Ralph Lauren is far more than a fashion designer who happens to like cars. He is one of the world’s most serious automobile collectors, with a collection built around provenance, design, engineering, competition history, and rarity rather than simply price.
Born Ralph Lifshitz on October 14, 1939, Lauren built Ralph Lauren Corporation into one of the most recognizable luxury lifestyle brands in the world. But away from fashion, one of his greatest lifelong passions has been the automobile.
His collection includes more than 70 cars and reads like a rolling history of great automotive design: prewar Bentleys and Bugattis, blue-chip Ferraris, Mercedes-Benz icons, competition Jaguars, rare Porsches, Lamborghini supercars, and McLaren F1s.
These are not simply expensive cars. Many are historically significant examples with racing pedigree, concours history, exceptional provenance, and extraordinarily low production numbers.
Several of Lauren’s automobiles have also been recognized at the highest levels of the collector-car world.
1965 Aston Martin DB5 – One of Ralph Lauren Favorite Rides!!!
The 1965 Aston Martin DB5 became one of the most famous grand tourers in history after its starring role as James Bond’s gadget-filled car in Goldfinger, forever linking the elegant British coupe with 007 style, sophistication, and speed.
Few grand tourers are more recognizable than the Aston Martin DB5.
Its elegant Touring-designed body, straight-six engine, handcrafted cabin, and famous association with James Bond made it an international icon.
In a collection filled with racing machinery, the DB5 represents classic British grand touring at its finest.
His 1938 Bugatti Type 57SC Atlantic won Best of Show at the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance in 1990, while his 1930 Mercedes-Benz SSK “Count Trossi” won Pebble Beach Best of Show in 1993.
That places Ralph Lauren in a very small circle of collectors who have owned multiple cars capable of winning the most prestigious concours event in the world.
His cars have also crossed over into the museum world.
In 2005, the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston presented Speed, Style, and Beauty: Cars from the Ralph Lauren Collection, displaying 16 automobiles chosen for their design and historical importance.
In 2011, another major exhibition at the Musée des Arts Décoratifs in Paris featured 17 cars from the collection.
For Lauren, automobiles have always been more than transportation. He has described a great car as a complete sensory experience — its shape, sound, smell, steering feel, and the emotion it creates while being driven.
That philosophy helps explain why his garage includes everything from a supercharged Bentley race car to a Porsche 550 Spyder, Ferrari 250 GTO, Bugatti Type 57SC Atlantic, and McLaren F1.
And unlike many museum-style collections, Lauren’s cars have historically been maintained to be driven.
Today, his automotive collection remains one of the best-known privately owned collector-car collections in the world.
Recent years have also reinforced just how powerful Ralph Lauren provenance has become in the collector-car market. In 2025, a Giallo Modena Ferrari F50 originally ordered new by Ralph Lauren resurfaced after more than two decades out of public view and sold at RM Sotheby’s Monterey auction for $9.245 million.
Lauren had sold that particular F50 in 2003, but its 2025 auction result demonstrated something serious collectors already understand: a great car with Ralph Lauren provenance carries a story all its own.
Lauren’s influence has continued well beyond the garage. In January 2025, he received the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the highest civilian honor in the United States. Later that year, he was named CFDA American Womenswear Designer of the Year.
As of 2026, Ralph Lauren remains Executive Chairman and Chief Creative Officer of Ralph Lauren Corporation — and his fascination with automotive design continues to influence the brand’s fashion, furniture, accessories, and overall design language.
Below is a selection of the most significant cars associated with Ralph Lauren’s collection.
Ralph Lauren’s Car Collection Includes:
1929 Bentley 4½ Litre “Blower Bentley”
1929 Bentley 4½ Litre “Blower Bentley” competition car, chassis HR3976.
Few prewar competition cars have more presence than a supercharged Bentley.
Lauren’s 4½ Litre Blower Bentley, chassis HR3976, is one of the legendary Birkin-era competition cars.
The car was associated with wealthy racing patron the Hon. Dorothy Paget and competed as part of the famous Bentley racing program.
Sir Henry “Tim” Birkin drove a Blower Bentley to second place in the 1930 French Grand Prix, one of the defining performances in the model’s competition history.
