1955 Mercedes-Benz 300SL – 140mph
Image source: Wikimedia
Sleek and outrageous to drive, the 1955 Mercedes-Benz 300SL was based around a racing car they had constructed several years earlier called the W194. Many of the panels on the body including the hood and doors were made of aluminum, cutting the weight of this 140 mph record breaker down by 80kg; but it was the aerodynamics of the panels which made it such a success on the track. A six-cylinder inline engine produces 240 hp, and the dramatic gull-wing doors and other technological firsts, means this car today can reach prices of up to two-and-a-half million dollars.