Cars with the best engine from each decade

Our engine special identifies the finest engine from each decade – and the cars they powered

Andrew Frankel Autocar

by Andrew Frankel

14 June 2021

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Engines as we know them have been around since the 1880s.

But early ones were pretty unsophisticated, so we're going to start our survey of the finest engine from each decade in the 1900s:
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1900s: 1903 Mercedes Simplex 60hp

All alloy with four cylinders and a 9.3-litre displacement and near 60bhp output, it was streets ahead of any comparable engine of its time.
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1910s: 1919 Bentley 3-litre

An engine that combined a highly advanced specification with bombproof reliability in a way that had not been done before.
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1920s: Bugatti Type 35

A straight eight used for everything from road cars to Grand Prix racing with and without superchargers. To hear it is to hear heaven.
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1930s: Duesenberg SJ

An engine with 6.9-litres, twin overhead camshafts, four valves per cylinder, a supercharger and, in 1932, an unbeaten 320bhp output.
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1940s: Ferrari 166 Inter

The first road car with the peerless Colombo V12. Would go on to power the Testa Rossa, GTO, 250LM, 275GTB and so on and on.
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1950s: Chevrolet Corvette

The car that launched the Chevy small block V8, of which more than 100 million were made. An absolute landmark motor, and in every way.
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1960s: Porsche 911

A flat six so good, the configuration remains to this day, nearly 60 years after its launch. One of the world’s best, most enduring motors.
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1970s: Lamborghini Countach

Lambo’s V12 just pipped Ferrari’s flat 12 for sheer sense of occasion as well as specific output. An awesome powerhouse of an engine.
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1980s: Ferrari F40

Yes it’s a turbo, but one intended to win Le Mans in a Lancia. Insane response, noise, power and flames. Still the most characterful turbo motor ever.
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1990s: McLaren F1

Paul Rosche’s BMW V12 masterpiece turned the F1 into not just into the world’s most powerful supercar, but the most sonically thrilling too.
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2000s: Lexus LFA

Unveiling in production form in 2009, the Yamaha designed V10 may just be not simply the best engine of the decade, but of all time.
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2010s: Porsche 911 GT3 RS 4.0

The ultimate iteration of the famed racing ‘Mezger’ 911 motor. 4-litres and 500bhp of pure, unadulterated automotive theatre.
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Engine facts to know

The largest number of cylinders used for a road car to date is sixteen, as seen in cars from a 1930s Cadillac to the modern era Bugatti Veyron. Bugatti did build and run a W18 engine, but it never saw production.

Although others such as 2 stroke and rotary motors have been tried, the 4-stroke internal combustion engine is to date the only format to enjoyed long term success in cars

The longest lived engine made for use in contemporary production cars was the Rolls-Royce V8 motor first used in 1959 and which died only last year (pictured).

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