McLaren F1 crowned Greatest Supercar Ever at Classic & Sports Car Show

This year's Classic & Sports Car Show crowned the McLaren F1 as winner of its Greatest Supercar Ever competition, which allowed the public to vote for their favourite supercar from the past 100 years.

A significant 30% of a total 17,000 votes were for the McLaren F1, emphasising the car's popularity. It beat other iconic models, such as the Ferrari F40, Bugatti Veyron, Alfa Romeo 8C 2900 and Jaguar XKSS, as well as the Lamborghini Muira, which celebrates its 50th anniversary this year. The full list of contenders is shown below.

James Elliott, group editor of Autocar's sister title Classic & Sports Car, said: "The F1’s top speed ‘record’ of 243mph – with the rev limiter removed – grabbed headlines at the time but it’s the single-mindedness of the whole design that’s still the most remarkable thing about this all-time great.

"There is no supercar before it – or since – that has such purity of purpose. The F1 has it all: it’s the most uncompromising car ever made and a fitting winner of the public vote."

Autocar pitted the V12-engined McLaren F1 up against a younger sibling, the turbocharged MP4-12C, back in 2011 in the video below. Below that is a video of us taking one to its 243mph top speed.

Click here to read about the F1's spiritual successor, due in 2018.

Take a look at the best of last year’s CSCS here

A Century of Supercars top contenders:

Up to 1914

Mercedes 1908 GP

Metallurgique Maybach

1914-1929 

Bugatti Type 43

Bentley 41/2-litre Blower

1930s

Bugatti Type 57SC

Alfa Romeo 8C 2900

1940s

Ferrari 166 Barchetta 

Jaguar XK120

1950s

Mercedes 300SL ‘Gullwing’

Ferrari 250GT SWB 

1960s