Inside Ralph Lauren's Garage - WOW.

[sbrguy]

Um, woodies, regardless of make, are quite rare and valuable.....

(and will put you in the poorhouse to restore)

if you are mr ralph no car is putting you in the poorhouse when you have a collection of classic ferraris to go along with your other classic cars.

that collection is just damn amazing, but i think jay's garage is a more fun garage as it seems like he truly enjoys driving all of his cars and motorcycles more.

[Bick]

Very Nice!

Almost as nice as DDGM's garage. 

[Speedbag]

if you are mr ralph no car is putting you in the poorhouse when you have a collection of classic ferraris to go along with your other classic cars.

Yeah, I was talking about someone like you or I. Average folks. 

[jmoth79]

oooooffaahh.   

[gage]

He has many of his cars worked on at Gullwing in Essex MA. They do some amazing restorations on mercedes and porsches etc. Their lead engine builder opened a new shop and now works on my Focus!  

Here is the website - talk about a nice garage

http://paulrussell.com/portfolio-retrospective/

[Grappa]

Here are a few more photos of his collection.  The lucky bastard!!

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704187604576289113149078354.html?mod=WSJ_newsreel_lifeStyle

[ducatiz]

Ralph Lipshitz has come a LONG way

[AJ]

Several years ago some of his collection was at the MFA here in Boston.  It was a great exhibit.

That was an awesome exhibit ... so great I went twice   
Absolutely gorgeous machines...

[DoubleEagle]

After you have about 10 they sort of lose their real value to you as far as the WOW factor.

I remember when I had my Porsche and BMW collection.

I guess I just didn't have enough $$$$$$$ to just be able to put all the care and feeding so to speak in someone Else's hands so I could just drive them and enjoy them.

I'm sire Ralph never has to get his  "hands dirty,"  and he has all his cars restored to Concours condition. I don't know that he even does the actual act of buying.

I would expect him to at least go and look at the cars in person before he has one of his people handle the rest of the procurement.

I don't even know that he writes the check , it's like the time I met Les Wexner , the owner of the Limited Brands based in the Northeastern part of Columbus, Ohio and his wife Abigail ( 24 years his junior ) .

I was picking up my new BMW Z-8 and Les was picking out the interior colors for his soon to be , new Aston Martin 12 cylinder Vantage.

He seemed like a down to Earth regular guy except that he was worth $2.6 billion . I've never met a Billionaire before ...or since.

Here's a man who lives in a $47 million, 336 acre English looking Estate , he bought a $42 million Picasso and donated it to the Wexner Center for the Arts at Ohio State University and owns the largest Yacht of any one in the US at 315 feet 7 ".

No security with him, dressed in jeans , he could have had one of the Sales associates bring to him the swatches or asked that the owner come meet with him. Instead he choose to drive 30 miles and brave traffic to come in on a Saturday afternoon and be amongst the crowd that usually shows up to ogle the exotics .

I guess the difference is that Lauren buys vintage but may not drive them much whereas Wexner buys new and drives his " Toys ."

Dolph     

Made my day .

[yamifixer]

I think that the Alfa 8c 2900 is the sexiest car I have ever seen.

[cokey]

Cars are meant to be driven.. get them out from under the covers n put some wear on those tires.. if you have too many, then just drive a diff one every day..

[MotoCreations]

I can personally confirm that the cars do get used (at times).  I'm very familiar with one late night run in the 250TR.  The Bugatti Atlantic is stunningly beautiful.  The 8C2900 Alfa Romeo is insane to be honest -- and I can confirm it is a driver and has been used as such at times.  The Alfa 8C's are the pre-WWII Ferrari and are MUST HAVE items for an Italian collection (maybe even more so then a 250GTO)

Also the modern Bugatti's are driven -- one on Long Island and the 2nd in Colorado.

If you ever see Ralph at a concours d'elegance or show -- he is a good guy to talk "cars" with.  He is very intelligent and loves the cars he has and is intimately familiar with their history.  Don't think of him as "Ralph Lauren" -- just think of him as a passionate car enthusiast (who has the money and started collecting many of his cars decades ago)...

[redxblack]

Now I understand why he charges what he does for a polo shirt. I would too.

[sbrguy]

well i don't know the 250 gto and original testarossa are by far the nicest ferraris out there,  not sure if antyhing beats either of those two at the top of my list except maybe the original california is right up there for a nice driver car.

[DoubleEagle]

Anyone happen to see the '71 Lamborghini Miura that sold at Amelia Island by Gooding and Co. for $1,705,000.

One of my favorite Italian works of vehicular Artistry.

Love to have one of those.

Dolph