Popular car brands including Lotus, Bugatti, Maserati, Ferrari, and Lamborghini are five iconic European brands that have developed some legendary machines.
These five top automakers have produced cars with the key aim of catering to the market’s demands in addition to achieving styling and performance.
Lotus Elise
Lotus was founded in 1952 by Colin Chapman, with Michael and Nigel Allen.
The company became one of the biggest names in motorsport in a few decades due to its philosophy of harnessing performance through simplicity.
Lotus also produced a long list of memorable cars including the Lotus Seven, the Elan, the Europa, and the Esprit.
Today, the most revered Lotus remains the Elise, which became the company’s all-time best-selling model.
Bugatti Type 40
Bugatti was revived in late 1982, after several failed attempts. It moved to Italy where it produced the EB 110, but by 1995, the company ceased operations once again.
The Volkswagen Group revived Bugatti once again and turned it into one of the most successful hypercar manufacturers in the world.
Though the wildly successful Veyron is the most popular among the modern Bugatti the iconic Type 40 remains the all-time best-seller of the Bugatti brand.
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Maserati Biturbo
Established in 1914 by the Maserati brothers, the company enjoyed resounding motorsport success and also produced numerous iconic road cars.
However, when it comes to iconic road-going Maseratis, the Biturbo is the last model the brand’s enthusiasts will consider.
Built from 1981 to 1994 in several body styles, including two-door 2+2 coupes, four-door sedans, and two-door convertibles, the Biturbo was the first production car to feature twin-turbo technology.
With a total production figure of 37,966 units, the Biturbo remains Maserati’s all-time best-selling model despite facing criticism for its design, build quality and reliability.
Ferrari 360
Ferrari is the most celebrated name in the automotive industry whether it’s motorsport or the world of street-legal sports cars.
Models like the Testarossa, F40, F50, Enzo, or LaFerrari have been the holy grail of many enthusiasts.
The company’s all-time best-selling model remains Ferrari 360. Launched in 1999 and produced until 2005, the 360 was the mid-mounted V8 successor of the Ferrari F355.
Available as a coupe (Modena and Challenge Stradale) or convertible (Spider), the 360 was produced in over 17,000 units, making it the best-selling production model in Ferrari’s history.
Lamborghini Urus
Before 1963, Lamborghini was famous in Italy for producing tractors, but that changed when Ferruccio Lamborghini, the owner, purchased a Ferrari.
However, while the company has built several legendary sports cars, its all-time best-selling model is the Urus.
Unveiled in concept form at the 2012 Beijing Auto Show, the Urus went into production six years later.
The twin-turbo V8-powered super SUV’s production figure has exceeded 29,000 units, and the number is likely to grow in the following years.
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