Ralph Lauren’s 300 Million Dollar Car Collection Is A Living Example Of Art On Wheels

Ralph Lauren, the billionaire philanthropist, owns a huge car collection that is worth over $300 million. Some of his cars are so exotic that they are on display in a museum. In his own words, Ralph describes cars as arts and they are something to live with your life.

In an interview with CARJAM TV back in 2017, Ralph explained, “I love cars and I think cars are the art and clothes are fashion, and mixing them both is exciting and they are like my children… I’m not a collector but I love my cars, I wanted to drive them so I bought these cars. I wanted to drive all of them so I kept all of my cars and suddenly I have a collection…”

Ralph Lauren Has A Special Taste In Collecting Ferraris

Ralph Lauren developed a hobby of collecting some of the most vintage and classic cars over the years but his $300 million dollar car collection is mostly filled with Ferrari models from different generations. He thinks of cars as art and his car collection is definitely a proper justification for his claim.

1. Ferrari 250 TRI/61

Ralph has been a sucker for Ferraris for quite a long time and owns one of the rarest and most collectible models to ever exist. The billionaire businessman owns two Ferrari 250 TRI/61 models. One is from 1958 and the other one is from 1961. The 1958 model, however, has a special meaning to him as it was driven by Phill Hill and Olivier Gendebien who won the 1961 Sebring 12 Hours race.

Ralph bought the car back in 1985 and did a restoration through Graypaul Motors. The car resides in Ralph’s private garage and was last seen back in 2014 at the Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance.

2. 1965 Ferrari 275 P2

Ferrari has produced numerous sports cars over the years but not quite like the 1965 Ferrari 275 P2. The Italian brand built the P2 with the specific need to win Gold at the World Championship and more importantly to beat the Ford. Ralph Lauren’s car collection boasts the mid-engined car with a 3.3L V12 powertrain that produced over 350 hp which ensured their goal of capturing the Gold back in the day.

3. Ferrari 275 GTB N.A.R.T Spyder

One of the most iconic Ferrari cars in Ralph’s possession is the 1968 Ferrari 275 GT N.A.R.T Spyder. The car first belonged to Eddie Smith and later was about to be in Steve McQueen’s garage but Eddie kept it for his son. Later, down the line, Ralph Lauren learned about the NART Spyder and flew all the way to the US to buy it.

4. Ferrari 250 GT SWB Competizione

Lauren’s Ferrari adventure didn’t end as he bought a Ferrari 250 GT Competizione back in his prime time. Designed by Pininfarina, the 250 GT SWB Competizione boats a 3.0L V12 engine fitted to a 4-speed manual transmission. The car can reach a top speed of 150 mph and has an appealing 0-60 acceleration of 6 seconds. Guess what, not only the coupe but Ralph owns the 250 GT SWB California Spyder variant as well.

5. 1991 Ferrari F40

When you have such passion and wealth why not get one of Ferraris's most iconic supercars to this day? Well, Ralph couldn’t give up on his need to get a Ferrari F40 of his own and literally buy one. He has a 1991 model of the car painted in red. Lauren bought the car paying $400K back in 1991 and for a 478-hp twin-turbo V8 supercar on the road, it was worth it. Ralph’s Ferrari F40 was spotted back in 2019 in Saint-Germain-des-Prés, Paris.

6. 2009 Ferrari F430 Scuderia Spider 16M

Ferrari has always been known to produce special variants to celebrate some of their notable achievements and the 2009 Ferrari F430 Scuderia Spider 16M was an open tribute to their 16th Championship-winning memento in 2008. And again, Lauren got his hands on this limited (499 units) edition Ferrari.

The car features a fuel-injected 4.3L 503-hp engine capable of pushing out 347 lb-ft of torque. While the Spider has a 196 mph top speed limit, its main attraction is its 0-60 sprinting capability within just 3.4 seconds.