The Blower’s combination of massive proportions, exposed mechanical hardware, supercharger whine, and competition history makes it one of the great heroic machines of the prewar era.
Lauren acquired the car in 1988 and had it restored to a high standard while preserving its competition character.
For a collector who values both sculpture and mechanical theater, the Blower Bentley is a perfect fit.
1930 Mercedes-Benz SSK “Count Trossi”
1930 Mercedes-Benz SSK “Count Trossi,” also known as “The Black Prince,” from the Ralph Lauren Collection.
The Count Trossi Mercedes-Benz SSK is one of the most dramatic automobiles ever built.
With its impossibly long hood, flowing black bodywork, exposed exhaust pipes, and brutally powerful supercharged engine, the car looks more like a piece of Art Deco sculpture than a conventional roadster.
It was originally associated with Italian racer and aristocrat Count Carlo Felice Trossi.
Lauren’s SSK is particularly important because it won Best of Show at the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance in 1993.
That alone places it among the most celebrated automobiles in the entire collection.
1931 Alfa Romeo 8C 2300
1931 Alfa Romeo 8C 2300.
The Alfa Romeo 8C 2300 is one of the great Italian performance cars of the prewar period.
Designed around Vittorio Jano’s celebrated straight-eight engine, the 8C became successful in some of Europe’s most demanding road races.
Its blend of lightweight construction, competition engineering, and hand-built coachwork makes it exactly the type of automobile that defines Lauren’s collecting philosophy.
1933 Bugatti Type 59 Grand Prix
1933 Bugatti Type 59 Grand Prix.
The Bugatti Type 59 is considered one of the most beautiful Grand Prix cars ever built.
Its narrow body, wire wheels, exposed suspension, and elegant proportions make it a remarkable combination of race-car functionality and French design.
Bugattis occupy an important place in Lauren’s collection because they embody the idea that engineering and visual beauty can coexist without compromise.
1938 Alfa Romeo 8C 2900 Mille Miglia
1938 Alfa Romeo 8C 2900 Mille Miglia from the Ralph Lauren Collection.
The Alfa Romeo 8C 2900 is one of the crown jewels of prewar Italian motoring.
Built with racing technology and clothed in some of the most elegant bodywork of the era, the 8C 2900 combined speed, sophistication, and rarity.
Cars of this caliber are not simply collectibles. They are pieces of motorsport history.
1938 Bugatti Type 57SC Atlantic
1938 Bugatti Type 57SC Atlantic from the Ralph Lauren Collection.
If there is one automobile that best represents Ralph Lauren’s eye for design, it may be the Bugatti Type 57SC Atlantic.
Only four Atlantics were originally built, and just a handful survive in recognizable form.
The Atlantic’s riveted center spine, teardrop profile, flowing fenders, and low-slung body have made it one of the most recognizable automobiles ever created.
Lauren’s example won Best of Show at Pebble Beach in 1990.
Today, the Type 57SC Atlantic is widely regarded as one of the most valuable and important automobiles in existence.
1948 Woody Station Wagon
1948 Woody Station Wagon.
Not every important car in the Lauren garage is a multimillion-dollar European exotic.
His collection has also included classic American wood-bodied station wagons.
The Woody represents a completely different side of automotive culture: surf, country estates, American vacations, and postwar family motoring.
That contrast is part of what makes Lauren’s collection so interesting.
1954 Ferrari 375 Plus
1954 Ferrari 375 Plus.
The Ferrari 375 Plus represents the brutal, beautiful world of 1950s endurance racing.
Powered by a large-displacement V12, the 375 Plus was built for events such as Le Mans and the Carrera Panamericana.
Only a tiny number were produced, making any surviving example an important piece of Ferrari competition history.
1955 Jaguar XKD
1955 Jaguar D-Type.
The Jaguar D-Type was created with one goal: winning Le Mans.
Its aerodynamic body, aircraft-inspired construction, distinctive vertical tail fin, and legendary XK straight-six engine made it one of the dominant endurance racers of the 1950s.
For many collectors, the D-Type sits near the top of the Jaguar hierarchy.
1955 Mercedes-Benz 300 SL Gullwing
1955 Mercedes-Benz 300 SL Gullwing.
The Mercedes-Benz 300 SL Gullwing is one of the defining sports cars of the 1950s.
