10 of the best grand tourers

Run your eyes down any of those '50 most beautiful cars of all time' lists, and you'll find that most of the models included fit into one of two categories: sports cars and grand tourers.

When it comes to sports cars, the reasoning is clear: fast cars have always gone hand-in-hand with the type of swooping, low-slung and purposeful looks that we associate with beauty in automotive design. But what about grand tourers? This category of car has also contributed more than its fair share of cherishable designs.

What constitutes a grand tourer?

What do we mean, exactly, when we talk about a grand tourer (or GT)? Basically, to be classed as such, a car has to be extremely capable in two criteria: performance and luxury. A GT worth its salt has to get you from A to B (these two places being, typically, several hours' drive apart) very quickly – and in some style.

Space-wise, these cars need to transport at least two passengers in comfort, with space for luggage, too. And the chassis and suspension should provide excellent comfort, handling and roadholding, whatever the route.

So we're talking about powerful, yet supremely comfortable cars. And, somehow, gorgeous looks come as part of the package.

That latter might be down to the era when GTs hit their peak. This class of car, after all, was at its zenith from the late 1950s to the early 1970s – a time when, many might argue, automobile design was at its opulent best. Marques with a reputation for producing elegant yet powerful cars – Maserati, Lamborghini, Aston Martin, Jaguar – flourished during the GT era.

The Italians were the champions in the GT class, followed closely by us Brits. And, while Europeans provided the elegance, the grunt often came from the Americans, in the form of big, cheap V8 engines sourced from the likes of Chrysler or Chevrolet.

Here are 10 of our favourite GTs. If you're planning to get your hands on any of the cars on this list, we'd say two things. Firstly, congratulations, you're in for a wonderful ride. Secondly, consider protecting your beautiful new acquisition with some specialist insurance for your classic car.

Jaguar E-Type

We'll begin with an obvious choice. The Jaguar E-Type somehow epitomised 1960s style, and cried out to be driven at speed down some Alpine pass or the King's Road in London. It just exudes class, from that achingly long bonnet and those beautiful teardrop headlamps all the way back to the swooping rear windscreen.

Happily, it also had the performance to match those looks, with a top speed that – in tests, at least – just broke the 150mph barrier, and a 0-60mph time of seven seconds. All this, in a car that cost just over £2,000 on release (compared to the £5,000 of the similar-performing Aston Martin DB4), constituted nothing less than a revolution in sports car design.

If you'll be travelling as a foursome, you can seek out the longer-wheelbase, four-seater 2+ 2 version. And, if you will be hitting the roads of southern Europe, the E-Type Roadster is an even more desirable classic than its hard-top sibling.

Jensen Interceptor

If the aesthetic definition of a GT is a kind of swaggering elegance, mixing the swooping lines of the coupe with the more imperious road presence of a luxury saloon, then the remarkable Jensen Interceptor fits the bill perfectly.

One of the best and most iconic grand tourers ever to come out of Britain, the Interceptor had some heavy influences from that other great GT breeding ground, Italy. The car was styled by Carrozzeria Touring, whose distinguished roll of honour includes the Aston Martin DB4, DB5 and DB6, and the Lamborghini 350GT. The first few cars were even built in Italy, by Vignale, before Jensen decided to take over production at their West Bromwich factory.

The Interceptor is utterly unique-looking, thanks largely to that unusual curved glass hatchback. It was also a proper high-performance car, able to take on the Americans at their own game. That was thanks, of course, to its American powerplant – a big V8 engine sourced from Chrysler.

These days, those unusual looks and, let's face it, that name combine to give the Interceptor a very desirable aura.

Triumph Stag

This big, stylish 2+2 convertible is now a much-cherished and popular classic car. This means that, if you do go down the Stag route, you'll find a large and helpful community out there, ready and willing to help you out with its common problems – famously a tendency to overheat and blow head gaskets. Start by joining the Stag Owners' Club, where you'll find a wealth of expertise. Remember, too, that Lancaster works in partnership with many car clubs to offer owners a discount on their classic car insurance.

If you want a British GT that looks the part, has real character and produces a proper sports-car rumble, the Stag should be very high on your list. The car's 3-litre V8 engine makes its own very distinctive sound and the body is also not quite like anything else out there.

A four-seater convertible, the Stag achieved its structural rigidity with a 'roll bar' hoop that connected to the windscreen frame via a T-bar. We also love the aggressive front end, bearing echoes of its immediate British Leyland predecessor, the Rover P6.

Iso Grifo

For this list, we've chosen a mix of cars: some that can convincingly be called the finest GTs of all time, and others that could reasonably be tracked down for around £10,000 in the classified section of your favourite classic car magazine.

The Iso Grifo belongs firmly in the first group: a car of eye-catching beauty and vintage Italian GT-golden-age design, which will also be a rare find in the classified columns (some 413 were produced). You may have a job tracking one down, but we can't resist including the Iso Grifo in our list.

Built to compete with the likes of the Maserati Ghibli and Ferrari 259 GTO, the Grifo featured that classic mix of Italian style and American muscle that also served the Jensen Interceptor so well. The V8 engines came from Ford and Chevrolet: styling was from the pen of Giorgetto Giugiaro at Bertone.

