The 10 Best Sports Cars of the 1950s – Part One

The 1950s marked a new kind of Golden Era in competitive racing. Long after World War II, many countries were still relying on war-era cars that were in dire shape. Wartime restrictions on automobile production had all but halted new car and parts manufacturing. By 1950, though, automakers around the world refocused on rebuilding factories and expanding highway networks. Advances in aircraft engine technology found their way into car engines, delivering higher speeds, sharper handling and greater durability. These improvements undeniably transformed the capabilities of race cars everywhere.

Jaguar’s C-Type is one of the legendary racing cars of the 1950s. In 1950, Jaguar entered three C-Types at Le Mans and proved that a lighter chassis and sleek aerodynamics could yield a car built solely for competition. That victory kicked off Jaguar’s incredible run of five wins at Le Mans during the decade. Based on the XK 120, the C-Type retained many production parts but added a tubular spaceframe chassis, a newly designed aerodynamic body and revised suspension. Its 3.4-liter inline-six was tuned to 204 hp, and the “C” denoted “Competition.” In 1953, Jaguar pioneered the use of Dunlop aircraft disc brakes at Le Mans, allowing the C-Type to brake from nearly 130 mph much later than its rivals.

A rare Jaguar “POV 114” C-Type—one of the cars that actually raced at Le Mans in the 1950s—recently sold at Bonhams Monaco for $7,540,541.

Building on that success, the Jaguar D-Type claimed Jaguar’s third, fourth and fifth Le Mans victories in 1955, ’56 and ’57. It used the same 3.4-liter inline-six. In August 2015, a 1955 D-Type fetched $21.78 million at Pebble Beach, making it the most expensive British car ever sold.

When the Corvette debuted in 1953, only 300 were built, each with a 150-hp six-cylinder engine, a two-speed automatic transmission and a striking white body with red interior. By 2013, those original Corvettes carried a premium value of around $300,000—not just for their rarity, but for being America’s first true two-seat sports car.

Colin Chapman built the first Lotus in his garage, entered it in a 1950 race and beat a Bugatti Type 37 on his first outing. The Lotus Mk IX became the marque’s first Le Mans entry, though it was disqualified after reversing off a sandbank. Lotus followed with the Eleven, powered by Coventry Climax engines, and claimed numerous victories. At Le Mans, Lotus finished seventh overall (and won the S1.1 class) in 1956, then ninth overall (and repeated the class win) in 1957.

This lightweight, competition-spec version of the XK 120 wrote Jaguar history by winning its very first race at the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1951.

Thanks to Zora Arkus-Duntov—a Russian émigré with deep knowledge of European racing—Corvette soon adopted the new small-block Chevy V8 in 1955, transforming it into a serious track contender by 1956. Early marketing captured the spirit of American road trips with the slogan “See the USA in Your Chevrolet.” Louis Chevrolet’s “never give up” ethos fused style and speed into a high-performance legend. Models produced through the late 1950s included:
• 1954 Chevrolet Corvette Convertible Coupe
• 1955 Chevrolet Corvette Roadster
• 1956 Chevrolet Corvette
• 1957 Chevrolet Corvette Roadster
• 1957 Chevrolet Corvette SS
• 1958 Chevrolet Corvette
• 1959 Chevrolet Corvette Sting Ray

Driven by Carroll Shelby and Roy Salvadori at Le Mans in 1959—and victorious at Goodwood in 1958 and ’59 with Sir Stirling Moss at the wheel—this rare Zagato-bodied DB4GT has racing legend written all over it. In 2012 it was estimated to fetch £20 million at auction, potentially shattering records. A similar DB4GT Zagato ultimately sold in 2015 for $14.3 million.

Britain re-established itself in the sports-car world with the 1952 Triumph TR2. Wartime constraints had hampered postwar production, but the TR2—soon followed by the Sunbeam Alpine and later Jaguars—cemented Britain’s reputation for fine roadsters. Triumph began life as a bicycle maker before expanding into automobiles. The TR2, capable of 100 mph yet priced under $2,500 in the U.S., became an instant hit.

This Formula 1 Grand Prix car won nine of the 12 races it entered and secured two World Championships. It introduced the Daimler-Benz desmodromic valve and direct-fuel injection—technologies adapted from the Messerschmitt Bf 109E fighter planes of WWII. At the tragic 1955 Le Mans, however, Pierre Levegh’s W196 crashed into the pit grandstand, killing 82 spectators and prompting Mercedes to withdraw from racing for 30 years. Blame fell on a fierce duel between Mike Hawthorn (Jaguar) and Juan Manuel Fangio (Mercedes), who allegedly forced Lance Macklin (Austin-Healey) onto Levegh’s path.

A W196 sold at the Goodwood Festival of Speed in July 2013 for a then-record $29.6 million. It’s the most successful surviving W196R, having won the 1954 German and European Grands Prix at Nürburgring.

(Stay tuned for Part Two.)