Its upward-opening doors, tubular spaceframe chassis, fuel-injected straight-six engine, and dramatic styling transformed it into an instant icon.
It was technologically advanced, extremely fast for its era, and elegant enough to become one of the most collectible Mercedes-Benz models ever built.
1955 Morgan Plus Four
1955 Morgan Plus Four.
The Morgan Plus Four represents traditional British sports-car design at its most elemental.
Lightweight, compact, mechanical, and unmistakably hand-built, the Morgan provides a very different driving experience from Lauren’s Ferraris and Bugattis.
It proves that his collection is not simply about horsepower or market value.
1955 Porsche 550 Spyder
1955 Porsche 550 Spyder.
The Porsche 550 Spyder is one of the most important lightweight competition cars of the 1950s.
Its mid-engine layout, low weight, small frontal area, and excellent handling allowed it to challenge much larger and more powerful racing machines.
Today, surviving examples are among the most desirable early Porsches in the collector market.
1957 Jaguar XKSS
1957 Jaguar XKSS.
The Jaguar XKSS was essentially a road-going development of the Le Mans-winning D-Type.
Only a very small number were completed before a devastating fire at Jaguar’s Browns Lane factory destroyed several unfinished cars.
That scarcity, combined with its racing DNA and gorgeous styling, has made the XKSS one of Jaguar’s ultimate blue-chip collectibles.
1958 Ferrari 250 Testa Rossa
1958 Ferrari 250 Testa Rossa.
The Ferrari 250 Testa Rossa is one of the most important sports-racing Ferraris ever built.
Its famous pontoon-fender bodywork, Colombo-designed V12, and international competition success have made it an icon among serious Ferrari collectors.
Original examples occupy the highest level of the collector-car market.
1960 Ferrari 250 GT Short Wheelbase Berlinetta
1960 Ferrari 250 GT Short Wheelbase Berlinetta.
The Ferrari 250 GT SWB is one of the ultimate dual-purpose grand tourers.
Elegant enough for the road but capable enough for serious competition, the SWB combined compact proportions, a lightweight body, disc brakes, and Ferrari’s legendary V12.
It is often cited as one of the most beautiful Ferraris ever made.
1962 Ferrari 250 GTO
1962 Ferrari 250 GTO.
The Ferrari 250 GTO sits at the summit of the collector-car world.
Built for FIA GT competition, the GTO combined a lightweight competition chassis, aerodynamic bodywork, and Ferrari’s 3.0-liter Colombo V12.
Only 36 original 250 GTOs were produced.
Today, they are among the most valuable automobiles ever created, and Lauren’s ownership of one places his Ferrari collection in extraordinarily rare company.
1965 Aston Martin DB5
1965 Aston Martin DB5.
Few grand tourers are more recognizable than the Aston Martin DB5.
Its elegant Touring-designed body, straight-six engine, handcrafted cabin, and famous association with James Bond made it an international icon.
In a collection filled with racing machinery, the DB5 represents classic British grand touring at its finest.
1988 Porsche 959 – Formerly Associated With the Ralph Lauren Collection
The Porsche 959 was one of the most technologically advanced production cars of the 1980s.
Its twin-turbocharged flat-six engine, sophisticated all-wheel-drive system, adjustable suspension, and extensive use of lightweight materials made it a technological showcase.
Lauren has been associated with a Porsche 959, although reports indicate that at least one example previously in his collection was later sold.
1996 McLaren F1
McLaren F1 associated with the Ralph Lauren Collection.
The McLaren F1 is one of the defining supercars of the modern collector era.
Designed by Gordon Murray, the F1 uses a naturally aspirated BMW V12, a carbon-fiber monocoque, a central driving position, and obsessive lightweight engineering.
Only 106 McLaren F1s of all variants were built.
Lauren has been associated with multiple McLaren F1s, including an exceptionally rare F1 LM-specification example.
With values now measured in the tens of millions of dollars, the F1 has become one of the blue-chip supercars of the modern market.
2006 Bugatti Veyron
2006 Bugatti Veyron.
The Bugatti Veyron redefined the modern hypercar when it arrived.
Its quad-turbocharged W16 engine produced approximately 1,000 horsepower in early versions, while its sophisticated all-wheel-drive system and active aerodynamics allowed the car to exceed 250 mph.
