Inside Ralph Lauren's Insane Car Collection

Hollywood Journal

Robb Report recently took an exclusive tour around Ralph Lauren's private garage. Here are six of our favorite cars from the famed designer's incredible collection.

Transcript

00:01Ralph Lauren needs no introduction.

00:03As a designer, visionary, or philanthropist, for over 50 years he's been selling the American

00:09dream through his many clothing lines, watches, fragrances, and homeware.

00:14But he also has one of the most stylish automotive collections in the world.

00:18And Rob Report recently took an exclusive tour around his private garage.

00:23Here are six of our favorite vehicles, owned and treasured by Ralph Lauren.

00:30As collectors try to guess which car might be the next Ferrari 250 GTO in both value and

00:44stature, many are pointing to the groundbreaking McLaren F1, introduced in 1992.

00:54The British Mark's first production car carries a 620 horsepower, 6.1 liter V12 that delivers

01:01a top speed of 240 miles per hour and the ability to go 0-60 in 3.2 seconds.

01:08The output was so great, the engine bay had to be lined with gold to dissipate the heat.

01:14Like all of the cars in Ralph Lauren's collection, the McLaren F1 LM is a rare beast.

01:20It's a more track-focused version, though still street legal, made to commemorate that year's

01:24win at Le Mans.

01:26Six examples were built, one to honor each of the five cars in the race, plus a prototype.

01:32The Sultan of Brunei ordered three, Mr. Lauren acquired his, at auction, in 2004.

01:51Arguably the most eye-catching automobile ever built, this extraordinary Bugatti is likely

01:57also the car most associated with Ralph Lauren.

02:00The vehicle's breathtaking lines are matched by its performance, thanks to a 3.3 liter straight

02:06eight engine that allows for a top speed of more than 124 miles per hour.

02:15Designed by founder Ettore Bugatti's son, Jean, only four examples were made.

02:21Jean's own car disappeared 85 years ago, and another has been rebuilt with a number of

02:26new components after an accident.

02:29This one, chassis number 57591, is among the two remaining in original form.

02:35And what a form it is.

02:42Ferrari's LaFerrari was a new automotive benchmark when it debuted in 2013.

02:47The 950 horsepower model not only had more power than any production car Maranello had built

02:53before it, but it was the automaker's first to use hybrid technology.

02:58Its powertrain was developed from Formula One, and includes a 161 horsepower electric motor,

03:04along with the 789 horses from the naturally aspirated V12, all managed by a seven-speed

03:11dual-clutch transmission.

03:12That translates to hitting 60 miles per hour in 2.4 seconds, on the way to a top speed

03:18of 217 miles per hour.

03:21Each of LaFerrari's 499 examples, priced around $1.5 million when new, were offered on an invite-only

03:29basis to select clients.

03:32Ferraris feature heavily in Lauren's collection, but in the sea of red-prancing horses in his garage,

03:37this black-on-black 2015 LaFerrari stands out in every possible way.

03:44As its name suggests, Jaguar's XK120 has a top speed of 120 miles per hour, which meant

03:50it left every other road car in the dust when it came on the scene in 1948.

03:55This was made possible by the car's dual overhead cam 3.4-liter straight-six, paired with a four-speed

04:00manual gearbox that sent the Roadster from 0 to 60 miles per hour in 10 seconds, extremely

04:06quick for the time.

04:07But that output was arguably eclipsed by the elegant, athletic bodywork penned by Jaguar

04:12founder Sir William Lyons.

04:14One of the things that marks Ralph Lauren's collection is the level of personalization

04:18that he adds to his cars.

04:20This Works Roadster from 1950, for example, was originally red, but Ralph had other ideas.

04:25He created his own shade of green for the car, using more olive than the traditional

04:29racing green.

04:31Lauren has always been inspired by film and the golden age of Hollywood.

04:35So maybe the fact that both Clark Gable and Humphrey Bogart owned XK120s had something

04:39to do with why Lauren picked this one up in 1985.

04:42Or maybe it was just that it's one of the most gorgeous cars in the world.

04:49This is the last model that Enzo Ferrari lived to see released.

04:53The F40 not only celebrated his marks 40th anniversary, but was also the fastest production

04:58car in the world at the time.

05:00Featuring a tubular steel chassis draped in 11 composite body panels, the 80s-era supercar

05:05housed a mid-mounted twin-turbo V8 with 471 horsepower and 426 pound-feet of torque.

05:12With that brawn, the F40 punches from 0 to 62 miles per hour in 4.1 seconds and tops out

05:19at 201 miles per hour.

05:22Not surprisingly, when it came on the market in 1987, the F40 was Ferrari's most expensive

05:27model to date.

05:28Unlike many of the cars in Lauren's collection, he purchased this particular one brand new

05:33in 1991.

05:35Rumor has it that at one point he considered selling it, but his kids persuaded him not

05:38to.

05:39If that's true, it's not just Lauren Sr. who has an eye for an appreciating asset.

05:55Part roadster, part Batmobile, part automotive art form, this Mercedes is a spectacular piece

06:01of engineering by Ferdinand Porsche.

06:03Yes, that Porsche, and was one of 33 manufactured from 1928 through 1932.

06:14The model's short wheelbase and supercharged 7-liter straight-six engine made it a favorite

06:20in early motorsport.

06:21The car's sweeping Art Deco coachwork was the vision of Count Carlo Felice Trussi, a famed

06:27racer of the early 20th century who drove for the likes of Alfa Romeo under Enzo Ferrari

06:32and Mercedes Benz.

06:34Exquisite in both form and function, his automotive namesake has been in Lauren's collection since

06:391988 and has subsequently earned Best of Show at Villa d'Este and Pebble Beach.

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