AND THE REVS KEEP RISING

Mel Nichols: Top 10 greatest cars

1 Ferrari 250 GTO

Fabulous looks and wondrous to drive, with all the life and spirit that characterises a great Ferrari spewing from its orchestral V12 and constantly-talking chassis. Pink Floyd's Nick Mason lent me his for a week. That's the Koh-i-Noor diamond among my motoring memories. See And The Revs Keep Rising, Page 207

2 McLaren F1

Truly, mind-bogglingly fast yet easier to drive than you'd imagine - but its limits and performance are so huge you can't play with it the way you can a GTO. Phenomenally expensive but a superlative achievement in the way it blends almost-F1 speeds with approachability and reasonable, three-seat practicality. The McLaren MP4-12C isn't quite as fast, but so very well rounded. And The Revs Keep Rising, P387; P21

3 Jaguar D-type

Another childhood dream that turned out to be as good to drive as it looks. I expected a hairy beast but it has a friendly, pleasant nature with a surprisingly good ride, so you can just get on and enjoy its lusty six's performance and character. The open sports car personified. And The Revs Keep Rising, P176

4 Porsche 959

Before the McLaren, my quickest experience: 0-60mph in 3.9sec and 197mph ? which I reached on early-morning autobahns. Thanks to its clever four-wheel-drive, its performance is so easy to apply and enjoy, especially in the wet. A very usable supercar because of its small size, all-round vision and cabin space. And The Revs Keep Rising, P357

5 Lamborghini Espada

I had some remarkable trans-Contintent drives in Espadas. They'd seat four in reasonable comfort, could cruise at 150mph and the ride and handling provided real mile-eating ability with loads of pleasure for the driver. Truly met the definition of a Grand Tourer. And The Revs Keep Rising, P107

6 Ford Falcon GT-HO Phase III

Homologated development of a five-seater Falcon saloon bred successfully for Australia's famous Bathurst 1000km race. Hot 5.7-litre V8 provided 141mph and a standing quarter mile of 14.4sec. Strong roadholding, good handling, fair ride, Aussie ruggedness and reliability allowed it to gobble vast distances with disdain while embarrassing contemporary Ferraris and Astons many times its price. And The Revs Keep Rising, P25

7 Alfa Romeo 1750 GT Veloce

Few cars have a sweeter balance of performance (from that lovely twin-cam, Weber-fed four and slick five-speed gearbox), fine chassis, and brakes that were a joy in themselves. A car with such feel it seemed alive. So captivating that I finished one long journey, turned around and went back to do it again. The 2000 GTV was almost as charming. And The Revs Keep Rising, P326

8 Mercedes-Benz 300SL Gullwing

Thought this could be a driver-biter too but over several days in Italy's Mille Miglia retrospective it turned out to be a lovely, fast touring car with impressive performance, reliable chassis behaviour and a high level of comfort. Style, quality and feel-good factor by the mile.

9 Range Rover

Proved, 20 years ahead of rivals, that a seriously good off-roader could also have great on-road ability, not only in straight-line and cornering performance but especially in ride comfort and refinement too. It's always been the best 4X4 and still is.

10 2013 Porsche Cayman S

An ideal combination of virtues: spicy engine and lightning-fast gearbox for stirring performance; impeccable chassis balance for inspiring, indulgent handling; and relaxing long distance grand touring ability. Builds beautifully on the excellence of the Boxster to show just how good a mid-engined car by Porsche can be.