A Timeline of the Fastest Production Car by Top Speed Every Year Since 1949
It was back in 1949 that the Jaguar XK120 hit the market with an impressive top speed of 124.6 mph. That was a record that would only stand for a handful of years, when the Mercedes-Benz 300SL set the new top speed record for a production car at 150.7 mph. Since then, less than twenty vehicles have continued to outdo the others when it comes to top speed, and today’s record sits at over 300 mph.
From TitleMax, here’s a look at the fastest production cars by top speed every year since 1949.
As of 2020, the fastest street-legal production car as of today is the SSC Tuatara, which is able to reach an unbelievable 316.11 mph. With 1,750 horsepower, the Tuatara hit this impressive record back in January of 2021, and the supercar itself costs about $1.6 million.
Dating back to 1949, here are the fastest production cars by year. If you notice years missing, that’s because the new record holder carried their top speed record over from year-to-year!
- 1949: Jaguar XK120 at 124.6 mph
- 1955: Mercedes-Benz 300SL at 150.7 mph
- 1959: Aston Martin DB4 GT at 152 mph
- 1963: Iso Grifo GL 365 at 161 mph
- 1965: AC Cobra MK III 427 at 165 mph
- 1967: Lamborghini Miura P400 at 171 mph
- 1968: Ferrari 365 GTB/4 Daytona at 174 mph
- 1969: Lamborghini Miura P400S at 179.3 mph
- 1982: Lamborghini Countach LP500 S at 182 mph
- 1983: Ruf BTR at 190 mph
- 1986: Porsche 959 at 198 mph
- 1987: Ruf CTR at 213 mph
- 1993: McLaren F1 at 221 mph
- 2005: Bugatti Veyron EB 16.4 at 253.81 mph
- 2007: SSC Ultimate Aero at 256.14 mph
- 2010: Bugatti Veyron 16.4 Super Sport at 267.856 mph
- 2014: Hennessey Venom GT at 270.49 mph
- 2017: Koenigsegg Agera RS at 277.87 mph
- 2020: SSC Tuatara at 316.11 mph
Since 1949, the top speed record on a production car has nearly tripled, and it may be tough for another manufacturer to pass the top speed on the SSC Tuatara any time soon.