For Lauren, the Veyron represents the modern continuation of a Bugatti story that began decades earlier with his prewar cars.
2009 Lamborghini Reventón Roadster
2009 Lamborghini Reventón Roadster.
The Lamborghini Reventón Roadster is one of the rarest modern Lamborghinis.
Its stealth-aircraft-inspired styling, carbon-fiber bodywork, and naturally aspirated V12 make it one of the most theatrical cars in the Lauren garage.
Only a tiny number of roadsters were produced, giving the Reventón true limited-production collector status.
2010 Lamborghini Murciélago LP 670-4 SuperVeloce
Lamborghini Murciélago LP 670-4 SuperVeloce.
The Murciélago SuperVeloce represents Lamborghini at its most aggressive.
Lighter and more powerful than the standard Murciélago, the LP 670-4 SV combines a naturally aspirated V12 with dramatic aerodynamics and all-wheel drive.
Today, low-production analog-era V12 Lamborghinis have become increasingly desirable among collectors.
2011–2014 Porsche 911 GT3 RS
Porsche 911 GT3 RS from the 997 generation.
The Porsche 911 GT3 RS represents the purist side of modern Porsche collecting.
Built with track use in mind, the GT3 RS combines a naturally aspirated flat-six, lightweight construction, aggressive aerodynamics, and one of the most communicative chassis ever fitted to a road-going 911.
For a collector who actually enjoys driving his cars, the GT3 RS makes perfect sense.
2015 Ferrari LaFerrari
2015 Ferrari LaFerrari.
The LaFerrari brought hybrid technology into Ferrari’s top-tier halo-car lineage.
Its naturally aspirated V12 works with an electric motor to produce approximately 950 horsepower, making it one of the most powerful Ferraris of its era.
Production was extremely limited, and allocation was generally reserved for Ferrari’s most important clients and collectors.
In many ways, the LaFerrari is a natural bookend to Lauren’s older Ferraris. It combines competition-derived technology, extreme performance, limited production, and sculptural design — the same qualities that attracted him to the 250 GTO and Testa Rossa decades earlier.
Ralph Lauren’s Collection Today
As of 2026, no reliable public source appears to document a definitive new addition to Ralph Lauren’s private automobile collection beyond the cars already widely associated with him.
That is not unusual.
Collections at this level often change quietly, with acquisitions and sales remaining private for years.
The 2025 appearance of Lauren’s former yellow Ferrari F50 is a perfect example.
Lauren ordered the Giallo Modena F50 new and kept it until 2003. After more than two decades with its next owner, the car resurfaced at RM Sotheby’s Monterey auction in 2025.
It sold for $9.245 million, setting a new auction record for the Ferrari F50 at the time.
The car was no longer part of Lauren’s collection, but its value illustrates the weight of both rarity and provenance in the upper tier of the collector-car market.
For serious collectors, the name attached to a car can matter almost as much as the chassis number — and few modern collectors carry more provenance than Ralph Lauren.
Recent Honors and Recognition
Ralph Lauren’s influence extends far beyond automobiles.
In January 2025, Lauren received the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the highest civilian honor in the United States, recognizing his contributions as a designer, entrepreneur, business leader, and philanthropist.
Later in 2025, the Council of Fashion Designers of America named him American Womenswear Designer of the Year.
In 2026, he was again recognized by the CFDA, this time as a nominee for American Menswear Designer of the Year.
Lauren also continues to serve as Executive Chairman and Chief Creative Officer of Ralph Lauren Corporation.
His relationship with the collector-car world remains active as well. In 2024, he was among the judges for The Peninsula Classics Best of the Best Award, one of the most prestigious international honors in the concours community.
More than half a century after he began collecting cars, Ralph Lauren remains one of the rare figures who has successfully connected automobiles, fashion, art, architecture, and lifestyle into one consistent design philosophy.
For most collectors, owning one car such as a Ferrari 250 GTO, Bugatti Atlantic, McLaren F1, Blower Bentley, or Mercedes-Benz SSK would define a lifetime of collecting.
Ralph Lauren has owned all of them.
That is what separates this collection from an ordinary garage full of expensive cars.
It is a curated history of automotive design.
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