Ahh that engine roar, the smell of exhaust fumes and a shiny body. Yes, ladies and gentlemen, today it will be historical about ... demons of the road that our great-grandmothers admired, while they were still young ladies themselves.

When I look at my car, I think ... it's nice. He has some horses under the hood, he always wants to drink like any car (and with the current fuel prices it hurts a man's wallet at the very thought), but he drives and does not whine. But he is missing something.

Some people fondly recall the times of the mermaid - the queen of Polish roads and her equally charming friend - Warsaw. A man was going, as they used to say, "as much as the factory gave", that is about 90 per hour (with the "Warsaw" maximum 105 he prayed that the roof and doors would not fall off) and he felt almost like a rally driver. Well… it was - passed.

Now cars are getting different. Some are stronger, others are just big (strange regularity - the bigger the roadster, the smaller the woman is behind the wheel), but none of the new cars has that magic in it Like the pre-war Alfa Romeo, accelerating to hundreds in 14 seconds, or the 1934 Ford Coupe with a top speed of over 200 km / h.

We present our types of the "most" cars - the oldest, most beautiful, fastest, with the most powerful engines, the production of which began before 1940. To enjoy your eyes, we enclose illustrations from Vesper - the publisher of the monumental publication "Cars. The Illustrated Encyclopedia ”.

1906. Rolls-Royce Silver Ghost

Once upon a time, Rolls-Royce Silver Ghost was synonymous with luxury. And at the beginning of the 20th century, few could afford luxury. The brand itself - Rolls-Royce - guaranteed quality and reliability. Silver Ghost has been produced with minor rework for two decades. The first units of this model were completed 105 years ago.

1910. Morgan Super Sports

Now it's time for a quite specific car, because ... a three-wheeled one. The fact that it has fewer wheels does not mean that it is worse. Initially, it served as a cheap, popular means of transport. Over time, its enormous potential was noticed and the Morgan Super Sports tricycle became a racing car. The dust left by its slightly tuned versions smelled other retro cars on the racetracks. Since he tempted agent 007, he will tempt us as well.

1934. Bugatti Type 57

The Bugatti Type 57 is by far the most famous model of this brand. The design of this road demon was born in the mind of the son of the founder of the brand - Jean Bugatti. Only 710 units were produced. Its slightly later version - Type 57SC Atlantic turned out to be the most expensive car in the world in 2010, for which a trifle of 30 million dollars was paid.

1935. Duesenberg SJ

Duesenberg SJ was something. The first copy of this model left the factory in 1935. Exceptionally beautiful and… sumptuous, it tempted many lovers of luxury. The SJ was a car for the rich, and the top-class ones, with the most zeros on their account. This elegant limousine contained a force of 320 (sic!) Horsepower. Well, the Duesenberg SJ and the models closest to it, such as the Duesenberg J, have found recognition among both celebrities and crowned heads. These cars were driven, among others, by Clarc Gable, Al Capone, Greta Garbo, Queen Maria from Yugoslavia and King Alfonso XIII of Spain. The latter, with his car, can be seen in the photo above.

1936. Tatra T87

It may not be the most dynamic and fastest car of the time, but just look at its beautiful line and you will immediately notice its uniqueness. Thanks to its streamlined shape and excellent aerodynamics, the Tatra T87 has won the favor of the Führer Of the Third Reich - Adolf Hitler. He considered this car an ideal means of transport for future European highways, connecting German Vaterland with conquered territories in all directions. There is one more detail that distinguishes Tatra from other cars listed in the ranking - it was the only one made in… Czechoslovakia. Among others, Erwin Rommel and Farouk I king of Egypt rode it.

1937. Alfa Romeo 158

Maybe no king, minister or other bigwig has ever ridden it. Maybe it is not economical and safe. One thing is certain, the Alfa Romeo 158, affectionately known as the "Alfetta", has the power to it. Under the hood of this seemingly filigree car there are over 250 horsepower. The inconspicuous Alfetta could race with the best cars produced today. The spiciness of this Alfa is the fact that the culprit behind the wheel had to reckon with the fact that in the event of an accident he would have quite a poor chance. After all, the 158 was the queen of the racetrack and was driven by motorsport legends.

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The car industry is not all about blood, sweat and grease. It's also a piece of history. The greats of this world died in cars, cars "delivered" them to meetings, rallies and meetings. Finally, it was cars that gave people jobs in factories, and thanks to their popularization, a new means of transporting people and goods was created, and a source of new professions emerged. Our "best" cars are only a small part of the history of the automotive industry. For those wishing to learn more about it, I recommend the new illustrated encyclopedia of cars from the Vesper publishing house.