Supercars in the Sixties
The swinging ’60s spawned many joyous things – and its spirit of liberalisation applied equally to the motor car. So we shouldn’t be surprised that it was the fun-filled decade that begat the supercar. The Lamborghini Miura was arguably first – and CAR’s own wizard of words, LJK Setright, penned the phrase that defined the breed: he called it the supercar.
Browse our GBU-style pick of the decade’s landmarks below – and vote for your favourite supercar decade in our poll
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Make and model
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Year
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Price
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Engine
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0-60mph
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Top speed
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1967
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£8050
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3929cc V12, 350bhp, 286lb ft
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6.3sec
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163mph
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For
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Gandini’s styling… arguably the most beautiful car ever made
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Against
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Ergonomics and reliability: this will become a theme
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Verdict
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Its engineering was as impressive as its looks: the Miura changed the motoring world
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The Miura’s steel monocoque chassis with its tranverse, mid-mounted V12 got the 1965 Turin motor show so excited that the reluctant Ferruccio was persuaded to put a body on it and build it. The supercar was born…
Related Articles: Other Lamborghini stories
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Make and model
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Year
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Price
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Engine
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0-60mph
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Top speed
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1965
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£6700
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4763cc V8, 306bhp, 329lb ft
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4.0sec
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154mph
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For
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Do you really care that it was a racer first?
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Against
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Dynamics and ergonomics betray those race-car roots
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Verdict
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Looks more at home in Gulf colours than a plain road paint job
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The original GT40 was mid-engined, low, fast and rare. But it wasn’t the first supercar; it was a race car developed with the sole intention of beating Ferrari at Le Mans, which it did four times. The road versions were an afterthought.
Related Articles: Other Ford stories
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Make and model
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Year
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Price
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Engine
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0-60mph
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Top speed
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1968
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£9100
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4390cc V12, 352bhp, 318lb ft
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5.5sec
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174mph
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For
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Sharky styling means it’s still one of the great Ferraris
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Against
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Miura made it look old the day it was launched
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Verdict
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Much-loved, despite its old-school layout
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Never officially named the Daytona (but 365GTB/4 sounds so much less glamorous), this car stuck with the front-engined V12 layout despite the revolution wrought by the Miura two years earlier.
Related Articles: Other Ferrari stories