5 most beautiful cars ever according to Ian Callum

Ian Callum is a name that hardly needs an introduction for automobile aficionados who care about art and design. The current Director of Design for Jaguar is one of the most revered names in the business right now, having worked on such sterling machines as the Aston Martin Vanquish, DB9, Nissan R390, Jaguar C-X75, and the Jaguar F-Type. In an interview recently, the 61-year old Brit revealed what he thinks are the most beautiful cars ever designed. Here they are:

Ferrari 250 GT Short Wheel Base (SWB)

This list, of course, has to have a Ferrari, and Callum has picked one of the most legendary Ferraris ever, the 250 GT in its Short Wheel Base form. Built by Ferrari from 1953 to 1964, the 250 GT Berlinetta SWB used a short (2,400 mm) wheelbase for better handling. Of the 176 examples built, both steel and aluminum bodies were used in various road and racing trims. Engine output ranged from 240 PS to 280 PS. The SWB Berlinetta won Ferrari the GT class of the 1961 Constructor's Championship. Exceedingly rare now, it is no wonder that last year, a 250 GT California Spyder SWB fetched more than $15 million at auction.

Jaguar F-Type Coupe

We will not argue with Callum for putting one of his own creations in this list, for the F-Type is one staggeringly beautiful machine whichever way you look at it. Based on a shortened platform of the XK convertible, the F-Type is the spiritual successor to the famous E-Type and also the replacement for the Jaguar XK. Callum specifically reiterated that it is the coupe version of the F-Type that is his personal favorite.

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1965 Buick Riviera

When the1965 Buick Riviera was unveiled, Sergio Pininfarina, the legendary Ferrari coachbuilder, declared it "one of the most beautiful American cars ever built; it has marked a very impressive return to simplicity of American car design." Jaguar founder and designer Sir William Lyons said that Bill Mitchell, its designer, had done "a very wonderful job." And Callum seems to agree. Having earned a Milestone status from the Milestone Car Society, the first-gen Riviera is considered a styling landmark today.

Jaguar Mark 2

The second Jaguar on this short list, it is again hard to argue with Callum’s choice as the Mark 2 was the car that helped establish a design for the brand back in the 1960s. Built from late 1959 to 1967, the Jaguar Mark 2 is a stereotypically British car, as evidenced by being used as the main character in Inspector Moorse. The Mark 2 helped set the tone for the more modern S-Type, which simply wasn’t as good looking as the source material.

Porsche 911 (993)

One of the most enduring sportscar designs of all time, the Porsche 911 has seen little change to its basic structure since it was introduced more than 40 years ago. Callum picks the 993 generation of the Porsche 911, manufactured and sold between late 1993 and early 1998, as his personal favorite when it comes to design. The 993 generation of the 911 is often referred to as the best and most desirable of the 911 series, not only because of its beauty, but also because its performance is very good, even by modern standards. Much improved and quite different from its predecessor, the 993 was dubbed "the last complete 'modern classic'" and the car that "forever will be that last fresh breath of air that Porsche gave the world; elegance and muscle all in one package."