10 Luxury Cars That Left A Lasting Impact – Top Speed

When it comes to luxury, it feels like every manufacturer has taken a stab at establishing itself as a worthwhile offer for anyone looking to cruise in style. From German to American, Japanese and every nationality in between, a luxury-level ride isn’t hard to come by in this day and age.

Whether it’s a low, slow Cadillac or an uber-luxurious Rolls-Royce, these 10 legendary luxurious cars have all established their own storied history, whether it be as the founder of a brand’s healthy production run or a benchmark that other manufacturers can only hope to reach.

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10

Aston Martin Lagonda

Average Sale Price: $87,466

The legendary British manufacturer, Aston Martin, has a long and storied history of making exotic, luxurious performance cars. However, the Lagonda was the company’s stab at a true luxury sedan. Now, those keen-eyed readers might remember that a return of the Lagonda has been hinted at time and time again, but it looks like it isn’t coming anytime soon. However, the old model still has quite a fan base.

Aston Martin Lagonda Specifications

The Lagonda name might be written off in the history books, but it’s clear that it still carries plenty of weight, otherwise customers wouldn’t be clamoring for a return to form. However, they’ll have to wait just a bit longer. That doesn’t mean that the old Lagonda isn’t legendary enough, which is exactly why it’s earned a spot on this list.

9

Land Rover Range Rover Series 1

Average Used Price: $25,096

When thinking about today’s definitions of luxury, oftentimes rugged off-road capabilities blend with modern creature comforts. Nobody does that better than Land Rover’s Range Rover, and they haven’t for quite some time. The Range Rover is one of the quintessential parts of the off-road luxury segment in automotive history, and it deserves its spot on this list. The Series 1 set the standard, but with so many yearly models to choose from, we went with the one pictured above – a 1978 model – that sold on Bring A Trailer.

Land Rover Range Rover Series 1 Specifications

These are probably one of the most obtainable entries on this list, and with the absolute plethora of aftermarket support available for these SUVs nowadays, it actually might be considered a smart one by some standards. Who’d have thought?

8

Lincoln Continental Convertible (Fourth Gen)

Average Sale Price: $73,924

Talk about a true classic. The Lincoln Continental defines what a big, luxurious slice of Americana is supposed to be. It’s as long and as wide as a boat, and takes up some serious real estate on the open road. However, when you look at the luxury icons that we worship today, a lot of their roots point back to this very car. The most iconic of this breed came in the 1960s, and the convertibles are worth up to $100,000 today at the right specs.

Lincoln Continental Convertible (Fourth Gen) Specifications

Lincoln revived the Continental for a brief moment, and despite being a solid car by all accounts, it still didn’t sell well in the modern market. It was an unfortunate end for the Continental line, too, especially after riding high for so long during the 20th century.

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7

Rolls-Royce Silver Shadow I

Average Sale Price: $19,034

If this were a reliability list, we wouldn’t be having this conversation. However, this is a legend-status list, and the Silver Shadow most definitely checks those boxes. The Silver Shadow marked a pivotal change for Rolls-Royce, too, in moving towards a more conventional, smaller, angled design. What’s more, they can be had for a steal in comparison to their original MSRP, even in good condition. If you have, say, a scrapyard full of them for spare parts, they’re a reasonable buy at these prices.

Rolls-Royce Silver Shadow I Specifications

Rolls-Royce needs no introduction as a company, and the Silver Shadow needs no introduction itself. It landed just outside the top five on this list, but that doesn’t mean it can’t still punch with them. Automotive YouTuber Twin Cam has a great video on the history of this car and what it meant for Rolls as a company.

6

Bentley Turbo R

Average Sale Price: $21,695

We’ve talked a lot about the 1960s and 70s, and we’ll even get to the 21st century in a minute, but for just one moment, let’s talk about the 1980s and just how awesome one of these cars is. When it comes to Bentley, the company has just a bit more of a young feel than its British competitor, Rolls-Royce, and perhaps no car encapsulates that better than the Turbo R.

