13 November, 2015

Top 5 Most Outrageous Classic Cars

Today we look at classic cars that are the motoring world’s equivalent to Alton Towers. For those of you who adore old, head-turning cars, the following flamboyant five offer a no less outrageous ride.

1. Lincoln Futura concept car (1955)

The story behind the Batmobile is as outrageous as the show itself.

Did you know a 1959 Cadillac was originally pencilled in as Batman’s supercar? But the schedules got brought forward and the original customiser was paid off. Enter George Barris.

Barris not only hit the deadline, but made a tidy profit on his custom motor nearly five decades later. Barris bought the shell for $1 (64p), then sold it recently for $4.6 million (£2.9 million).

Barris had to install all Batman’s pre-CGI crime-busting gadgets, including the Batray, Batbeam, Bat-tering Ram and the Batphone.

2. Jaguar D-Type 3.4L (1954-57)

The most outrageous thing about this beauty is its speed, as no other car could go as fast when it was built. An acceleration of 0 to 60mph in a quiff-raising 4.7 seconds was unheard of in the rocking 1950s.

It was a darling of the Le Mans scene at the time with a durability nearly matching its speed and funky looks. Last year a 1955 D-Type Jag fetched $5.52 million (£3.57 million) at auction.

3. Chitty Chitty Bang Bang (1967)

Can there be a better icebreaker when you’re going for a job as the main host of television’s most famous car show as, “I own Chitty Bang Bang”?

Well, it must have worked for Chris Evans, who landed the Top Gear gig in June. Three months later he tried and failed to flog the classic star of the 1968 children’s film fantasy, which was valued at up to £350,000.

He originally bought it to add to his already impressive, Ferrari-filled collection for nearly £500,000 before having it restored. The Ford Racing Team-built car is a mish-mash of new bits and other vehicles, including:

brass fittings off Edwardian cars
a Ford 3l V6 engine
a hand-crafted white-and-red cedar wood boat deck

4. Ford Coupe Stretch Limo (1929)

The ultimate in outrageous wedding-day wheels. Couples can get married in style and still have room for much of their family, such is its roomy capacity. With five windows on either side, it looks like a mini lorry.

Experts say 10 side windows also made it the perfect motor from which gun-toting gangsters could fire out. The Coupe was one of a variety of styles the legendary Ford Model A came in.

5. Cadillac Fleetwood Drop Head Coupe (1931)

The late pianist Liberace allegedly once owned this classic Cadillac. So what makes this one so outrageous? Its bodywork benefits from 23.7-carat golf-leaf, external silver door handles and 24-carat gold-plated internal door handles.

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