FUTURE CLASSICS

As CGSC turns 40, motoring enthusiasts have been asked to vote for the modern cars they believe will be the classics of 40 years' time

- STEVE CROPLEY

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What makes a great classic? It used to be simple: it was a car that stood out from either ordinary or lowly models for its engineering excellence, great performance, impressive styling or good old-fashioned desirability. The very finest - a convenient example is the Jaguar E-type - qualified on all counts.

Deciding which of today's cars will become classics is far less easy. This year around 90 million new cars will hit the road, and by most measures they're all very good. And the numbers keep rising. Even Ferrari, which once swore never to make more than 4000 cars a year, now builds more than 10,000 units, and that number is destined to climb because the marque will soon launch its first SUV.

Modern design and engineering are now more exacting as legislation becomes more prescriptive. Conformity is a necessity, so individuality and rarity sa is, well, rare. Yet despite all this, modern cars remain desirable. Our sister magazine Autocar (126 years old and counting) reports continued huge interest whenever a new Land Rover Defender, Volkswagen Golf GTI, Tesla or BMW 3 Series arrives. There's real excitement about the growing crop of electric cars, such as VW's ID Buzz (Microbus) and the three-model Jaguar EV range for 2025.

So which of today's cars will become classics? Aside from the expensive and fast candidates, which mainstream models stand out? Autocar recently launched a project with the National Motor Museum, asking readers and visitors to choose their candidates. After collating thousands of responses, here are the worthy winners in order.

10 Ford Fiesta ST