AutoGuide.com

The Pagani Huarya is one of the most unique vehicles available today.

It’s the second vehicle ever made by boutique Italian automaker Pagani, succeeding the popular and equally pretty Pagani Zonda. Both of the brand’s cars are described as fast and engaging, using Mercedes-AMG V12 engines and a balanced mid-engine layout. While the performance of Pagani’s automobiles is hard to argue with, the design of these supercars is what makes them truly desirable. In the words of Horacio Pagani himself, the engineering and design of the cars go hand in hand, so it’s pretty safe to consider him an expert of sorts on automotive beauty.

We had a few moments to chat with the automaker’s founder and CEO, Horacio Pagani, to ask him what he considers to be some of the most beautiful cars of all time. This list is hardly surprising, but it’s clear that Mr. Pagani has a soft spot for Italian vehicles. He even went on to point out that many of his favorites include Ferraris from the 1960s.

Jaguar E-Type

The Jaguar E-Type is one of the few non-Italian cars on Mr. Pagani’s list. Originally introduced in 1961, the E-Type uses a front-engine, rear-wheel-drive layout with a 3.8-liter inline-six engine under its long hood. Making 265 hp, the Jaguar E-Type was more than just a pretty machine — it could move, too. Many designers reference the E-Type as a major influence, so it’s not a huge surprise to see Mr. Pagani give some props to this British icon.

ALSO SEE: The Surprising Reason Why Pagani Uses Mercedes-AMG Engines

Lamborghini Miura

The Lamborghini Miura is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year, and it was a major talking point during 2016 Monterey Car Week festivities. Many Miura owners were proudly displaying their Italian supercars throughout the week. Even celebrity and comedian Adam Carolla had his Miura SV taking part of the Pebble Beach Concours. The Miura has a place in history as being one of the first high-performance, mid-engined cars ever. It practically invented the term supercar, so it’s no surprise to see it here on Mr. Pagani’s list.

Mercedes-Benz 300SL Gullwing

The Mercedes-Benz 300SL Gullwing is another iconic car, but not one that gets a lot of credit among car designers. This choice must have been made by Mr. Pagani’s inner engineer, because when the 300SL debuted, it was the fastest production car available. A top speed of 160 mph still sounds impressive today, but the car’s 3.0-liter inline-six engine was one of the first motors to use direct-injection. The 300SL was named for its unique gullwing doors, and you can see that inspired Pagani, as the doors on the Huayra fold upwards as well.

De Tomaso Pantera

The De Tomaso Pantera is one of the most misunderstood classics in supercar history. The combination of Italian styling with an American V8 is something that’s hard to ignore, but many classic car connoisseurs balk at the quirky car. Fortunately, Mr. Pagani isn’t one to deny this car’s cool factor, as he called it out by name when discussing some of the more beautiful cars of all time. Still, this is definitely a surprising entry on this list.

Lamborghini Countach

“Wild” would be the perfect one-word description of the Lamborghini Countach, the final car Mr. Pagani outed as a beauty in his eyes. Granted, you could describe the Huayra with the same word, but the Countach clearly did it first, arriving on the scene back in the mid 1970s with a V12 engine, just like the Pagani. Although the Countach’s six-second sprint to 60 is a laughable figure compared to the Huayra’s sub-three-second time, the two cars will at least be known in history as being some of the most unique looking cars ever built.