Congress just killed the rules that are making cars ugly.
For 50 years, D.C.’s fuel economy mandates forced automakers into cookie-cutter designs, turning every single SUV and crossover into the same boring blob or potato.
Not anymore. It’s time to make cars beautiful again. MCBA. OK, it doesn’t exactly roll off the tongue like “MAGA.” But thanks to President Trump’s One Big Beautiful Bill Act, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) standards are gone.
Or rather, they’re no longer enforceable, which means car designers can make cars creative again. They can make them cool again. They can build cars you want. Beautiful cars are often defined by their elegant designs, unique silhouettes, their emotional appeal, the way it makes you feel inside when you drive it, and you smile and say, “This is so freaking cool.”
Here are my top five cars they should be using for inspiration.
1. The Mercedes Benz SL Gullwing
Some of the most beautiful cars ever built started with the Mercedes SL Gullwing. It’s a spectacular vehicle with style to spare. It was produced from 1954 to 1957 and, of course, is known for its gullwing doors.
2. The Aston Martin DB5
This U.K. speedster is all about beauty. James Bond made it famous, but even without 007, its elegant proportions, flowing lines, and distinctive curves give it a license to thrill, setting a high standard for automotive aesthetics. It’s a reminder of a lost age of sophistication and luxury in car design.
3. Ferrari 250 GT California Spyder
This Ferrari’s beautiful design is the brainchild of the legendary Sergio Scaglietti. But you may associate more with a certain trio of truant teens from an ’80s cinema classic. That’s right, this is the car that Ferris Bueller and friends took for a joyride throughout Chicago. The movie was a great showcase for the car — even when smashing it through a plate glass window.
4. Lamborghini Miura
This Marcello Candini-engineered Lamborghini was the first high-performance production car to feature a rear mid-engine layout, which has since become a standard in sports car design. Very influential — and gorgeous to boot.
5. Talbot-Lago T150 CSS Teardrop Coupe
Long before we worried about emissions, coach-builders were creating masterpieces of automotive design. The one that really melts my heart is the 1937 Telbo Lago T150 CSS Teardrop Coupe, which just sold to a collector for $13.4 million — making it the most valuable French car ever sold at auction. A true piece of art.
If you’re in the car business, it probably means you love cars like this. But when it comes to emulating their style, designers have always had to pull back.
Those days are over — so let’s get to work making some beautiful cars.
Now, yes, my list is subjective and incomplete. There are many other inspiring vehicles, including the Porsche 911, the Rolls-Royce Boat Tail, the Bugatti Chiron, the Jaguar E-Type, and, of course, the Ford Mustang.
What are your favorites? Put them in the comments below.
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