McClenaghan turns the handle on the Batbeacon and a red light on top of the car starts flashing round and round. McClenaghan smiles wide. "I've always dreamed of having something cool ...

Take the very cool Chrysler Norseman concept ... my personal automotive holy grail is, like The Black Car, also a prewar classic—though one with a thoroughly American pedigree.

but then these three cars represent what high-end collectors call “holy grail” cars, so named because they are the most sought after in the vintage-car world. Before the McLaren F1 sold ...