Benz 3-wheeler, 1886

At Mannheim, Germany, on July 3rd, 1886, the Benz 3-wheeler became the first successful petrol-driven car to run on the public roads. Designed by Karl Benz, it was both practical and reliable with a single cylinder horizontal engine mounted in the rear, electric ignition, and a top speed of 9 mph It pioneered car design for many years afterwards.

De Dion-Bouton 6 hp. 1903

Light, easy to drive, and completely reliable, the De Dion-Bouton 6 hp. combined relatively high performance with low price. The first car to have a high-speed engine. With comfortable speeds up to 30 mph It cost only £200. By 1912, there were 6,000 De Dion-Boutons in Britain alone.

Mercedes 60 hp. 1903

The formidable name of Mercedes brought luxury to the horseless carriage with the 60 hp. in 1903. For several years nothing could challenge its combination of speed and comfort. Besides a top speed of 70 mph, it featured innovations like the honeycomb radiator, the pressed-steel frame and, most important of all, a 4-speed gearbox with a selective gate change.

Renault 20/30 hp. 1906

An outstanding example of the Edwardian town carriage. The elaborately brocaded interior was modelled on contemporary French 1st class railway compartments. 15' long, and standing 7'10" off the ground, its top speed was 50 mph A classic in its time, its basic style remained the same until 1928.

Rolls-Royce Silver Ghost, 1909

The Rolls-Royce tradition began with the 1907 Silver Ghost which won the reputation of being "the best car in the world". Technically it was a fairly conventional car, but it set standards of smoothness and silence that others had previously thought impossibile.

Ford Model-T, 1911

The first production-line car, the Model T Ford is renowned as "the car that put the world on wheels". It was cheap, reliable, and very easy to maintain. Between 1908 and 1927, more than 15 million were produced. In 1919, over 40% of all the motor vehicles registered in Britain were Fords.

Vauxhall Prince Henry. 1913

The development of motor racing inspired many new designs. Based on a Laurence Pomeroy design entered in the l910 German Prince Henry Trials, the Vauxhall Prince Henry was one of the first sports cars with engine speeds over 2,000 rp.m. A fine, fast car, with a top speed of 75-80 mp.h

Sunbeam 8-litre, 1925

A 6-cylinder thoroughbred sports car, which rivalled the Bentley for speed and excelled it for smoothness. First produced in 1926, though two prototypes were entered in the 1925 Le Mans.

Bentley 4.5-litre, 1928

The classic British sports car of the 1920's. Very powerful, it had an output of 110 bhp. at 3,500 rp.m Its high price of £1,295 put it in the prestige bracket, but it offered superb durability in return. Won at Le Mans in 1928 Top speed 95 mph

M.G. Midget. 1930

The introduction of the MG. Midget began the British tradition of the small, light, inexpensive sports car. Cheap at £185, it drew on the mechanical components of the 1929 Morris "Minor" - so it could be serviced by non-specialist Morris dealers. First of an internationally famous line of sports cars.

S.S. Jaguar 100, 1938

For many years no manufacturer in Britain or Europe could match the combination of high speed, elegance and low price of the SS. Jaguar. Powerful and completely reliable, the engine could travel 200,000 miles between overhauls. It began the Jaguar tradition of quality at near mass-produced prices.

Cord 812, 1937

The New York Museum of Modern Art chose the 812 as the outstanding example of car styling in the 1930's. Running boards, fuel filler and door hinges were streamlined out of sight. Even the headlamps were retractable, and the sports saloon body was uncluttered by mouldings or chrome trim.

Volkswagen, 1938

The "Beetle"-introduced in 1938 as the People's Car. 12 million were produced between 1945-69, the most popular private car since the Model-T Ford. Although it still looks the same, only three major components remain unchanged.

Lagonda V-12 1939

W. C Bentley joined Lagonda and brought the luxury sports car up to date The V-12 weighed 2 tons, topped 100 mph, and consumed petrol at the rate of 11 mpg With independent front suspension, and a shortstroke high revving multi cylinder engine. It still looked as graceful as it felt to drive. The greatest of the pre-war British luxury cars. 300 were made between 1937-40.

Jaguar XK120, 1949

The post-war technological advance brought a new kind of sports car. The XK 120 offered aerodynamic 2-seater bodywork with 120 mph performance, at low cost. Technically sophisticated, later models won Le Mans five times. The outstanding sports car of the early 1950's.

Mercedes-Benz 300SL, 1954

One of the most glamorous sports cars of the era. For £4,400, the 300SL had an aerodynamic coupe body with swing-up, gull-wing doors. With the first production fuel injection engine, it had a top speed of 135 mph Won at Le Mans, Berne, and in the Mexican Carrera Pananlericana.

Citroen DS19, 1956

The DS 19 was ahead of its time with self leveling suspension, disk brakes and full power-assisted controls. It broke away from traditional body styling to combine a low line with better visibility and headroom. The 1970 model is still basically the same.

Morris Mini-Minor. 1959

10' b y 4'5", the Mini was the smallest compact 4-seater available The engine unit its mounted across the hull, with the gearbox in the sump. Later versions of Sir Alec Issigonis's design have proved as fast and reliable as much bigger cars, and the Mini has achieved great success in rallies and saloon-car racing.

N.S.U. Ro 80, 1968

The Ro 80 is the first full-scale production saloon with a Wankel rotary engine. Otherwise an entirely modern 5-seater family saloon front-wheel drive, semiautomatic transmission, unitary construction and all-round disc brakes.

Lamborghini "Miura", 1970

The arrival of rear engines in Grand Prix racing led to a new GT configuration in road-going machinery. The opposite of the popular car trend to front engines, With front-wheel drive, the new space-age sports car is a "fastback", streamlined to do 100 mph in 3rd gear. With a top speed of 186 mph, The Lamborghini is among the most powerful, stylish and expensive sports cars in the world today.