Many attempts have been made to document the achievements of mankind. In the 1950s, every square foot of free land had a time capsule under it; they even launched four into space.

In 1936, the Crypt of Civilisation was set up to contain the greatest exhibits ever made.

And now Radio 4 has launched a show trying to sum up the entirety of human existence in 100 objects. No mean feat by any means, but I think I could manage it in half as many.

What’s more, I could do it in 118 minutes.

All I’d do is show you Gone in 60 seconds.

This film features practically every car ever priced above £50,000. There are swift, sexy sports cars with engines that breathe fire and more horses under the bonnet than at the Grand National. But out of the 50 cars that they have to steal, working against the law and the clock, one stands out a mile – the 1967 Ford Mustang Shelby GT500, or ‘Eleanor’ as she’s known to star Nicholas Cage.

And they sure got to know each other. Cage, below, did most of his own stunts with Eleanor and was so impressed he kept one of the seven Ford replicas.

Who could blame him? The Shelby is a stunningly beautiful car. The exterior is sleek and elegant and the back has a curve that could put Keira Knightley out of business. There’s so little streamline you could get it from 0-60mph by just by putting your shoulder to it and pushing.

Looking at a Skoda you feel like the workmen just nailed some bits together and then went off for a pint. Whereas you really get the feeling with this car that everyone at the plant was passionate about making the best car they could. Even the man fitting the stereo seems to have taken great pride in his duty.

But this car isn’t just a pretty face. The outside may be elegant, but the engine is far from it. Not only does it walk the walk, it talks the torque.

The Ford 428 engine can give out 650 horsepower; that’s without the nitrous. With it, the car reaches 1,000 horsepower without breaking sweat.

Not that I can promise the same for any driver brave enough to try. This is no ordinary muscle car; it’s a fully fledged bodybuilder.

And how much, I hear you ask, will this perfectly sculpted masterpiece of machinery cost?

Well, I’ve been browsing and it seems this car will set you back about £150,000. But for one of the defining creations of our race, that’s pretty damn cheap.

This then could be the single greatest car I’ve ever had the good fortune to set eyes upon. And as soon as I am rich enough I will beg, kill and steal for the Shelby.

After all, Nick Cage proved it can be done. All you need are technology, guts and Angelina Jolie.