7. 2013 Ferrari LaFerrari

As surprising as it seems Ralph’s garage has only one modern-day Ferrari hypercar at its disposal. First produced back in 2013, the Ferarri LaFerrari boasts the HY-KERS system that fully combines the output of both gasoline and electrical powertrains. While the gas-powered V12 generates 800 hp, the electric motor adds another 150 ponies making it a revving hypercar in Ralph Lauren’s car collection not to mention the rare glossy black exterior paint job. Ralph's LaFerrari was also featured in many of his fashion weeks.

Ralph Lauren’s Garage Is Filled With Iconic Porsche Models

Not Only Ferraris but the billionaire fashion mogul didn’t limit his taste just to Ferrari cars. Instead, he acquired some of the most iconic Porsche models that built the German carmaker company into what it is today.

1. 1959 Porsche 718 RSK

In the late 50s when Ferrari was almost invincible throughout all racing platforms, Porsche came with the 718 RSK model (Code name - 718-007) and almost snatched Ferrari’s winning spree in 1958 and 1959.

The 1959 718 RSK came with the distinguished wishbone rear suspension while the simplified rear chassis and center steering system ensured its participation in Formula II races. Having such an impactful history in racing history, Ralph didn’t think twice about getting himself one of these fine machines in his $300 million car collection.

2. 1988 Porsche 959 Komfort

Ralph Lauren’s car collection has many contenders that are either sports-centric or luxury-heavy but the 1988 Porsche 959 Komfort is the nearest inductee to “Best Of Both Worlds”. While the word ‘perfect’ is a strong word to describe an 80s classic model, nothing can argue its race-car performance with luxury-sedan comfort.

The 444-hp twin-turbo 2.8L powertrain is inferior to some of its competitors but the sheer handling response, smooth acceleration, and ‘Control Coupling’ 4WD drivetrain system surely suits the multi-billionaire’s taste of both luxury and racing fantasies.

3. Porsche Carrera GT

First built in 2003, the Porsche Carrera GT set a benchmark in the supercar world via its naturally aspirated 5.5L V10 engine. The car was produced for only 1,270 units and to be exact the engine was actually designed for racing. In the end, it was turned into a road-legal supercar for people who wanted a sports car feel on the road.

Ralph’s Carrera GT comes with the classic silver exterior paint job with a standard brown leather interior. The driving force of the car was delivered through a 6-speed manual gearbox and can reach a top speed of 205 mph.

4. Porsche 918 Spyder

Another hybrid supercar in Ralph Lauren’s car collection is the ‘spine-tingling’ Porsche 918 Spyder. First launched in 2014, the 918 Spyder boasts a lightweight body construction with innovative power units of both gas and electric motors where the 4.6L V8 alone churns out 578 horsepower and the dual electric motors produce 210 hp. As for performance, the car can hit the 0-60 mark within 2.4 seconds with the capability of reaching a top speed of 214 mph.

Ralph Lauren’s 17 Cars From The ‘L'Art de L'automobile’ Exhibition In Paris

Every year “The Musée des Arts Décoratifs” organizes a special exhibition showing off 100 extraordinary cars in their “L'Art de L'automobile” division. Well, Ralph Lauren’s most iconic 17 cars from his collection have been a part of the exhibition for quite a long time and it started back in 2011. Let’s take a look at those 17 historical cars from Ralph Laurence’s car collection.

Note: The number after "#" indicates the chassis number for each of the respective cars mentioned.

1. 1938 Bugatti Type 57SC Atlantic #57591

The Bugatti Type 57SC Atlantic was one of the earliest and most expensive cars from Bugatti. The car owned by Ralph Lauren was a 1938 model, which he acquired in 1988 and was restored by Paul Russell. In 1990, the car went on to win Best of Show at the Pebble Beach Concours. The original price of the car is not known, but the auction value of the car stands at a minimum of $30 million.

