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The 25 Sexiest Cars of All Time

Automotive arousal.

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Cars evoke a variety of emotions, draw in a multitude of people for varying reasons, and are built for a bevy of different reasons. Some are purely purpose-built, whether that's for carrying eight people, two dogs, a birdcage and lacrosse equipment or for beating the fastest track lap record at the 'gring. Some are made to represent a specific class level, showing the world that you have obnoxious amounts of money and that you can afford to put it into cars with built-in umbrellas in the doors. And then there are the cars that (yes, we're copying A Christmas Story) are made with full intention of being four-wheeled, internal combustion-engined, steel-sculpted SEX. Pure. Unadulterated. Sexy. Sex.

They're the cars that you daydream about as a kid. They're the cars you have little golden models of on your work desk. They're the cars that give you a tingle down your ... spine. This list is to celebrate the best of the best of those cars. Many of the rides we have chosen were created before the restrictions of safety and gas mileage dropped. They were built during times that allowed for designers to express themselves to the fullest with crazy wings, bulbous fenders and bumpers, wild overuses of chrome, and incredibly sultry lines. So, without holding you back any further, these are our selections for The 25 Sexiest Cars of All Time. We hope you enjoy it as much as we do.

Related: The 50 Best Supercars of All Time

Related: The 50 Best Cars of the Complex Decade

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25. 1961 Volvo P1800

"Sexy" and "Volvo" aren't usually in the same sentence, but the P1800 was a bright spot of sensual design in the otherwise austere Swedish company's history. Roger Moore's other suave, gun-toting hero, Simon "The Saint" Templar, drove one, and the actor loved it so much he bought one for personal use.

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24. 1952 Bentley R-Type Continental

Stately is the best way to describe the '52 R-Type Continental. Although a Rolls-Royce is designed to be enjoyed from the back seat, Bentleys have always been more about driving an exquisite car, and this is certainly an exquisite car.

23. 1948 Cadillac Series 61 Sedanette

The Cadillac Series 61 Sedanette is, in many ways, the car that best represents Cadillac design. It has the intimidating upright grille and rounded fenders of the earlier years, a rakish roofline, and the beginnings of the fins that would develop gigantism in the '50s. It all came together in a way that is striking without being ridiculous.

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22. 1969 Chevrolet Camaro Z28 RS

The last model of the first-generation Camaro sticks out a bit on this list, as it wasn't born before the middle of the century, wasn't part of the art deco phase, and doesn't exactly have extravagant features. However, few cars represent the powerful pony cars that were being produced in America during this period. The stripes were a signature for sports cars. The hood scoop and slot-hidden headlights gave it an aggressive and sneaky look. The design of this car was later adopted for a modern interpretation of the retro in the fifth-generation.

21. 1950 Volkswagen Type 2

Yeah, the VeeDub bus looks even more like a meat loaf with headlights next to all these sleek classics, but it can't be denied that this thing is sexy. Of every make and model of car, we'd wager that more sex has been had in VW Type 2s, and what's sexier than sex? What makes the MicroBus cool isn't how it looks, or its sports cred or anything like that; it's the fact that it inspires adventure and fun. How can a person look at one of these and not want to go on an epic road trip?

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20. 2012 Maserati GranTurismo MC

There's only one car on this list that's currently for sale, and it's easy to see why. The GranTurismo's Jason Castriota-penned design was an instant classic, and is aging better than anything else on the market. We think this exotic, yet elegant, design will be gracing the auction block at the Pebble Beach Councours in 2070.

19. 1941 Lincoln Continental

These days, people view Lincoln more or less as a top-level trim package for popular Fords. Want a luxurious Fusion? Here's your MKZ. But in the company's glory days, it made gigantic displays of American wealth and power that rivaled companies like Rolls-Royce and Hispano-Suiza. We think that the 1941 Continental represents all of the best of Lincoln. From the silky smooth V12 engine to the elegant bodywork, it still stands out as one of the greatest American autos.