Maserati Ghibli

The exotic Italian brand of Maserati is probably more closely associated than any other marque with the grand tourer's 1950s-1970s heyday. Its Italian rivals Ferrari and Lamborghini dabbled in the form, to be sure – but they were more fully committed to out-and-out sports cars, whereas Maserati's output through this time consisted of a series of handsome and high-performing grand tourers.

And the Ghibli of 1967-73 was perhaps the marque's ultimate expression of the grand tourer art form. A two-door, 2+2, V8-engined beauty with a thousand-yard bonnet tapering down towards a shark-like front end, the Ghibli could propel its occupants around the Mediterranean's more glamorous hotspots at speeds of up to 155mph.

Some of that extraordinary pace was derived from the car's legendary lightness: weight-saving measures included wheels made from magnesium, the lightest metal available.

The Ghibli (named, in the Maserati tradition, after a hot, dry desert wind) became something of a sporting icon – so much so that the name was revived twice, for a 1990s four-seater and a modern diesel luxury car. The original Ghibli remains, though, to our eyes, the pinnacle of Maserati's considerable achievements.

MGB GT V8

Wait a minute – does the familiar little MGB seriously qualify for Grand Tourer designation? Well yes, in V8 guise we think it does. And after all, here is a high-performing, great-looking British coupe that you will be able to find for achievable sums in the classifieds – yet that will eat up an autobahn with effortless ease.

How did they manage to pack a V8 engine into such a compact car? Well, the Rover V8 engine that graces the MGB GT V8 was the lightest mass-production V8 engine in the world at the time.

We quite like the subtlety of the V8, as well: it's only the alloy wheels and discreet badging that distinguishes it from its MGB cousins, making the GT V8 something of a Q car.

Early chrome-bumpered versions will be more desirable than later, rubber-bumpered cars: all can be driven hard, and all should be protected with some specialist classic motor vehicle insurance.

BMW 3 Series (E46 generation)

In any of its higher-powered, straight-six guises, we reckon the 3 Series' nicely-appointed E46 generation (1998-2006) cuts it as a grand tourer. We're talking about the top-end diesel (330d) and petrols (320i upwards) and, of course, the blistering, 3.2-litre M3. Certainly the performance is there, with any of these engines providing enough acceleration and grunt to propel you down any road you choose.

When it comes to creature comforts, meanwhile, this is where the E46 generation really moves things on from its E36 predecessor. You’ll find soft-touch materials in the cabin making it a far nicer place than any previous 3 Series to while away a few hours and several hundred miles.

Mercedes SL / SLC (R107 / C107)

We're giving you some options here. If it's a two-seater, plus the option of top-down driving, that you're after, it has to be the R107 generation of the Mercedes SL, produced from 1971 to 1989. If you want four seats, meanwhile, you can go for its hard-top brother, the SLC, which added 14 inches to the SL's wheelbase to accommodate that extra row.

Both cars, though, make for handsome, stylish and – in the best Mercedes tradition – extremely comfortable mile-munchers. Engine options go from a 2.8-litre straight-six all the way up to a whopping 5.6-litre V8 – the majority of models you'll come across on the used market will be V8s.

Of the two – unless we needed those extra seats – we'd probably take the SL. It looks wonderful in top-down guise, and even with the roof up is marginally the better-looking of the two. It will also be more numerous on the used market, having been produced in numbers of around 300,000 compared to the SLC's 45,000.

Opel Monza

Yes, the brand that brought you the humble Corsa and Kadett hatchbacks also produced a car that makes our list of the very best grand tourers. Funny old world, eh?

The Opel Monza (and its Vauxhall Royale twin) was an attractive proposition for 1980s drivers looking for something quick, comfortable and stylish – and wanting something more original than the ubiquitous Ford Capri.

A chunky 3.0-litre cruiser with sharp looks and a nicely cosseting cabin, the Monza had performance, comfort and rarity value on its side. It was also very well engineered, with its all-independent suspension and myriad other fine touches. You can find them in five-speed manual or four-speed auto forms: try to find one that's not been unduly troubled by rust. Get some classic auto insurance if you’re thinking of taking on any restoration work yourself.

Porsche 928

At one point, the 928 was planned to replace the legendary 911 at the top of the Porsche tree. Thankfully, that never happened, with the 911 continuing well past the 928's relatively short life and still flourishing to this day.

Alongside it, the 928 now looks very much of its time (the late 1970s and 1980s) – but no worse for that. It's a very handsome reimagining of the classic Porsche shape onto a longer, 2+2 grand tourer form, and we think it looks fabulous.

For much of its life, the 928 was a comfortable grand tourer rather than a high-revving performance car. It's in these guises that we think it would make an excellent GT choice. However, if you want some serious performance dialled in as well, look for the later GTS and S4 variants.

Classic car insurance made for GTs

With their combination of looks, comfort and power, owning and driving any of these grand tourers will provide you with huge amounts of pleasure. You'll want to keep your beloved GT in the best condition possible – and that’s where car insurance for your classic car comes in.

Contact us today to discuss classic car insurance for your grand tourer.

Policy benefits, features and discounts offered may very between insurance schemes or cover selected and are subject to underwriting criteria. Information contained within this article is accurate at the time of publishing but may be subject to change.