Bentley Turbo R Specifications

You can almost hear some 80s hip-hop ballads blasting through the speakers of this one, and it’s truly the first on this list to hold up to modern performance specs with over 400 horsepower and nearly 500 pound-feet of torque. It’s one of the grandfathers of modern legends like the Continental, and serves as a meeting point for 80s excess and style.

5

Mercedes-Benz 450SEL

Average Sale Price: $15,371

For a moment in time, the Mercedes-Benz 450SEL was widely considered to be the best car in the entire world. In fact, it made our list of the top 10 S-Class models ever made. As the best version of the W116 generation, the 450SEL still holds up as one of the greatest cars to ever don the Mercedes star.

Mercedes-Benz 450SEL Specifications

The 450SEL was marketed in the U.S. as the 6.9, and, in 1978, was the first car to implement ABS. Just under 2,000 of these cars made it stateside, and we’re all less off for that. However, it set the standard for S-Class generations to come in terms of innovation and excitement.

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4

BMW M5 E28

Average Sale Price: $24,287

Despite only being made for a few years, the E28 BMW M5 gets its legendary status honestly through its lineage. It had an immensely limited production run, but it’s widely considered the first performance sedan, and being that it’s a BMW, it did so by mixing performance and luxury in its own way.

BMW M5 E28 Specifications

If the E28 M5 doesn’t scream luxury to you, then what about handmade products? Because each of the E28 M5s, especially those bound for North America, were all completely manufactured by hand. This was the first sedan produced by the company’s M division, which means it’s the grandfather of some of the “ultimate driving machines” we know and love today.

3

Citroën DS

Average Sale Price: $66,181

If you haven’t seen a Citroën DS before, don’t adjust your screen. It only looks like the car is facing backwards. The DS reset the way of thinking for many automotive manufacturers, and is one of the biggest reasons why Citroën fans take so much pride in the quirkiness of the brand today.

Citroën DS Specifications

Time for a little history lesson. Back in the late 1950s, the DS was released to a mass fanfare, all because it was the newest car for the people from one of France’s best manufacturers. When it comes to luxury, it seems like ride quality is always in the conversation, and Citroën hit the nail on the head way back in the mid-50s with an advanced hydraulic system that reimagined what a quality ride even was. It deserves its place in history, and by that logic, on this list, too.

2

BMW X5 E53

Average Sale Price: $11,907

Just hear me out here. Did you know that the original BMW X5 was rumored to have only been developed over a few hours, or that it shares an impressive number of parts with Land Rovers of the same years? Additionally, this was BMW’s very first SUV – a segment in which the company nearly dominates the upper rungs of today. It might not look like much, but it also used a monocoque chassis to make the vehicle handle like it was a car rather than a large SUV.

BMW X5 E53 Specifications

Is the X5 the greatest car on this list? Absolutely not. In fact, it’s hard to remember what exactly this car did extremely well. However, what it led to is one of the biggest, most successful SUV lines of the modern generation. BMW sells the X5 in droves now, and to think it’s only taken 25 years to do so is mind-boggling.

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1

Rolls-Royce Phantom VII

Average Sale Price: $132,297

If someone wins the lottery, and they tell you they’re spending it on a Rolls-Royce, there’s no other car you picture aside from this one. The Phantom has captivated the true top tier of the luxury market since it was released, and it continues to be the desire of everyone who is someone, and the VII is arguably the most iconic of the line in 2025. Sure, the history of the Phantom line goes as far back as automotive history itself, but in the end, it’s what you picture as true luxury that matters here, isn’t it?

Rolls-Royce Phantom VII Specifications

The Phantom epitomizes what modern luxury is, and brought cars even further into the ever-evolving world of the super-rich, with features such as:

• Pop-out umbrellas
• Retractable hood ornament
• Beautiful windows and coach-style doors

There you have it, then. These 10 cars have cemented themselves in automotive history, whether they’re young or old, and nobody can take that fact away from them.