In what might be the most peculiar way to waste an afternoon since someone invented internet cat videos, I've spent countless hours scouring Google Earth for automotive treasures. And boy, have I found some beauties. From Disney's Radiator Springs to rare classics hiding in British driveways, here's a collection that would make any car enthusiast want to become a satellite technician. 1) Radiator Springs LinkCoordinates: 33°48'20.0"N, 117°55'07.0"W Disney's tribute to Route 66 culture isn't just a movie set - it's a fully realized world. Complete with Flo's V8 Café and Ramone's House of Body Art, it's like someone took the 1950s American car culture and condensed it into one perfect little spot. And yes, you can actually visit it, though Lightning McQueen won't be doing donuts in the parking lot. 2) 250 SWB Competizione owned by Sir Stirling Moss Link Coordinates: 51°14'56"N 0°30'12"W Ah, the Ferrari 250 SWB. Moss's personal race car, and possibly one of the most valuable Ferraris ever caught on Google's cameras. This particular car won the 1960 Tourist Trophy at Goodwood, with Sir Stirling doing what he did best - making everyone else look slow. Worth? If you have to ask, you definitely can't afford it. 3) Ferrari GT4 Lusso, Land Rover Defender and a Nice 280SL Convertible Link Coordinates: 51°29'34"N 0°09'02"W Talk about a three-car garage that covers all bases. The Lusso for going fast, the Defender for when the apocalypse hits, and the 280SL for looking fabulous on Sunday drives. It's like someone took my dream garage and put it all in one driveway. 4) Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG Ivory White Link Coordinates: 51°29'44"N 0°09'09"W The last great naturally aspirated AMG, featuring doors that open like a proper supercar should. In ivory white, it looks less like a car and more like something that escaped from a Bond villain's garage. Fun fact: those gullwing doors actually have explosive bolts to blow them off if the car ends up upside down. Because German engineering isn't just thorough, it's explosively thorough. 5) Aston Martin DB11 Volante LinkCoordinates: 51°29'55"N 0°10'51"W Beautiful enough to make an Italian car designer cry, and powerful enough to dry their tears at 180mph. The Volante, which is posh speak for "convertible," packs a twin-turbo V8 from AMG. Yes, it's German-powered British beauty, proving that the European Union might be dead, but automotive collaboration certainly isn't. 6) TME Edition Lancer Evolution 6 Link Coordinates: 39°40'16"N 140°09'33"E The holy grail of Evos, spotted in its natural habitat - Japan. The Tommi Mäkinen Edition was built to celebrate the Finnish driver's fourth consecutive WRC title. Only 2,500 were made, and most have been modified to within an inch of their lives. Finding a stock one is like finding a teenager without a smartphone - theoretically possible but increasingly rare. 7) 1 of 506 1953 Nash-Healey Le Mans Coupe Link Coordinates: 50°56'08"N 1°20'31"W One of just 506 ever built, this Anglo-American hybrid was actually pretty successful at Le Mans. It's what happens when you combine British chassis engineering with American muscle - like a cowboy wearing a Savile Row suit. This particular one looks factory fresh, which is rarer than finding a politician who keeps their promises. 8) TVR Sagaris LinkCoordinates: 52°24'22"N 1°44'43"W Ah, the Sagaris - a car that looks like it was designed by someone who'd had a few too many pints at lunch. No ABS, no traction control, and enough power to terrify a fighter pilot. The exhaust pipes exit through the side because TVR apparently thought going around the back was too mainstream. It's the automotive equivalent of a punk rocker at a classical concert. 9) Rolls-Royce Silver Cloud III Link Coordinates: 50°54'25"N 0°11'16"W The car that made every other luxury vehicle of its era look like it was trying too hard. This is from when Rolls-Royce was so confident, they'd describe their engine power output as "adequate." The radiator grille alone probably contains more steel than an entire modern Fiat. 10) Hyper-Rare Jaguar XK140 DHC Link (gMap StreetView)Coordinates: Removed From Google Earth The drop-head coupe that made Ferrari owners in the 1950s question their life choices. Caught on Street View before Google decided some things were too beautiful for the internet to handle. Interesting fact: the DHC was actually heavier than the roadster, but who cares when you look this good? 11) Porsche 917 Laser Link Coordinates: Removed From Google Earth Ah yes, how could I forget? The 917 that thinks it's a Star Wars prop. Before Google decided to hide it, this was possibly the most bonkers 917 ever created. Built for the Interscope Racing team, it featured a nose job that would make a Beverly Hills plastic surgeon jealous. The "laser nose" was meant to reduce lift at high speeds, though I suspect it was really designed to terrify slower cars into moving over. 12) AC Cobra LinkCoordinates: Removed From Google Earth Before it was removed from Google Earth (probably for being too awesome), this Cobra was caught sunning itself in what appears to be its natural habitat - making everything else on the street look pedestrian. Whether it's genuine or a replica matters less than the fact that someone actually uses it on the road. 13) Mark I Lotus Cortina Link Coordinates: Removed From Google Earth A family car that went to finishing school at Lotus. Jim Clark used to race these things, probably while reading the morning paper and drinking tea, such was his talent. This one looks period-perfect, which means it's either incredibly well preserved or someone's retirement fund on wheels. 14) Jaguar XK120 FHC (Very Rare, Even Rarer on the Road) Link Coordinates: Removed From Google Earth The car that proved the British could build something as sexy as the Italians, just with more leather and less reliability. In fixed-head coupe form, it's actually rarer than the roadster. When new, it was the fastest production car in the world, capable of 120mph - which is what the '120' stands for, in case you were wondering. 15) Jaguar XK150 Roadster. Link Coordinates: Removed From Google Earth The final evolution of the XK series before the E-Type came along and made everything else look outdated. This was Jaguar saying "Right, we've perfected this design, time to move on." With disc brakes all around (revolutionary for the time) and up to 265bhp in 'S' form, it was practically a supercar in the late 1950s. 16) MG TA Midget Link Coordinates: Removed From Google Earth Not actually a small person, but rather the car that helped establish the British sports car tradition. Built when safety features were considered optional and driving gloves were mandatory. The TA could hit 80mph, which in something this small and with brakes this basic, was an act of either bravery or madness, depending on your perspective. 17) 192X Rolls-Royce 20HP Link Coordinates: Removed From Google Earth From when Rolls-Royce built cars so well, they're still running a century later. The 20HP was the "small" Rolls-Royce, meant for owners who occasionally drove themselves rather than being exclusively chauffeur-driven. That's like calling a mansion a starter home. 18) Maserati Shamal x AMG GT C Link: Private Residence, so I've not listed it. Coordinates: Removed From Google Earth The ultimate Italian-German showdown caught in one frame. The Shamal - one of only 369 ever made - was Maserati's answer to the question "What if we built a supercar but made it look like an angry brick?" Next to the flowing lines of the AMG GT C, it's like comparing a sledgehammer to a surgeon's scalpel. Both will get the job done, just... differently. And on that bombshell, we've reached the end of our virtual car-spotting adventure. The fact that these magnificent machines were caught by Google's all-seeing eye proves that even in our digital age, real automotive treasures are still out there, hiding in plain sight. Though by the time you read this, half of them will probably have been removed from Google Earth - because some things are too special for the internet to handle. If you own any of these cars and find me outside your house with a camera, I promise I'm just updating Google's database. Sort of.
