Ralf Lauren may be world renowned for designing high quality and exquisite clothes, but the designer is less well known as a sports and classic car collector.

On the contrary, some of the rarest and most expensive cars in the world are owned by the American fashion designer and to mark his passion for such collecting and restoring rare and valuable motors, Ralph Lauren’s private collection is on show in Paris.

From exceptional Mercedes, including the world’s only 1930 Mercedes SSK, to outstanding Jaguars such as the 1955 Jaguar D-type, the 17-car exhibition, known as “The Art of the Automobile: Masterpieces of the Ralph Lauren Collection”, which opened on 28 April 2011, promised to – like his fashion creations – ‘knock the socks’ off onlookers.

“Cars to me are works of art” and “You can’t drive a painting”, were the fashion designer’s words at the opening of the exhibition at the Musee des Arts Decoratifs in Paris.

The show is playfully accompanied by the soundtrack of the roaring sound of car engines – obviously music to the ears of Ralph Lauren and many of the exhibitions visitors.

Guests can enjoy feasting their eyes on the world’s most valuable cars, including a Ferrari, Porsche, McLaren, Alfa Romeo and Bugatti, all which have been lovingly restored to their original condition by the American designer.

Describing what ignited his passion for car, Ralph Lauren said:

“I never thought of myself as a person who was going to buy cars to put them out there; I thought of myself as driving them. I thought of myself living and experiencing them as they were part of me, not possessions or artistic for someone else to look at, but for me to drive and drive my kids around in, and ultimately become the character of the car.”

The 17 cars were taken from Lauren’s 60-strong collection normally housed in a museum-type private garage in the Westchester county of New York, and shipped to Paris.

“The Art of the Automobile: Masterpieces of the Ralph Lauren Collection”, will be shown at the Musee des Arts Decoratifis until 28 August 2011.

For more information on the fashion designing maestro simply sublime collection of cars, visit the website HERE.

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