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18. 1954 Jaguar XK120

William Lyons, the owner of Jaguar, had a heavy hand in designing the XK120, creating the car in a ridiculous two weeks. At the time, it was probably the most dramatic car on the road, and it had 120mph top speed to back up the attention it drew. The car was originally going to be a limited run, but the public made sure they wanted more. The car also later had big success on the race track.

17. 1936 Duesenberg SSJ Speedster

In the '30s the average horsepower of a new car was 54. That makes the 320-horse Duesenberg SSJ the Bugatti Veyron of its day. The company described it as "The World's Finest Motor-Car" and nobody argued, because it was technologically decades beyond anything else on the market. Only two SSJ Speedsters were made, and they went to iconic celebrities Clark Gable and Gary Cooper.

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16. 1962 Shelby Cobra

The late Carroll Shelby is best known for this brilliant idea: take the small, light and spritely AC Cobra and turn it into a world-destroying monster by adding a snarling American V8. The danger and performance factors of the already svelte Cobra went up exponentially, and this turned it into what can only be described as a sexy beast.

15. 1968 Ferrari Dino 206 GT

We were tempted to pick the later, convertible 246 GTS, but decided that the racing heritage of the original Dino outweighed the open-topped glory of the targa top. The curvy, tiny, and revvy Dino also bears the distinction of being the first mid-engined Ferrari road car.

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14. 1963 Chevrolet Corvette

While everybody is busy talking about how European the new C7 Stingray looks, let's take a look back at the most iconic 'vette body style of all time: the '63 split-window. This isn't like the little seam that runs through the windows of the Talbot-Lago T150 or the Bugatti Atlantic, either, this is a thick band through the rear shield. Something like this would never pass through on a car today. From above, the gorgeous boat-tail shape makes this automotive design perfection.

13. 1971 Lamborghini Miura P400 SV

This list is about design and aesthetics, but it's worth mentioning that the Miura was a pre-cursor to all those V12 Lambos you see out stuntin' on everybody today. It also started the mid-engined sports car craze, as the fastest production car in the world, at the time. Fun fact: "SV" stands for "Spinto Veloce," which is roughly translated to "pushed fast." The car was extremely aerodynamic with it's low-slung, flattened body and held an extremely wide and grounded presence. And why do we choose this over the other years of Miuras? Because this year doesn't have those dumb little eyelashes.

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12. 1960 Aston DB4 GT Zagato

The Aston Martin DB5 gets all the press, due to its association with the world's most conspicuous spy, but if we're picking Aston Martin's sexiest automobile, we're going to have to pick the 1960 DB4 Zagato. It combines the best of British and Italian cars in one very, very compelling package.

11. 1955 Citroen DS

The Citroën DS is universally hailed as one of the greatest pieces of automotive design and engineering of all time. It was weird and beautiful in a way that only the French can manage. The unique shape, beautiful upholstery, and incredible level of technology allowed the legendary Déesse to remain on the market virtually unchanged for 20 years. It might not say "gentleman racer" like most of the other cars we're featuring here, but it gives the impression of a stylish, continental gentleman better than any other car.

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10. 1936 Auburn Boattail Speedster

This is, hands down, the most elegant American sports car ever made. Not only does it have smooth, sensual art deco lines, but its reputation was made by gangsters, test drivers who took every single car up to 100mph on public highways, and rakish young men who spent their free time in double breasted suits with women in scandalously short skirts.

9. 1925 Rolls-Royce Jonckheere Phantom I Round Door Coupé

Most Rolls-Royces follow a beloved, but predictable formula: a massive, boxy sedan with an upright silver grille and an attitude that says, "don't touch me, peasant," but the Jonckheere Phantom I Round Door Coupé managed to retain the imposing stature of the more run of the mill Rolls while taking on a wild and unpredictable life of its own. From the center crease to the signature round doors, every panel of this car is a masterpiece.

