

The 60's Cobra full blown has got to be in any design list.  Pure, simple, fast standing still.

Also the 95 RX-7 and the Dusenberg SSJ deserve to be in the list way more than others; read BMW CSL and Nissan 300ZX  

I agree that the 300zx shouldn't be on the list. As far as the list of current cars, the new Volvo c70
convertible is one of the best looking cars  out there.  

wrong jaguar ,should be ss100. bmw model,503 507 or 328  

Yes, the 95 RX-7 was a glaring omission.  As was the 240Z, the 1990 Miata and the Toyota 2000GT.

On a related note:  Ferrari Daytona coupe, no.  Ferrari Daytona convertible, yes.