The initial owner was Richard Pope, a British tennis player who owned it for close to 30 years, after which Bugatti specialist Barrie Price owned it for 10 years. Following him, Anthony Bamford owned the car, and after him, another collector, before it became a part of Ralph Lauren’s collection. The car’s chassis number was 57591, and the engine number was 39S. This model had a beige interior, with the original color being sapphire blue.

2. 1933 Bugatti Type 59 Grand Prix #59122

The 1933 Bugatti Type 59 Grand Prix was the last race car from Bugatti in the years 1933–1934. The car’s original price is not known at all, but a while ago, the Type 59 went under the hammer for a price of $1.2 million. The car was based on the chassis of the Type 54 Grand Prix Bugatti. The Type 59 is considered to be one of the most awe-inspiring and noble GP cars made back then.

The Type 59 also had a rear differential. However, the car debuted in the later part of the 1933 season, and it won its first pole position in the 1934 Belgian Grand Prix. The car owned by Ralph Lauren is chassis number 59122, one of the eight cars built for the 1933 season. For most of its life, before it became a part of Ralph Lauren’s car collection, the Type 59 was driven mostly by race car drivers.

3. 1929 Bentley Blower #HR3976

We start this list with the 1929 Bentley Blower, which is also the oldest car in the businessman’s collection. The Bentley Blower owned by Ralph Lauren has had a total of four owners, the first being Hon. Dorothy Paget, followed by a private owner in France, and then going into the hands of Sir Anthony Bamford, a renowned car collector.

Ralph Lauren’s car chassis number is HR3976, and he acquired the car in 1988. Although the original price is not available, a Blower was sold at an auction for 7 million USD.

It is also called the Bentley 4 ½ Liter and was a successor to the Bentley 3 Liter. The name came due to the car’s 4.4-liter inline-4 engine getting a supercharger, which increased the output to 240 hp from a mere 110 hp. A total of 55 units of the car were sold. The car was built by Walter Owen Bentley in the final, near-bankruptcy days of the company. Recently, Bentley also made 12 models in 2020 based on the Blower, named the Bentley Blower Car Zero.

4. 1930 Mercedes-Benz SSK (Count Trossi) #36038

The 1930 Mercedes-Benz SSK is a roadster model built from 1928 to 1932. The car’s actual price is not available, but at an auction, the vehicle was sold for around $7.4 million. The model in Ralph’s collection is the SSK “Count Trossi”, which he acquired and restored by Paul Russell. The SS in the name stands for Super Sport, and the K is the German word “Kurz”, which means short.

Once restored, Ralph’s SSK won the top award at the 1993 Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance and the 2007 Concorso d’Elegance Villa d’Este. It is the SSK’s number of models that makes it highly rare and unique. Close to 40 units were built, of which half were made for the track and sold as racing cars. In 2022, only four of the original cars will remain in the world. The car had a top speed of 120 mph.

5. 1955 Mercedes-Benz 300SL Coupe Alloy Gullwing ‘Papillon’ #198.040-5500386

The German carmaker company went crazy back in the 50s with their ‘300SL’ project for ‘Super Leicht’ So, they introduced an ultra-light chassis infused with Butterfly doors while the hardwire boosted a 3.0L 6-cylinder engine. It had all the style incorporated into it but most of all the car had excellent racing qualities given it won the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1952 and the Carrera Panamericana.

A total of 1,400 units of these models were produced and Ralph’s 300 SL was one of them. The car also has a name for itself - ‘Papillon’. You know what’s cooler than a 300SL Alloy Gullwing - two 300SL models and Ralph Lauren owns a 300SL Roadster version in his car collection.

6. 1931 Alfa Romeo 8C 2300 #2111043

The 1931 Alfa Romeo 8C 2300 was the first car to be made in the 8C series. While there is no clarity on the car’s original MSRP, the 1931 model fetches around 11 million dollars at auctions, one of the highest for Alfa Romeo models. Coming back to the car, the 8C 2300’s name was taken from its engine, a 2,336 cc, or 2.3-liter inline-8 setup. The engine also got a Roots supercharger and a single Mini carburetor.