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8. 1936 Mercedes-Benz 540k Spezial Roadster

Mercedes-Benz is mostly known for making technologically impressive, conservatively styled, and very well built cars, and the '36 540K Spezial Roadster is two of those things. Rather than being conservatively styled, the 540k was a long-nosed statement of wealth, style, and Benz's sporting pride. Production was cut short due to the second world war, and thus only a few were made, and even fewer survived. The 540k holds the record for the most expensive pre-war car to have ever been sold at auction ($11,700,000) and is the most expensive car that isn't a Ferrari 250.

7. 1938 Talbot-Lago T150 C SS Teardrop Coupe

Yeah, it's another '30s art deco car. Don't blame us for being able to appreciate the greatest design decade of all time. The 150 C, C standing for "Competition," has the teardrop styling similar to the Bugatti 57SC Atlantic, but isn't as well known. That could be because Talbot-Lago no longer exists, but the fact that only 11 examples of this car exist today make it extremely note-worthy. Another masterpiece by Figoni et Falaschi, the '38 coupe has emphasized emotional curves, grilles over each headlight and the streamlined seam running through the car.

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6. 1948 Cadillac Series 62 Saoutchik Cabriolet

Jaques Saoutchik was a giant in the coachbuilding game. From his 1928 Mercedes-Benz 680S Saoutchik Torpedo to his 1948 Delahaye 175s Coupé, he's built some of the most stunning cars of all time. He was born in the Ukraine and had his own small coachbuilding company in Paris by 1906. Saoutchik was all about over-the-top risks, and the Cadillac Series 62 was a complete refelction of this mentaily. The front fenders overflow from the nose, over the front tires and sweep through to the rear. They are empahsized by two sharp, but large, swipes of chrome that match. The car is further set apart by the tri-tone scheme, including hand-applied canework on the door panels.

5. 1967 Alfa Romeo Tipo 33 Stradale

Alfa Romeo is a brand defined by sex appeal and fun; when making a car, those seems to always be the driving factors behind the design and engineering. As emotionally engaging as all Alfas are, the Tipo 33 Stradale is certainly the most breath-taking of the bunch. The whole concept was that it brought some of the company's amazing race tech to the street, and did so while clad in one of the most beautiful bodies ever made.

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4. 1961 Jaguar E-Type

Enzo Ferrari described the Jaguar E-Type as "the most beautiful car ever made" and we're not going to be the ones to disagree with him. It's dramatically proportioned, and beautiful in a way that makes it seem almost organic. That said, a lot of people think it looks remarkably like a penis. Hopefully the ladies like that.

3. 1936 Bugatti Type 57SC Atlantic

A little more than two years ago, the '36 Bugatti Type 57C Atlantic became known as the "most expensive car in the world," after it sold for more than $30 million. It is believed that only two remain today. The car was based on the '35 Aerolithé concept and maintained many of the stand-out features, including that well-known seam that runs from the nose, through the windshield and all the way to the boot.

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2. 1955 Mercedes-Benz 300SL Coupe

Gullwing doors are one of the most eye catching automotive design elements, but all too often they're either from tacky aftermarket kits or were included by the designer for the sole purpose of looking flashy. In the 300SL, the car for which they were invented, they served a very valuable purpose though; they allowed for additional reinforcement of the chassis near the bottom of the car that helped the 300SL to go on to be a world-beating supercar and race car.

1. 1938 Delahaye 165 Roadster

Figoni and Falaschi were automotive art deco royalty, having worked with Bugatti, Delage, Rolls-Royce, Talbot Lago, and Delahaye, with which the coachbuilders worked extensively. It's almost impossible to pick out the sexiest of the F&F Delahayes, as there were hundreds of unique designs made, but we decided that this red 1938 Delahaye 165 Roadster best represents Figoni and Falaschi, Delahaye, and its amazing art deco stable-mates.

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