Top Gear host chooses best American cars throughout history ...

Although once considered the center of the automotive world, it's no secret that American car companies have had a rough couple of years. Most auto enthusiasts and critics have not been keen on most of the American models offered over the past few decades, and it's given "American-made" a somewhat unfavorable meaning in the world of cars.

Top Gear makes fun of American cars

The British TV show Top Gear features vehicles from around the world, and it's not uncommon for the hosts to get excited about driving the latest BMW, Mercedes-Benz or Ferrari. However, American vehicles are somewhat rarer on the popular automotive program. While some of the hosts have voiced their general dislike for American automobiles, at least one ? Richard Hammond ? says he's a big fan of American cars throughout history. That's in stark contrast to Jeremy Clarkson, who called the Ford Mustang V8 "rubbish" and famously said that "Americans have the aesthetic ability of giraffes."

Hammond has been called the "secret American" by his co-hosts, but he makes no attempt to hide his love for American automobiles in a recent interview for GQ. The magazine asked the presenter to choose his 10 favorite American vehicles throughout history ? and a few new cars even snuck their way onto the list along with the classics.

Classic models make the list

One thing that can be said for American cars is that they have a long history, and three models chosen by Hammond are still made today, even if the modern vehicles only share a name with their predecessors. Hammond singled out the 1953 Chevrolet Corvette, 1968 Ford Mustang GT and 1969 Dodge Charger as three American models that set the standard when they were introduced.

"It rocked everybody's socks, and still does, and it puts a massive smile on my face whenever I take it out of my garage," Hammond said of his old Mustang.

New cars show up as well

While Hammond still has his old Corvette, he said his collection could expand to two Corvettes in the near future with the new ZR1. The Corvette ZR1 is less muscle car and more sports car, which is rare for American automakers. It's easy to see why Hammond likes the ZR1 ? Top Gear frequently takes cars to the track, and according to CNN Money the ZR1 is the second-fastest American car ever made.

Yet it's not only fast cars that get Hammond's attention. The television host said he was a big fan of the 2012 Jeep Wrangler, even though he wasn't expecting to like it.

"I dismissed it at first; I thought it was going to be awful," he told the news source. "But it's fabulous, and got me thinking about the Wrangler in general: It's a retro car and you could knock it for that, but you know what? It works, it's competent, it's efficient for its size."

Another modern vehicle that made the list was the Fisker Karma. While Toyota may be the king of hybrids with its Prius model, there's no doubt that America has jumped in on fully-electric vehicles, with models like the Chevrolet Volt. Hammond thinks the Karma, a sports car powered by an electric motor, is the best of the bunch. And while Clarkson might rag on Americans' aesthetic ability, the Karma is one nice-looking vehicle in Hammond's opinion ? regardless of what kind of engine it has.

It's somewhat telling that no models from the eighties, nineties or 2000s made the list, but the healthy dose of new cars indicates things might be looking up for the American auto industry, at least when it comes to acceptance by automotive enthusiasts and critics from around the world.

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