Who? Ralph Lauren’s work has always been synonymous with technical perfection and effortless elegance, so it is no surprise that his interest in design extends beyond the world of fashion. Indeed he is renowned as the owner of one of the foremost car collections in the world, a selection of which is currently on show for the first time in Europe at Paris’ Musée des Arts Décoratifs. Curated by the museum’s Rodolphe Rapetti and put on display by Jean-Michel Wilmotte, the collection represents moments when automobile design has truly achieved the status of art.
What? The range of seventeen cars, dating from the 1930s to the present day, takes the visitor on an awe-inspiring tour of some of the greatest automobiles the world has ever known. Ranging from the Bentley Blower, the car Ian Fleming chose for his hero in the first Bond novels; the 1938 Bugatti 57 SC Atlantic Coupé, of which only four were ever made; and 1955’s Jaguar XKD, which made Patricia Coundley the fastest woman in Europe in 1964, the exhibition displays a cross section of the world’s most historic and important cars, all restored to the perfection of their heyday.
Why? As cars, each of the exceptional vehicles exhibited was designed as a masterpiece blending technological innovation and boldness of style, and it is this combination that most attracts their owner. "I’ve always seen cars as art. Moving art", Lauren says. However, he never envisaged creating a collection that would be eventually shown in a museum. "I thought of myself living and experiencing them as if they were part of me, not possessions of artistic beauty for someone else to look at, but for me to drive my kids around in, and ultimately become the character of the car." Thus the exhibition celebrates the advances in technology that have taken place over the past century or so, while also reveling in the visceral joy inherent in driving a fast and beautiful car.
The Art of the Automobile: Masterpieces of the Ralph Lauren Collection runs until August 28 2011 at the Musée des Arts Décoratifs
Text by Tish Wrigley
