When you’re a car lover, you don’t indulge in just one. It’s like being a lover of fine foods—you don’t eat the same appetizer for a decade, do you? No. You settle in to enjoy several courses, sample the cuisines of different regions, and try other renowned restaurants and chefs. And since you’re an auto enthusiast, the odds are good that you’ll own luxury vehicles from various top-rated European car brands. Take a tour through a few.

Porsche

Germany

Style, speed, tech, handling—cars are rated according to many metrics, but when it comes to reliability, Porsche is always on top. The 911 made its first appearance in 1964 and is still one of the most popular sports cars today. It’s also one of the more affordable luxury vehicles available, especially when you buy it pre-owned.

Fun Fact

The founder of the company, Ferdinand Porsche, actually created the first hybrid electric vehicle in 1899. The Semper Vivus was an electric car that used an internal combustion motor as a generator. It was also the first auto to have brakes on all four wheels.

Mercedes-Benz

Germany

With the motto “The Best or Nothing,” Mercedes-Benz has been delivering classic quality since Karl Benz patented the first automobile in 1886. The brand covers its bases by setting the gold standard for everything from vans to trucks to exotic vehicles with vertical doors. For Hollywood celebrities, though, it has to be the C-Class.

Fun Fact

The three-pointed star logo signifies that Daimler engines have been used on land, at sea, and in the air. At one point, the company considered adding a fourth point for space but decided against it.

Rolls-Royce

United Kingdom

Many experts consider Rolls-Royce to be the most luxurious vehicle on the market, and its owners want the ultimate status symbol. The company doesn’t like to talk about “base price” because it offers so many customizations that each model is actually bespoke. If you want your Rolls to match your favorite lipstick, they have 44,000-plus colors to work with.

Fun Fact

The name of the hood ornament on a Rolls-Royce is the Spirit of Ecstasy. The figure is the portrait of a car-collecting baron’s secretary-turned-mistress and debuted in 1911. In 2002, BMW paid Volkswagen $40 million for the use of the winged lady.

Bentley

United Kingdom

Whereas it’s best to enjoy a Rolls-Royce from the backseat, Bentleys are best for driving. Stately and prestigious, Bentley has never forgotten its roots as a dominant race contender throughout the ’20s. The interiors are exquisite, the technology is cutting-edge, and the spirit is still sporty.

Fun Fact

The Bentley company hosts an ice race in Finland called Power on Ice. Drivers careen across the slippery terrain at more than 200 miles per hour.

Aston Martin

United Kingdom

No public relations firm could come up with a better spokesperson than film legend James Bond—which is even more impressive when you consider that the hero preferred Bentleys in the books. But ever since Sean Connery parked a DB5 perilously close to a cliff in 1964’s Goldfinger, fans have associated the car with a unique blend of thrilling sophistication.

Fun Fact

Was the company founder’s name Aston Martin? Nope. Lionel Martin, one of Aston Martin’s founders, tested some of their first models on Aston Hill in Southeast England.

Ferrari

Italy

Historic Ferraris are always at the very top of any list for the cars that bring in the highest sale prices at auction. But another tribute to the brand’s popularity is that its merchandise is even more profitable than its cars. If you worship speed, tradition, and cut-throat competition above all else, nothing compares to a Ferrari.

Fun Fact

When it opened in Abu Dhabi in 2010, “Ferrari World” was the world’s largest indoor theme park. This attraction home to the world’s fastest roller coaster, the Formula Rossa, which has a top speed of 149 miles per hour.

Lamborghini

Italy

Famously, it was an insult that gave birth to this legendary supercar. Ferruccio Lamborghini was busily making a fortune from tractors when the clutch from his favorite Ferrari gave out. He complained to owner Enzo Ferrari, who told him to stick to farming equipment. Instead, Lamborghini went on to dazzle the world with his company’s swagger and the coolest car doors to ever grace the red carpet.

Fun Fact

Some Lamborghini designs took inspiration from fighter planes, especially the American F-22 and B-2 aircraft. However, the chief designer of the Aventador says its inspiration was a green bug that smells bad when you step on it.

Maserati

Italy

Talk about a family business. Each of the Maserati brothers—Carlo, Bindo, Alfieri, Mario, Ettore, and Ernesto—contributed to their auto company in one way or another. Today’s Maserati lovers know they’re buying a temperamental Italian beauty, and they love it. The allure is for adventure, not dependability.

Fun Fact

Maseratis have made cameos in an impressive number of movies over the years, including Godfather III, Limitless, Underworld, Rocky III, The Fly, and The Dead Zone.

Bugatti

France

The Bugatti brand died twice before it was born again in 1998—and it came back with superpowers. Its coveted Veyrons reigned as the fastest cars available for a decade, but they were actually anything but available; the company only produced 450. Now the company is famous for one-off models like La Voiture Noire. Soccer star Cristian Reynaldo bought the only one for more than $18 million.

Fun Fact

A Veyron has a 16-cylinder engine that requires 12 separate radiators throughout the car’s internal body to cool it down. If the car only used a single radiator, it would need to be almost the size of the entire vehicle.

Have any of these top-rated European car brands tempted you to invest in something new? If you need some liquidity, sell your exotic car to Nahas Motorcars, and you can skip the frustrating search for a high-end buyer. We can inspect your car anywhere in the country and offer you cash on the spot. Contact us for a free quote.