Feature
Twelve Modern Icons from RM Sotheby's Miami
Twelve exceptional cars, from blue-chip classics to modern hypercars, and the values behind them.
March 6, 2026
Time can be a cruel mistress. Great cars, though, are immune. These are the ones standing the test of time.
The test of time might be the most revealing and transformative of all tests, and not many things can stand up to it as well as a good car. Clothes we wore decades ago look ridiculous, the decor of childhood homes now looks hideous, and early computing tech is now downright hilarious. A good car, though, can take you right back to your best memories, and make you yearn for simpler times.
Don’t get me wrong, not all cars pass with flying colours. Few people outside the most beige anorak clubs of open boots and camping chairs wish they still made ‘em like the Austin Maestro. But a Peugeot 205 GTI or a Porsche 964? Take me back!
Time even does some cars a favour. Models that weren’t hugely coveted back in the day, give them a couple of decades, and they just might become a cult classic.
With time something of a running theme at the moment, we thought we’d take a look at cars currently on the market that, in one way or another, have stood the test of time — or that we suspect will stand it very well indeed.
RM Private Sales
1971 | 19,863 Miles | POA
This is an interesting one to start with, because in isolation, its design has in no way stood the test of time. In the late ‘60s, it must have looked like a spaceship after an era of soft curves, and is definitively ‘70s. Cool? Absolutely, but it’s very much of its time. But since Ferrari’s latest V12 grand tourer, the 12Cilindri, was revealed with a design absolutely inspired by the Daytona, perhaps the design has stood up better than we think if it’s shaping the cutting edge from Ferrari over half a century later.
This genuine Spider was shown at the 1972 Los Angeles Auto Show, then in 1975, it was sold to Warner Brothers Pictures, after which it is believed to have starred in A Star is Born and The Gumball Rally. Later, it was owned by the same family from 1983 to 2017 when it was sold at RM Sotheby’s Monterey auction to a UK collector, who shortly after spent nearly £50,000 on servicing and upgrades at Joe Macari.
Whilst the design and driving experience are up for debate, with just 121 Spiders produced, one thing that is guaranteed to stand the test of time is its value.
DD Classics
2003 | 31,000 Miles | £184,950
Perhaps this is cheating a bit as standing the test of time, because it was deliberately retro from day one, inspired the iconic 507 of the ‘50s. Regardless, no matter how much time passes, I feel like the Z8 will be just as beautiful as it always has been.
The same is true of the interior which also took inspiration from time gone by. It’s minimalist, with no screens or many buttons to date it, and from a drivetrain point of view, when will a five-litre M5-derived V8 and a six-speed manual ever get old?
They’re not as rare as you might think with 5,703 cars worldwide, but only 100 to 150 came to the UK. All were left-hand drive, and it’s hard to see values dropping for a good one. One of these would absolutely live in my dream garage.
Alexanders Prestige
2019 | 1,500 Miles | £299,995
Here’s another car inspired by a classic, and sure, that livery and rarity automatically seal the 991 Speedster as a timeless classic for the future, but it’s the 991’s design that makes me think that generation as a whole will stand the test of time beautifully.
It’s classic and uncluttered, but purposeful at the same time. Inside, too, whilst there is a (small, by today’s standards) central screen, and a tiny digital screen in place of one of the 911’s classic five dials, it too is simple and focused purely on driving. In Speedster form, there’s a six speed manual and not a button to be seen on the steering wheel, avoiding two of the features that can so easily age a car — a clunky gearbox and old tech.
With 1,948 made worldwide, in honour of the first 356 Speedster released in 1948, it’s rare enough to be special and comands values of around double an equivelant GT3, with which it shares its running gear. Since we never had a topless GT3 before, and as yet haven’t since (despite rumours), for now, it’s something truly unique.
Romans International
2015 | 5,956 Miles | £121,950
This is about the F-Type as a whole, a stunning Ian Callum design that gave Jaguar some real vigour in 2013 after the death of the ageing XK. It was something of a revelation that encouraged new, younger buyers to the brand. It was actually good to drive, but more than anything, it was beautiful, and 13 years later, that is still very much true.
