From the Gullwing’s doors being awkward and the Dino’s V6 echoing too loudly throughout the cockpit to the quirky — and, honestly a bit weird — design of the Lamborghini LM 002, every car has been criticised by reviewers, owners, and journalists on some occasion or another. And while they were the most obvious points of contention at their debut — change is scary; we don’t like change — aren’t they also the main reasons why the masses love them so much today? Luckily for the critics out there, RM Sotheby’s has put together such a varied group of ‘icons’ — from pre-War and racing classics to modern classics and supercars — there’s bound to be at least one car that you simply can’t find fault with. If you’re a fifties fanatic, the 1955 Mercedes-Benz 300 SL ‘Gullwing’ (est. 1.3–1.5m US dollars) or the 1959 Ferrari 250 LWB California Spider Competizione (14–17m dollars) may pull at your heartstrings. Or if you’re modern-day all the way, the 1996 Porsche 911 GT2 (1.1–1.4m dollars) or the ex-Steve Jobs 2000 BMW Z8 (300,000–400,000 dollars) are bound to do something for you. Or maybe it’s the speed of the 2014 Ferrari LaFerrari (3.25–3.75m dollars) or the ingenuity of the 2018 Bugatti Chiron (3.5–4m dollars) that you just can’t deny? No matter where your allegiances lie, your personal icon is sure to be discovered within the pages of the Icons catalogue. You can find every car lot from RM Sotheby’s sale, taking place 6 December in New York, in the Classic Driver Market, or alternatively, see our 10 most iconic icons below.

The most iconic icons in RM Sotheby’s auction