Ralph Lauren acquired the car in 1988, and it has a chassis number of 2111043. The 8C 2300 was made specifically for racing, but Alfa Romeo later decided to make 188 units for road-legal usage as well. The car won the 1931 Targa Florio, the 1932 Targa Florio, and the 1931 Italian Grand Prix at Monza. As a result, sometimes the 8C 2300 is also called the 8C 2300 Monza. Alfa Romeo developed a great reputation with the 8C in the racing department.

7. 1939 Alfa Romeo 8C 2900 Mille Miglia #412030

Another 8C owned by Ralph Lauren is the 1939 Alfa Romeo 8C Mille Miglia. The Mille Miglia was one of the four cars built by the brand that participated in the race. Although the car’s actual buying price for Ralph Lauren is not known, one of these beauties fetched an auction value of $19.8 million. The car was created by Vittorio Jano, and the bodywork was from Carrozzeria Touring.

The transmission setup was a 4-speed manual unit with a reverse gear and an unsynchronized rear transaxle. This model had a curb weight of 2,755.8 lbs. In the race, the car took part under Alfa Corse’s name. The Mille Miglia owned by Ralph Lauren was displayed at the 2005 Pebble Beach Concours, where the car was awarded for being the best in its class. Before Ralph, the car was owned by Bill Serri.

8. 1954 Ferrari 375 Plus #0398AM

The Ferrari 375 Plus was a racing sports car made in 1954 that competed in the 24 Hours of Le Mans, 1000 km of Buenos Aires, Silverstone, and other races. The initial build price of the car is not available, but a 1954 Ferrari 375 Plus model was sold at an auction for a staggering price of $18.3 million. The 375 Plus was designed by Pinin Farina, the founder of the famous coachbuilding company Pininfarina S.p.A.

The Ferrari 375 Plus was a successor to the Ferrari 375 MM and a predecessor to the Ferrari 410 S. The race car had a wheelbase of 102.4 inches and a dry curb weight of 2,271 lbs. The chassis was made from steel tubes, which were arranged in an elliptical order. A total of 8 units of the Ferrari 375 Plus were made. Ralph Lauren purchased the car in 1990, and his car’s serial number is 0398TF.

9. 1955 Porsche 550 Spyder #5500061

You can’t ignore Porsches when it comes to small and balanced sports cars, and that has been the legacy of the brand since its inception. The 550’s engine is mounted at the front end of the rear axle, to achieve a balanced weight distribution and neutral handling.

In its various forms and avatars, it participated in several competitions like the 24 Hours of Le Mans, the Targa Florio, the Carrera Panamericana, etc. And if we talk about exclusivity, only about 90 units of these were ever manufactured. The Porsche 550 Spyder has an estimated price of $2.7 million in 2023.

10. 1958 Ferrari 250 Testa Rossa #0734

The 1958 Ferrari 250 Testa Rossa is one of the most envied cars and belongs to Ralph Lauren. The reason is its limited number of 33 units, making it one of the most valuable vintage Ferrari cars.

The car’s price is not known, but auctions have raised it to a whopping $40 million. Also, Ralph Lauren owns two of these: a 1958 Scaglietti car with chassis number 0734TR and a 1961 250 TR-61 Spider Fantuzzi with chassis number 0792TR.

Ferrari made this car from 1957 to 1961, and it was made with the purpose of offering its customers who used the 50 TRC racing sports car a more powerful engine on a similar chassis for the same handling experience. The Scaglietti car was the 14th model in the series. The other Spider model was acquired by him in March 1985, after which he restored it at GrayPaul Motors. The car had a top speed of 161 mph.