It still looks sharp and fresh, and may just stand the time as much for what it means as how it looks, as the last true Jaguar before things went a bit (ok, very) pear-shaped. If Jaguar doesn’t rise from the ashes with something special, the F-Type may well have been its last hurrah in terms of the sporty coupes we Brits love them for, and what better way to exemplify that than with the ultimate F-Type, the Project 7?
Just 250 Project 7s were built worldwide, and despite that rarity and iconic design, this 6,000-mile car can be had for just over £120,000, which I feel we might look back on as a bit of a steal in time to come.
Better Performance
2009 | 20,089 Miles | £299,991
Here’s one of those cars that the test of time has treated very well. It was never unloved, but it lived in the shadow of its shouty older brother, the 360 Challenge Stradale, and was further surpressed by its cutting-edge younger brother, the 458 Speciale, that won all the awards.
I’ve been singing the praises of the Scud since I first drove one in 2018. Its raw, visceral, exciting, fast — every bit of what you’d expect from something with the the development input of Michael Schumacher. And whilst the test of time hasn’t been so kind to the 360’s single-clutch gearbox, that isn’t the case with the Scud. The instant aggression with which it fires in flat upshifts feels like a racing sequential.
For years, values were lower than 360 and 458s, and whilst that’s still the case, they’ve been on a fair old surge. I’ve seen members buy them up and absolutely love them, and for me, the test of time might just reveal the 430 Scud to be Ferrari’s sweet spot.
Furlonger Specialist Cars
2011 | 3,100 Miles | £109,990
When Audi revealed the R8 back in 2006, it was a gamechanger. A mid-engined V8 baby supercar to rival the Porsche 911 from a brand we were used to sensible dependibility from. It was a stonking car, and it was achingly gorgeous, unlike anything else on the market. 20 years later, it looks like a car a manufacturer could proudly unveil today.
Good early manuals, especially manual V10s, will, in my opinion, be highly sought after in time to come, and then there’s this, the uber-rare GT. It turned the V10 up to 11 like Audi’s answer to Porsche’s GT3, and with just 333 produced worldwide, of which 33 came to the UK, it’s rare. It’s only downside is the slightly clunky, but not terrible, R-Tronic gearbox, but it’s a special thing, and seems like mad value all things considered.
VVS
2009 | 25,600 Miles | £94,990
When the DB9 came out in 2003, it was a whole new era for Aston Martin. It retained the beauty of the DB7 but elevated the interior and driving experience to another level. It still looks beautiful today, but to me, the DBS has stood that test of time even better still.
The DBS took the DB9 silhouette and sharpened it without losing the purity that made those cars so appealing in the first place. Its extra aggression means it still looks fairly current, and the way it favours elegance over outright anger means it’s unlikely to ever age disgracefully. With cues taken from it’s Ian Callum-designed predecessor, the Vanquish (a car that nearly made this list), that’s perhaps not surprising.
The DBS’ case for immortality is strengthened by its starring role as a Bond car in Casino Royale and Quantum of Solace, and values have been remarkably steady for years now. People are waking up to the DBS as a sweet spot in time, especially in manual form as this one is, and the DBS feels like exactly the sort of car people will wish they’d bought when they were still ‘reasonable’.
Better Performance
2011 | 25,950 Miles | £89,991
The Gallardo was Lamborghini’s saviour. When it arrived in 2003, it transformed the brand from niche manufacturer into a proper modern supercar company to properly rival Ferrari, and over its decade-long life, it became the best-selling Lamborghini ever.
Time has been particularly kind to the later cars, especially the LP550-2. By this stage the Gallardo had matured into a more sorted driver’s car, and the move to rear-wheel drive for this niche model gave it something the earlier versions lacked — real delicacy and involvement.
It’s also a reminder of a Lamborghini era that now feels like it’s slipping away. A naturally aspirated V10, hydraulic steering, relatively simple interior, and albeit rare, the option of a proper manual gearbox. E-Gear might age most examples, but put simply, the Gallardo is what people actually want from a Lamborghini, and they’re remarkable value for money.
As the Huracán era fades and Lamborghini moves further into 1,000hp hybrid territory, cars like this start to look more and more like the sweet spot: fast enough to feel modern, analogue enough to feel special — and that’s a running theme here.
The Octane Collection
2015 | 306 Miles | £239,995
The 675LT arrived at a fascinating moment for McLaren. The brand had already proven it could build a serious supercar with the MP4-12C and 650S, but for some, there was something missing. The 675LT delivered that something: a dose of rawness, a pinch of intimidation, and a whole lot of true driving exhileration.
