Free Downloads

Speed, Style, And Beauty: Cars From The Ralph Lauren Collection

Bugatti and Bentley, Alfa and Aston, Mercedes and McLaren―these are not merely cars, they are some of the most exquisite automobiles ever assembled, selected by Ralph Lauren, one of the foremost designers of our time. This breathtaking volume features 29 of these wonders―from such unparalleled masterpieces as the 1930 Mercedes Benz “Count Trossi,” the 1938 Alfa Romeo Mille Miglia, and the 1938 Bugatti Atlantic Coupe to marvels from Jaguar, Aston Martin, Ferrari, Porsche and even a Ford “Woody”―each of these vehicles is lovingly photographed and presented with authoritative elegance. Complementing the images are sketches of these and other cars―rarely seen drawings that give insight into the conceptual and development stages of the automobiles. Now in its fourth printing, Speed, Style, and Beauty is the first book on cars to center its discussion squarely on the car's role as an art object. The 29 chapters, by two of the best known and most respected authors writing about cars today, gives the indispensable background information, but also approaches the cars the way an art historian would approach fine sculpture―treating them as consummate works of decorative art for the modern age. With over 160 color images by world-renowned photographer Michael Furman, plus an introductory interview with Ralph Lauren who discusses the links between the cars and his overall design philosophy, this is an elegant yet informative book that will delight both the rampant car enthusiast and aficionados of great design in any form. The sleekly curved chrome and steel of these timeless dream machines conjures the glamour of the 1930s, the opulent ease of the 1950s and the charged excitement of the 1980s―the perfect marriage of speed, style and beauty.

Hardcover: 210 pages

Publisher: MFA Publications; Made in Italy edition (March 15, 2005)

Language: English

ISBN-10: 0878466851

ISBN-13: 978-0878466856

Product Dimensions: 1 x 9.5 x 12 inches

Shipping Weight: 3.9 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)

Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (32 customer reviews)

Best Sellers Rank: #238,255 in Books (See Top 100 in Books) #72 in Books > Engineering & Transportation > Automotive > Classic Cars #122 in Books > Engineering & Transportation > Automotive > History #531 in Books > Engineering & Transportation > Transportation > History

Jay Leno and Ralph Lauren are almost certainly America's two best-known car collectors. Each man's incredible collection of automobiles reflects their personality as well as their public image. While Leno's vast collection does include irreplaceable Dusenbergs and renowned racing cars, the contents of the hangers where he stores his collection are quite eclectic and reflect his unique interest in cars that have a story to tell. He is justifiably proud of his encyclopedic knowledge of automobiles and motorcycles, but his collection really reflects his blue-collar roots and blue denim personality.While Ralph Lauren also sprang from a modest, blue-collar background, he was an ambitious young man and always aspired to be one of the moneyed "smart set". He made his fortune from his Polo collection of clothing, which was not so coincidentally influenced by the classical styles of the 1930s. For more than a generation Lauren has dressed men in a moneyed, tasteful way and his collection represents the finest, most visually stunning automotive rarities that money and taste can buy. Lauren's cars track so well with the style and cut of his apparel line that some of them have bee used as backdrops or props for advertising spreads. This lavish book was produced in 2005 on the occasion of the exhibition of Lauren's collection at the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston. Now, I think the practice of exhibiting automobiles or motorcycles in art museums is a dubious one and simply an attempt to increase their box office, but in any event, it was a beautiful exhibit. This is a large format book with photographs by Michael Furman, who is often said to be the finest automobile photographer working today.

Speed, Style, and Beauty: Cars from the Ralph Lauren Collection Speed Reading: The Ultimate Speed Reading Course to Increase Your Reading Speed (speed reading techniques, speed reading for beginners, speed reading training) (Genius Guide: Step By Step Book 3) The Ralph Mouse Collection (The Mouse and the Motorcycle / Runaway Ralph / Ralph S. Mouse) Ralph Lauren Wreck-It Ralph Little Golden Book (Disney Wreck-it Ralph) Ralph Masiello's Ancient Egypt Drawing Book (Ralph Masiello's Drawing Books) Runaway Ralph CD (Ralph Mouse) Rotten Ralph Helps Out: My Readers Level 3 (Rotten Ralph Rotten Readers) Lauren Conrad Beauty Lauren Conrad Style Asap Implementation at the Speed of Business: Implementation at the Speed of Business Speed Duel: The Inside Story of the Land Speed Record in the Sixties Lauren Ipsum: A Story About Computer Science and Other Improbable Things Lauren's Kingdom Lauren Conrad Celebrate Life, with Cancer: The Lauren Terrazzano Story Draw 50 Cars, Trucks, and Motorcycles: The Step-by-Step Way to Draw Dragsters, Vintage Cars, Dune Buggies, Mini Choppers, and Many More... Draw 50 Cars, Trucks, and Motorcycles: The Step-by-Step Way to Draw Dragsters, Vintage Cars, Dune Buggies, Mini Coopers Choppers, and Many More... Concept Cars: Know what's coming soon with pictures of future cars and concepts (5 Books in 1) How to Buy and Sell Cars for Profit: Trading Used Cars - The Complete Series