11. 1962 Ferrari 250 GTO #3987GT

The most valuable car in Ralph Lauren’s car collection is the 1962 Ferrari 250 GTO, made on October 11, 1962. It is said that the car had an MSRP of $18,000 when launched in the United States, but today, it can fetch a sky-high auction value of $70 million. Ralph Lauren purchased the car in 1985 for a sum of $650,000, and his car’s chassis number is 3987GT. The 205 GTO is limited to 36 units in total.

The GTO in the name stands for “Gran Turismo Omologato”, and the 250 stands for each cylinder’s displacement in cubic centimeters. The GTO could not be bought by everyone, and buyers were selected personally by Enzo Ferrari himself. The car is the most valuable Ferrari as well, and Ferrari describes the car today as “the car that summed up Ferrari philosophy best.”

12. 1964 Ferrari 250 LM #6321

Ralph Lauren’s Ferrari 250 LM was one of Ferrari’s ‘Abandoned Children’ back in the days when Enzo wanted 100 units of these models taking after the 1962 250 GTO. The 250 LM was supposed to be a part of the “Grand Touring division” but taking in the 250 GTO’s success in racing, authorities boycotted the idea of its production.

Enzo even went to the extent of walking out from racing just to ensure the 250 LM’s production but it all went through the pipe drain. However, some of those privately purchased units were used in racing and Ralph’s 250 LM was part of the Surfers' Paradise 12 hours race in 1966 in Australia driven by Jackie Stewart.

13. 1960 Ferrari 250 GT Passo Corto Berlinetta Competizione #2035GT

If you think the 1955 250 GTO was cool then check out Ralph’s 250 GT ‘Berlinetta’. First debuted in 1959 at the Paris Motor Show, the ‘Berlinetta’ was a short chassis version of the 250 GTO. While you appreciate its 280-hp engine with standard Ferrari luxury promises, the design of the car was straight from Pininfarina himself.

While the car won the 250 Passo Corto for three straight years (1960 to 1962), Ralph’s 250 GT Berlinetta was the 31st factory unit and Horacio Macedo was the second owner of the car. Also, Macedo was a Portuguese who won more than 23 national race events back in the day.

14. McLaren F1 LM #LM3

Another special McLaren in Ralph Lauren’s collection is the F1 LM. It was the race-spec version that was built by the manufacturer to honor the 1995 Le Mans winner the McLaren F1 GTR. McLaren only built six of these cars and only five were sold to the public.

The extensive list of changes includes approximately 132 lbs of weight reduction, a high compression ratio for more potent output, and aerodynamics derived directly from the GTR race car.

15. 1955 Jaguar XKD #505/601

The 1955 Jaguar XKD, when it was launched on the market, had an estimated starting MSRP of $11,000. The car belonged to the D-Type racing sports car that was made from 1954 to 1957. In today’s time, the car has an auction price of $21.78 million, thanks to the limited number of D-Type models (estimated at 71 units). This price also makes it the most paid-for Jaguar car at an auction.

In the 1960s, the D-Type models failed to fetch good value for what they offered. The XKD was a factory-built race car. The one that is a part of Ralph Lauren’s collection was the XKD 505/601, which also grabbed sixth place at Le Mans. This car was also among the few long-nosed models made. Ralph Lauren also sells a hand-made replica model of the same car, made by Amalgam, a Britain-based company.

16. 1958 Jaguar XKSS #XKD533

The Jaguar XKSS was basically the street-legal version of the race-spec Jaguar D-Type. According to Hagerty, the Jaguar XKSS is considered to have a valuation of about $7.8 million. But this is not only because it’s a vintage car. There were only 16 of these cars ever built, while the plan was to make a total of 25.

Back in the 1950s, the craze for European sportscars and spiders was skyrocketing, and with the XKSS, Jaguar wanted to get a share of that. It came with a beautifully sculpted design, big rounded headlamps, and a beautiful interior.

