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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
00:00 Ralph Lauren needs no introduction. As a designer, visionary, or philanthropist.
00:06 For over 50 years he's been selling the American dream through as many clothing
00:10 lines, watches, fragrances, and homeware. But he also has one of the most stylish
00:16 automotive collections in the world. And Rob Report recently took an exclusive
00:20 tour around his private garage. Here are six of our favorite vehicles, owned and
00:26 treasured by Ralph Lauren.
00:29 [Music]
00:37 As collectors try to guess which car might be the next Ferrari 250 GTO in
00:42 both value and stature, many are pointing to the groundbreaking McLaren F1
00:47 introduced in 1992.
00:51 [Music]
00:53 The British marks first production car carries a 620 horsepower, 6.1 liter
00:59 V12 that delivers a top speed of 240 miles per hour and the ability to go 0
01:04 to 60 in 3.2 seconds. The output was so great the engine bay had to be lined
01:10 with gold to dissipate the heat. Like all of the cars in Ralph Lauren's
01:15 collection, the McLaren F1 LM is a rare beast. It's a more track focused version,
01:21 though still street legal, made to commemorate that year's win at Le Mans.
01:25 Six examples were built, one to honor each of the five cars in the race, plus a
01:30 prototype. The Sultan of Brunei ordered three. Mr. Lauren acquired his at auction
01:36 in 2004.
01:39 [Music]
01:51 Arguably the most eye-catching automobile ever built, this extraordinary
01:55 Bugatti is likely also the car most associated with Ralph Lauren. The
02:00 vehicle's breathtaking lines are matched by its performance, thanks to a 3.3 liter
02:05 straight-8 engine that allows for a top speed of more than 124 miles per hour.
02:12 Designed by founder Ettore Bugatti's son, Jean, only four examples were made.
02:19 Jean's own car disappeared 85 years ago, and another has been rebuilt with a
02:25 number of new components after an accident. This one, chassis number 57591,
02:31 is among the two remaining in original form. And what a form it is.
02:37 [Music]
02:41 Ferrari's LaFerrari was a new automotive benchmark when it debuted in 2013. The
02:47 950 horsepower model not only had more power than any production car Maranello
02:52 had built before it, but it was the automaker's first to use hybrid
02:56 technology. Its powertrain was developed from Formula One and includes a 161
03:02 horsepower electric motor, along with the 789 horses from the naturally aspirated
03:08 V12, all managed by a seven-speed dual-clutch transmission. That translates
03:13 to hitting 60 miles per hour in 2.4 seconds, on the way to a top speed of 217
03:19 miles per hour. Each of LaFerrari's 499 examples, priced around 1.5 million when
03:26 new, were offered on an invite-only basis to select clients. Ferraris feature
03:32 heavily in Loren's collection, but in the sea of red prancing horses in his garage,
03:37 this black-on-black 2015 LaFerrari stands out in every possible way.
03:41 As its name suggests, Jaguar's XK120 has a top speed of 120 miles per hour, which
03:50 meant it left every other road car in the dust when it came on the scene in
03:53 1948. This was made possible by the car's dual overhead cam 3.4 liter straight-six,
03:59 paired with a four-speed manual gearbox, that sent the roadster from 0 to 60
04:03 miles per hour in 10 seconds. Extremely quick for the time, but that output was
04:08 arguably eclipsed by the elegant, athletic bodywork penned by Jaguar
04:12 founder Sir William Lyons. One of the things that marks Ralph Loren's
04:16 collection is the level of personalization that he adds to his cars.
04:19 This works roadster from 1950, for example, was originally red, but Ralph had
04:24 other ideas. He created his own shade of green for the car, using more olive than
04:29 the traditional racing green. Loren has always been inspired by film and the
04:33 golden age of Hollywood, so maybe the fact that both Clark Gable and Humphrey
04:37 Bogart owned XK120s had something to do with why Loren picked this one up in
04:41 1985. Or maybe it was just that it's one of the most gorgeous cars in the world.
04:47 This is the last model that Enzo Ferrari lived to see released. The F40 not only
04:53 celebrated his mark's 40th anniversary, but was also the fastest production car
04:58 in the world at the time. Featuring a tubular steel chassis draped in 11
05:02 composite body panels, the 80s era supercar housed a mid-mounted twin
05:06 turbo V8 with 471 horsepower and 426 pound-feet of torque. With that brawn, the
05:13 F40 punches from 0 to 62 miles per hour in 4.1 seconds and tops out at 201 miles
05:20 per hour. Not surprisingly, when it came on the market in 1987, the F40 was
05:26 Ferrari's most expensive model to date. Unlike many of the cars in Loren's
05:30 collection, he purchased this particular one brand new in 1991. Rumor has it that
05:35 at one point he considered selling it, but his kids persuaded him not to. If
05:39 that's true, it's not just Loren Sr. who has an eye for an appreciating asset.
05:45 Part roadster, part Batmobile, part automotive art form, this Mercedes is a
05:59 spectacular piece of engineering by Ferdinand Porsche. Yes, that Porsche, and
06:05 was one of 33 manufactured from 1928 through 1932.
06:10 The model's short wheelbase and supercharged 7-liter straight-six engine
06:18 made it a favorite in early motorsport. The car's sweeping Art Deco coachwork was
06:23 the vision of Count Carlo Felice Trussi, a famed racer of the early 20th century
06:28 who drove for the likes of Alfa Romeo under Enzo Ferrari and Mercedes-Benz.
06:33 Exquisite in both form and function, his automotive namesake has been in Loren's
06:38 collection since 1988, and has subsequently earned best-of-show at
06:42 Villa d'Este and Pebble Beach.
06:47 you
06:49 (dramatic music)

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