Its insane performance still feels current, as does the way it looks, and its simple interior also renders it fairly dateless. The 675LT will always represent McLaren Automotive’s first ‘LT’ model, and like so many cars on this list, sits right in that sweet spot where the technology enhances the experience rather than defining it.
Values have deservedly climbed over the past few years but still seem relatively reasonable given limited numbers of just 500 coupes and 500 Spiders. To put it into context, a 458 Speciale Aperta, with equal production numbers, would set you back about three times what a 675LT Spider would, so perhaps this is another car we’ll wish we’d bought when the test of time catches up.
Howard Wise Cars
2011 | 24,380 Miles | £199,995
Some cars are guaranteed immortality the moment they’re unveiled, and the SLS AMG was one of them. Like the Z8, the SLS was born retro, inspired by the legendary 300SL Gullwing, and was destined to become a classic with its naturally-aspirated 6.2 V8 and those iconic gullwing doors.
Rather than feeling like a retro throwback for the sake of it, the SLS managed to reinterpret the 300SL for the modern era. Long bonnet, cab-rearward proportions and those dramatic doors combined to create something instantly recognisable, and the V8 driving the rear wheels made it unapolagetically exciting, even if it wasn’t a ten-tenths sports car.
Values initially dropped and you could get an SLS for under £100,000. Now, you’re looking at double that, and if you want a Final Edition or the bonkers Black Series, forget about it, they’re long gone.
Perhaps most importantly, it represents a moment in AMG’s history that’s unlikely to return. Before turbocharging, before electrification, before the brand expanded into every conceivable niche. The SLS was simply AMG being allowed to build something wild, and cars like that rarely fade with time.
VVS
2008 | 24,000 Miles | £149,990
A bit like with the Speedster, this is a bit of a celebration of the 997 as a whole, but of course we’re doing it with the wild child — the slightly terrifying GT2. Where the GT3 is the precision instrument, the GT2 is the one that occasionally bites back.
For me, the 997-generation is likely to be remembered as the greatest 911 of the water-cooled era. It went back to the classic headlights after the 996’s fried eggs, it’s clean, and has aged very gracefully indeed. It even combines the relatively compact proportions of the older 911 generations with a massive range in drivetrain choices, from a manual, 320hp rear-wheel-drive Carrera for joyous B road blasting, to a 530hp, four-wheel-drive, dual-clutch Turbo S for the fastest daily drive of your life, to the absolutely insane, stripped out, 620hp GT2 RS to surgically tear your face off.
The interior, too, is simple enough to not have too much tech to date, but modern enough to be comfortable to use frequently. Likewise, there are driving aids to catch you when you’re about to kick the back end into a hedge, but they won’t intervene until you’re almost all of the way there. When people talk about the truly hardcore 911s of the modern era, this will always be one of the first names mentioned.
As 911s have become larger, more digital and more geared towards grand touring, the 997 era has quietly become the sweet spot for many enthusiasts. Cars like the GT3 RS have already rocketed in value, and it feels inevitable that the GT2 will eventually receive the same recognition. I remember when these were £80,000, so clearly that has already happened, but given they’re as rare as a Carrera GT, I’d say they’ve still some way to go.
Scuderia Prestige
2014 | 12,214 Miles | £172,995
The 458 was widely regarded as one of Ferrari’s modern masterpieces from day one, but time may well elevate it even further. It was the last naturally aspirated V8 Ferrari before the turbocharged era began, and that 4.5-litre engine remains one of the greatest powerplants the company has ever produced — revving to 9,000rpm with a sound that feels almost Formula One-inspired with the right exhaust.
Design plays its part too. A decade and a half on, the 458 still looks modern, with a shape that feels clean and purposeful rather than over-styled, and that tends to be the hallmark of designs that age well. Sure, it’s techy with a dual-clutch ‘box and very fancy traction control systems, but that tech was so good that it still feels up to date.
The 458 represents both the beginning and the end of an era for Ferrari, and will likely be viewed as one of the brand’s greatest creations in time. For those tired of chasing power who want a modern experience but without the a lack of soul, the 458 is becoming ever more appealing and values haven’t slumped in years. In fact, good ones like this may just be starting to look upwards.