17. 1950 Jaguar XK120 Aluminum Roadster #660043

Ralph has always been into Jaguars especially those which have a brief and significant history. For the British automaker brand, the 50s was one of their glory periods as the Jaguar XK120 Roadster was unveiled back in 1948 at the London Motor Show. Jaguar designer William Lyons explained the car as an explosive roadster with feline grace.

Ralph’s XK120 Roadster is one of the remaining original factory-made models still existing to this day. The car was even in the 1950 Mille Miglia race driven by Clemente Biondetti and came in eighth place.

Modern-Day Bugatti To Limited RUF, Ralph Has It All

2006 Bugatti Veyron 16.4

Ralph’s Bugatti collection didn’t stop with his vintage models but far escalated to 2006 as he bought a Veyron back in the same year. The world’s fastest and most expensive production car back in the day was the Veyron which came with an original price tag of $1,250,000. A total of 50 units per year was a production plan for the company and it has been selling like hot cake in the market.

There was an unexpected turn of events regarding the Veyron back in 2007 when famous YouTuber Doug DeMuro was accompanying his girlfriend Kate through Telluride as he noticed a Veyron first time in his life and felt excited. However, the number plate (RLX 7) intrigued Doug as he thought about the RL initials on the number plate and quickly remembered Ralph Lauren’s ranch in New York.

He followed the car for quite some time and there he was, Ralph Lauren driving his Veyron. The two even shared some words that Dough asked, “What's it like, Ralph?” to which the billionaire replied, “(laughs and nods) It's incredible”.

2007 RUF CTR3

We all know about the legendary CTR “Yellow Bird” that took the sports car world by storm. After 20 years of the “Yellow Bird”, RUF launched the CTR3 model in Bahrain back in 2007 flaunting its pure diving machine capabilities.

Guess what? Ralph’s garage has a CTR3 as well. While the mid-engine design provides exceptional balance and agile handling, the CTR3’s twin-turbocharged 3.8L flat-6 engine has an output of 700 hp following the most intriguing aspect of a top speed of 235 mph.

Special Mentions

2003 Lamborghini Reventón

Having an Italian sportscar in your garage is cool! But do you know what’s even cooler? Getting a chance to own one of only 36 Lamborghini Reventons just because you are a loyal customer of Lamborghini. The first car we are going to talk about in Ralph Lauren’s car collection is the Lamborghini Reventón in its roadster body style, of which only 15 were ever made.

Since the exclusivity mentioned earlier, Lamborghini offered this car exclusively to its loyal customers, and it used to cost $1.4 million. The Reventon’s estimated price in 2023 is around $1.9 million as per the auction rates.

It was based on the Lamborghini Murcielago, considering it uses the same engine 6.5 Liter V12, and other similarities. As with every other Lamborghini, the Reventón (small explosion in Spanish) name comes from a fighting bull who is famous for killing Mexican bullfighter Felix Guzman.

McLaren F1

The McLaren F1 was a unicorn of its time, with its iconic centrally located seating position, lightweight design, and a V12 engine at the back that was designed by one of the best to walk the earth, Paul Rosche. Back in the 1990s, no one had ever seen or imagined that anything like this could’ve existed or been made. But with the efforts of famous names like Gordon Murray, Ron Dennis, and Peter Stevens, it turned into a reality.

It was fast—not just fast, blisteringly fast—the fastest of all the automobiles in the world. And it still holds the record of being the fastest naturally aspirated car ever produced. With a production run of only 106 cars in its whole lifetime, it surely turns out to be one of the most valuable cars from the 1990s.

Besides these ones, Ralph Lauren’s car collection also features several other great automobiles like the -

• 1963 Aston Martin DB5
• 2005 Aston Martin Vanquish S
• 2014 McLaren P1
• 2015 McLaren P1
• 1953 Morgan Plus Four
• 1966 Morgan Plus Four
• 1972 Ferrari 375 GTS/4 Daytona Spyder

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