Art Deco is short for the French Arts décoratifs and is a term used to describe the style of architecture and products in Paris from the 1910s to the early 1930s. Buildings were not the only objects used for Art Deco styling; it was also applied to cars.
This list showcases some of the most unique Art Deco cars that will continue to captivate with their distinctive design in 2024. Performance takes a backseat here; this is a collection of vehicles that stand out solely for their breathtaking aesthetics.
1938 Talbot-Lago T150-C Lago Speciale Teardrop Coupe
The British-French company Talbot became renowned for some beautiful cars, and the 1938 T150-C Teardrop is one of their most beautiful. It was designed by French designers Carrosserie Figoni and Falaschi. The streamlined and aerodynamic shape made it fast and lovely, reaching 100 mph.
This meant that the T150-C was a beautiful car and a part of racing history. It participated in the 1938 edition of the 24 Hours of Le Mans, finishing third in that event and triumphing in the 24 Hours of Spa in 1948, post-war. An example of the T150-C was auctioned by RM Sotheby’s in 2010 for a staggering $4.6 million, a testament to its historical and aesthetic value.
1948 Timbs Buick Streamliner
The 1948 Timbs Buick Streamliner came at the end of the Art Deco era, as designs became more conventional as the 1950s dawned. Mechanical engineer Norman E. Timbs designed and built the Buick Streamliner, which is made mostly of aluminum on top of a steel chassis. It took Timbs two years to build and cost $10,000. Under the hood, it had a Buick Super 8 engine.
The slippery design meant it could reach 120 mph, fast for its day. The simple, clean design added to the car’s attractiveness, and Timbs even went to such lengths as not cutting doors out of the body to keep the shape as clean as possible.
1930 Mercedes-Benz SSK
It might bear the Mercedes name, but the remarkable Mercedes-Benz SSK owes its creation to Ferdinand Porsche. Far from being just an Art Deco object, the SSK became a very capable race car, with the streamlining applied to the Count Trossi-bodied version.
Under the hood, the SSK had a massive supercharged M06 7.1-liter SOHC inline-six engine, good enough for around 300 hp and over 500 lb-ft of torque. The SSK would win multiple races, including the 500 Miles of Argentina in 1929, the 1929 and 1930 Cordoba Grand Prix, and the 1931 Argentine Grand Prix. Grand Prix driver Rudolf Caracciola also won the 1929 Ulster Tourist Trophy race, the 1930 Irish Grand Prix, the 1931 German Grand Prix, and the 1931 Mille Miglia in an SSK.
1938 Saoutchik Hispano-Suiza H6B Dubonnet Xenia Streamliner
One of the more obscure and lesser-known Art Deco cars is the Hispano-Suiza H6C Dubonnet Xenia Streamliner. The H6B Dubonnet Xenia uses a modified Hisapno-Suiza H6B chassis, and aviator and racer Andre Dubonnet commissioned this sole streamlined example of the H6B.
Dubonnet took inspiration from the aircraft of the era, which is evident in the car’s long, tapering design. Parallel-opening doors move backward along the car’s body. Under the hood was an 8.0-liter straight-six engine producing 160 hp. The car is currently on display at the Mullin Automotive Museum in Oxnard.
1950 GM Futurliner “Parade of Progress” Tour Bus
The gorgeous but insane GM Futurliner tour vehicle came at the end of the Art Deco era as the 1950s began. This unusual vehicle was part of the General Motors Parade to Progress show event, and amazingly, GM built 12 in total beginning in 1939. Still, only nine of them remain in the world today.
Early examples of the bus had a four-cylinder diesel engine under the hood, but from 1953 to 1956, the Futurliner had a GMC 302ci six-cylinder engine for its powertrain. While nine are known to survive, some locations are a mystery, although #10, “Opportunity for Youth,” is currently on display at the National Automotive and Truck Museum.
1939 Lancia Astura IV Touring
Lancia might be best remembered for vehicles such as the Stratos and 037, but it had begun building cars long before them. One of the most beautiful is the Lancia Astura IV Touring, a 1939 edition of the gorgeous Astura. Lancia built four series of the Astura from 1931 to 1939. They are one of the rarest Lancias, with just over 3,000 units sold by 1939.
The Astura’s initial power came from a new narrow-angle V8 engine, which displaced 2.6 liters and produced 73 hp. The second-series Astura had a 2.9-liter engine producing 82 hp. Still, the real standout was the gorgeous custom coachwork, with design legends Pininfarina becoming the first to body the chassis of the Astura.
