No one quite knows what makes a truly beautiful car. If they did, the road would be chock full of glamours.
Car beauty is something of an art, and there is a fine line between beauty and downright offensive.
An attractive car has the potential to be timeless, and can even influence its ability to be a true classic.
After all, history has been kind to many lemons that were aesthetically pleasing.
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And while modern cars are getting safer in their appearance so as not to upset the consumer apple cart, there are some gems out there on sale.
Most cars that sparkle are out of reach to the average buyer, as looking good apparently takes time and money, but there are some that float the boat at just the right price.
And while looks are subjective, in these cases, majority rules.
Jaguar F-Type
Jaguar had been languishing in automotive purgatory for decades; its cars had lost the fizz and pop that once made the brand an icon of beauty. That was, at least, until the launch of the F-Type at the start of 2013.
Considered a spiritual successor to the vaunted E-Type of the 1960s, the F-Type is regularly cited in lists of the most beautiful cars of all time.
It is available in both coupe and convertible body type, though we will stick with the coupe for this list as it represents a purer form.
The two-door hard-top sports car stands out from the crowd with its twin front grilles that feed air to the brakes, streamlined headlights, a sweeping roof line and flared rear wheel arches that give it both an elegant and aggressive look that just works.
Its body represents what lies beneath. Its stonking performance and symphonic sound add to the body beautiful image.
The Jaguar F-Type is a modern classic that has had as big an impact as the original E-Type, helping catapult the British car maker into the public conscience once again.
Ford Mustang
For decades we drooled at the Ford Mustang from afar, restricted to those left-hand-drive imports from the US, but now it is accessible as an official Ford import and in official right hand drive to those who can muster its circa $60,000 asking price.
The Ford Mustang is as American as Apple Pie, everything about it screams muscle from the US of A.
Its heavy wide stance lends itself to a powerfully built stallion that has the kick to match its aggressive look. Its twin grilles, flared rear wheel arches and fastback styling scream look at me. It has a presence on the road that anyone who has seen it in the metal can attest to.
The Mustang demands to be stared at as it rumbles past.
While the convertible is most certainly a looker, the coupe is the sweet spot. In V8-powered GT form it encapsulates the essence of the Mustang's glory years; drop dead looks with the muscle to back it up and the voice of a rock and roll frontman.
The new model certainly has been worth the wait.
Tesla Model S
The Tesla Model S is an enigma, a silent assassin. It moves with grace and power that defies its swoopy luxury facade.
An all electric dynamo that can put most petrol powered V8s to shame, it needs its looks to stand out because it's muted voice can't do the talking.
It is futuristic in appearance, concealing technology that revolutionsed the electric segment and continues to be at the forefront of alternative propulsion.
The Model S has a muscular look and a wide stance while maintaining smooth lines typecast by its large grille, hidden door handles and moulded side panels and elegant rear. The burgeoning electric car maker needed to make a statement if it was going to take on the establishment, and its Model S does that in more ways than one.
Mazda MX-5
The long awaited fourth-generation MX-5 was almost 10 years in the making, and it didn't disappoint.
Featuring Mazda's "Kodo'' design language, which has transformed the brand's entire range - from its 2 city car through to the incoming CX-9 large SUV - into one of the best looking line-ups in the country.
The MX-5 has picked a range of awards for its design. The latest MX-5 harks back to the original with its lightweight and simple design. Its slim grille and sleek headlights meld into the smooth lines of the body, ending in an angular creased rear end. It really is cute as a button.
However, while the soft-top MX-5 is easy on the eyes, it is soon to be joined by a folding hard-top variant that one-ups it in the fashion on wheels stakes.
Even though folding metal roofs have blighted many car makers, the new MX-5 RF is a swoopy delight. It is a genuine fastback shape with sloping rear glass when the roof is up, and has a targa-style appearance with the roof down.
Both MX-5s represent simple drop-top motoring with pure design to match.
Ferrari 488 GTB
It would be easy to walk up to the bar of good looking cars and just order 'five Ferraris thanks', but the new 488 GTB stands out from its siblings.
The 488 GTB is the successor to the 458 Italia, a drop-dead looker in its own right. And its would be easy to think Ferrari couldn't improve on perfection, but the Italian brand keeps altering the formula.
The 488 is a modern supercar forced to comply with modern emissions regulations. As such it is the first mid-engined turbocharged Ferrari since the iconic F40. It has a wider front grille, larger side air intakes and revised rear and twin exhausts compared to the 458.
Its sculptured aerodynamic body wouldn't look out of place at the Uffizi Gallery. It is is the embodiment of a sports car, the reason car designers get up in the morning. It is as some say beautifully simple and simply beautiful.
Volvo XC90
SUVs don't often appear on lists like this, but Volvo has to be commended for turning what is essentially a two-tonne bus into a work of art.
In something of a throwback to the boxy old Volvos of yesteryear, the new XC90 stands tall and wide with its boxy shaped smoothed on the edges to give it a soft yet masculine appearance.
The Swedes are known for their smart design and the Volvo is no different. It has a big grille and its 'Thor's Hammer' headlights give it an aggressive look, while its big alloy wheels lend a prestige feel.
In a segment where classy looking vehicles are inherently sparse, the XC90 breaks away and shows that big can be beautiful, too.
What do you think? Can you think of a better looking car on sale today? Tell us about it in comments below.
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