Fashion designer Ralph Lauren is best known for the popular Polo Ralph Lauren clothing line of casual and semi-formal wear for men and women, featuring clean lines and classic silhouettes. He brings this same sense of style to his lines of accessories, fragrances, home (bedding and towels) and housewares. Passionate about style and the search for beauty, Lauren is also an automobile collector. He owns more than 70, some of which are extremely rare.
The Musée des Arts Décoratifs in Paris is currently hosting an exhibit, The Art of the Automobile: Masterpieces from the Ralph Lauren Collection, featuring 17 of the most extraordinary vehicles in the history of automobiles. This includes two of the world's most expensive vehicles: a 1962 Ferrari 250 GTO and a 1938 Bugatti 57 SC Atlantic Coupe, both reportedly worth an estimated $30-$40 million each.
“Racing is what unites these vehicles, each containing an impressive number of innovations. They reveal different approaches to design, some more reasoned and less intuitive than others, but they all illustrate the search for maximum efficiency resulting in beauty: not only beauty of line, but also of details and the mechanical body, the design of which is every bit as meticulous as the curves of their coachwork,” states the exhibit program.
If you're in Paris, this exhibition is well worth a visit. These machines are truly works of art with the most exquisite lines and attention to detail, and represent Lauren’s passion for style and beauty.
The Art of the Automobile: Masterpieces from the Ralph Lauren Collection
Musée des Arts Décoratifs
107, rue de Rivoli, 75001 Paris
www.lesartsdecoratifs.fr
Exhibit ends August 28, 2011
Pictured: Jaguar XKD, 1955 (green) and Alfa Romeo 8C 2900 Mille Miglia, 1938 (red)