1925 Rolls-Royce Phantom I Aerodynamic Coupe
The modern Rolls-Royce Phantom isn’t the most aerodynamic or streamlined car to look at. But the stunning 1925 Phantom I Aerodynamic Coupe is the complete opposite of its modern sibling. Rolls-Royce launched the new Phantom I in 1925, and soon, chassis made their way to various coachbuilders to recieve their custom bodywork.
The Aerodynamic Coupe was sold to the Raja of Nanpara and eventually entered Belgium in 1932. Remarkably, it took until that year for it to recieve its iconic coupe bodywork via the hands of the Jonckheere workshop. The car passed through various hands and fell into disrepair before the Petersen Museum took it on in 2001 and restored it to its former glory. This gorgeous car packs a huge 7.7-liter naturally-aspirated straight-six that produces 108 hp.
Nash Statesman
Nash Statesman produced this stunning mid-size coupe from 1949 to 1956, spanning two generations. The Statesman utilized Nash’s advanced unit-body construction methods, complete with their aerodynamic styling, which fell under the Airflyte name. This popular design trend during the 1950s mimicked the Art Deco cars of the past.
The first generation had a 3.0-liter inline-six under the hood, while the second generation had a slightly larger 3.2-liter inline-six. Buyers could pick up the Statesman in three trim levels: the top-line Statesman Custom and the entry-level Statesman Super, plus the base fleet-only model for commercial and institutional use.
1935 Bugatti Aerolithe
The 1935 Bugatti Aerolithe was one of the most remarkable-looking cars of the Art Deco era. This one-off version of Type 57 debuted at the October 1935 Paris Auto Salon, and it was a concept that brought to life the aircraft-inspired sci-fi cars of the future that previously had only been seen as artwork in magazines.
The car spent ten months in the spotlight, but after Bugatti turned it over to Grand Prix driver Robert Benoist for a 120 mph speed test, it vanished and was never seen again. Happily, a replica was built several years ago after David Grainger, the owner of the Guild of Automotive Restorers in Bradford, Ontario, found a stash of parts in South Carolina, including a Bugatti Type 57 chassis.
Bugatti Type 57SC Atlantic
The Bugatti Type 57, on which the Aerolithe was based, is one of the best-looking Art Deco cars of all time. Perhaps the most famous Bugatti, the French manufacturer, sold only a handful of Atlantics, special versions of the grand tourer. All variants are now worth millions. In 2009, a rediscovered Type 57 sold for a staggering €3.4 million at an auction in Paris.
Several famous examples of the Type 57 exist, including the Type 57C Coupe Aero, known as “La Voiture Noire.” The car’s history and whereabouts are unknown after it went missing at the outbreak of World War 2, but experts have valued it at around $114 million.
1938 Phantom Corsair
The 1938 Phantom Corsair is one of the most extreme interpretations of the Art Deco design form. Designed by Rust Heinz of the H.J. Heinz Fortune, the Phantom Corsair is a car that still looks futuristic, with a menacing grille, shrouded wheel, and electric pushbutton doors. The use of buttons instead of door handles made the Corsair even more streamlined.
The Corsair was a long car, but it was also wide enough to fit four people in the front row, with one to the driver’s left. Sadly, Heinz died in 1939 before the car could enter production, leaving us with just one example of this remarkable machine.
1934 Voisin C27 Aerosport
The remarkable 1934 Voisin C27 Aerosport is the product of Gabriel Voisin, a French aviation pioneer and coachbuilder who revolutionized car design in France during the 1930s. The C27 Aerosport was just one of the ways he did so, with an aluminum construction and mosaic Art Deco interior real innovations in 1934.
Voisin also gave Aerosport a few innovations, such as the vacuum-operated sliding glass roof, which could also double as a rear window. The C27 Aerosport was no slouch either, with a 3.0-liter engine producing 104 hp and allowing the car to reach a top speed of 93 mph.
1937 Delahaye 145 Chapron Coupe
Another French Art Deci icon is the Delahaye 145 Chapron Coupe, a product of the French car maker Delahaye that left a lasting impression on the world of Art Deco cars. The 145 Chapron Coupe is one of its more subtle designs, but that doesn’t stop it from being absolutely stunning.
Delahayne only built two examples of the 145 Chapron, each with a huge 4.5-liter V12 engine and an elegant, cigar-shaped body. The design was courtesy of Henri Charpon, who also updated it with a stunning two-tone paint job. That V12 engine produced 235 hp with a top speed of 160 mph, speeds that allowed the car to win various races, including the famous Mille Miglia.
