There are some cars that every auto aficionado needs to drive at least once before they shuffle off this mortal coil.

Ask a hundred car fanatics which four cars would be on their wish list to drive and you’d likely get a hundred different answers. No matter. Here’s our selection – well, at least for the moment. Ask us again tomorrow and doubtless our Top⁴ will be very different…

Model T Ford

Okay, so this probably wouldn’t be the most thrilling drive you’d ever have since the Model T has a top speed of around about 70km/h, nor would it be the most comfortable ride. Nevertheless, since the Model T was the first true production car sold to the masses, with the first production models rolling off the assembly line in 1908, it really is where the whole automobile industry began.

Mini Cooper

Anybody who saw The Italian Job (we’re talking the original 1969 version here) and then didn’t want to hoon around in a Mini Cooper needs to see a doctor immediately. Over 50 years after it was first available, the Mini Cooper is still an absolute blast to drive with its combination of tiny size, fun handling and aggressive, roaring little engine. As cute as it looks, it must be remembered that this car is a veteran rally vehicle, and we guarantee you’ll be driving with a grin on your face as you rip it around corners.

Ford Mustang

The epitome of American muscle cars, the Ford Mustang is sheer brute power harnessed in the shape of a car. With its roaring engine, aggressive styling and uncompromising attitude, this is just the car to take out on a long desert highway with hours to kill, or better yet, to drive across the US for the full experience. The new models are fun, but for the proper Mustang experience you want to go for a ’69 or ’70 model.

Porsche 911

The 911 is such a distinctive car, and it has retained its unique soul for over 50 years. While improvements and refinements have obviously been made over that time, it still has the feel – and look – of the early models. It’s definitely a driver’s car, with brilliant handling, brakes and steering, and a powerful and distinct-sounding engine that is unique to the brand. It’s the kind of car that you make excuses to drive, and after your first time behind a 911’s wheel you’ll have to be pried loose, kicking and screaming.