25 Classic Cars to Drive Before You Die

Almost everyone has a fantasy that involves a super-cool car. Here's how to get behind the wheel.

1967 Chevy Corvette

The 1967 Chevy Corvette, the 1975 BMW 3.0 CSL, any pre-1974 Porsche 911–these are some of the vehicles that have earned a significant place in automotive history. Iconic yet accessible, they are museum-quality cars that you really just want to take for a spin. These automotive legends have weathered the decades, but with some ingenuity, you can still get behind the wheel of most of them. Here's our list of the ones worth the hunt.

Jaguar E-Type

Once called "the most beautiful car ever made" by Enzo Ferrari, the 1960s Jaguar E-Type is a classic sports car mainstay. "If you only choose one car from this list to drive, this is the one," says McKeel Hagerty, CEO of Hagerty, the world's largest provider of collector vehicle insurance. This staple of British motoring history still has verve–it can perform up to 150 m.p.h. and brakes better than most cars from its era. Visit the Jaguar Heritage Driving Experience program in Kenilworth, U.K., where you can pay for a day of driving the marque's classics.

Chevrolet Corvette

The emblem of Big Three muscle cars, the Chevy Corvette is the most collected vehicle in America. The second generation, which spanned 1963 to 1967, is "the most iconic American car ever made," says Keith Martin, publisher of *Sports Car Market*. "It's still breathtaking and fresh today." Early generation Corvettes remain plentiful in the U.S., so you can scour auctions, collector car dealers, and websites like classiccars.com for deals.

Lamborghini Miura

Considered by some to be the sexiest car ever built, the Miura debuted in 1966 as a sleek mid-engine speedster designed to challenge Ferrari. "Piloting the Miura transcends driving experience to become a life experience," Hagerty says. "If the sound of six carburetors feeding a thirsty, vibrating V-12 moored right behind your head isn't enough, it's also arguably the most beautiful car ever produced." To buy one, contact the Lamborghini Club America or an auction house like RM Sotheby's or Gooding & Co. They're usually in the know about the cars before they reach the general market.

Porsche 911

The Porsche 911 represents vintage driving at its best—particularly during the golden era before the car's 1974 redesign. "There's magic in the early 911," Hagerty says. "It's an amazingly well-built machine that delivers one of the most honest driving experiences of any sports car ever built." Even by today's standards, first-generation 911s still have plenty of horsepower and can hold their own on the track. You can find one, even in mint condition, on eBay.

Rolls-Royce Dawn Drophead

Based on the first full-size car Rolls-Royce made after the war, the original Silver Dawn drophead launched in 1949 and retired in 1954. The name was intended to mark the dawn of a new era for the world and Rolls-Royce's place in it. Slightly smaller than pre-war cars, the Dawn helped the British bespoke carmaker reintroduce motoring craftsmanship while bringing the company into the modern age. They're extremely rare: only three of the original 28 dropheads remain in the U.S., and those are owned by private collectors. Happily, the carmaker is introducing a successor model after a 60-year hiatus.