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14 of the Most Iconic Racing Cars of All Time

These fantastic racing cars take me way back to a time gone by. They are the titans of world rallying, Formula 1 and endurance racing. Whether they are revolutionary, gorgeous to look at or just incredibly successful, they are all iconic. Here are the 14 most iconic racing cars of all time:
 
Lancia StratosClassic Cars
Designed by the Bertone design house of Italy, the Stratos featured a Ferrari V6. It won three World Rally Championships on the trot between 1974 and 1976, taking its last WRC victory in the hands of a privateer in 1981.
Porsche 917
Classic Cars
This was the car that gave Porsche its very first victory at the Le Mans 24 Hour race. At least 11 different variants of the car were produced throughout its active racing life. It was so successful in the 1970s US Can-Am racing, that it was blamed for killing the series’ popularity.
McLaren-Honda MP4/4
Classic Cars
The MP4/4 is the most dominant Formula 1 car ever to turn a wheel. It was also driven by probably the most iconic driver pairing in Formula 1 history – Alain Prost and Ayrton Senna. It won 15 out of 16 Grands Prix in their hands during the 1988 season.
Audi QuattroClassic Cars
A fearsome Group B rally car from the mid-1980s, The Quattro set the standard for all WRC cars to follow it by being the first championship victor to feature four-wheel-drive. Its later iterations featured crazy aerodynamics and insane levels of horsepower (around 600hp).  
Ferrari F2004
Classic Cars
This Formula 1 car still holds many outright lap records at Grand Prix circuits to this day. It was also the car that the legendary Michael Schumacher won his last Driver’s World Championship in. He and team-mate Rubens Barrichello drove the car to 15 victories during the 2004 Formula 1 season.
Lancia Delta Integrale
Classic Cars
Unmistakable in its Martini Racing livery, the Delta won no less than six constructors’ World Rally Championships between 1987 and 1992. Its drivers drove it to an astounding 46 WRC victories during that time, making it the most successful WRC car in history.
Porsche 956
Classic Cars
Designed in 1982 to go racing in Group C, the 956 won four 24 Hours of Le Mans victories in a row between 1982 and 1986. It is perhaps most well-known for holding the outright lap record at the Nurburgring, the world’s toughest racing circuit. The record still stands over 30 years later.
Maserati 250FClassic Cars
An utterly beautiful car, the 250F quickly became an icon of 1950s Formula 1 racing. It won its debut race in 1954 with Juan Manuel Fangio at the wheel. The car would also give Fangio the last of his five Drivers World Championship victories.
Lotus 79
Classic Cars
Resplendent in its black John Player Special livery, the Lotus 79 was the very first Formula 1 car to harness the ground effect phenomenon, giving cars much more grip than was previously possible. American Mario Andretti took the car to a hugely popular World Championship success in 1978.
Ford GT40Classic Cars
This car was born after Henry Ford II failed to buy Ferrari in the early 1960s. Enraged, he ordered a car that would crush Ferrari at the 24 Hours of Le Mans race to be built, and this led to victories four years in a row – from 1966 through to 1969. The modern-day Ford GT pays tribute to the car.
Toyota Celica GT4Classic Cars
The GT4 marked the first time a Japanese manufacturer entered the World Rally Championship with a four-wheel-drive car and swept all before it. The car was driven to three WRC Drivers’ Championship victories between 1992 and 1994.
Porsche 911Classic Cars
The 911 has been in production as a road car for over 50 years now, and many racing teams have raced it in different disciplines with incredible success. The 1970s 911 RSRs, as pictured here, won the Targa Florio, Daytona, Sebring, and Nürburgring sports car races, among many others.
Ferrari 250 SeriesClassic Cars
Coming from arguably the most prized line of Ferraris ever made, the 250 Testa Rossa took overall victory at the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1958, 1960 and 1961. Its close relative, the Ferrari 250 GTO, is the most sought-after and valuable collector’s car in the world.
Audi R8 LMPClassic Cars
The R8 LMP marked the start of Audi’s crushing dominance at the Le Mans 24 Hour race from the early 2000s to the mid-2010s. The car took five overall Le Mans victories in six years between 2000 and 2005. It was replaced by the Audi R10 TDI, which continued winning at Le Mans.
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Related Topics: racing, success, classic cars, iconic, motors
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