Fun last night checking out Ralph's cars at MFA

And screw the regular folks, figured when they threw everyone out at 5 pm yesterday it was due to some big event for Ralph. Maybe I should have hid out in a bathroom and joined the party

 

The cars are really quite beautiful (I was there last night, too). Even if the cars' eras or designs are not among your favorites, it is very easy to appreciate why the cars are so special. Also there last night was a '55 Gullwing and an '88 959.

Greg G posted a picture in another thread of one of my favorite details from any of last night's cars: the Bugatti Atlantic Coupe had an exhaust with six approximately 1" diameter round tips, one next to the other, protruding from underneath the left-middle rear of the car, with two 1.5" round red taillights just above the 6 tips.

I have seen in person some of these actual cars' (and other cars, not just Ralph Lauren's)) being restored. Long story short is that there are very few qualified people in the world to do the job right. It is a painstaking and very involving effort, from redoing the leather stitching to exact original specs (exact color match, same number of stitches, same stitch pattern, etc.) to matching wood grains.

There are not dozens of cars at the exhibit; I believe the number is closer to 15 but the exhibit is well worth the visit.

- A-Train

 

A writeup of last night's exhibit event, from today's Boston Globe:

http://www.boston.com/news/globe/living/articles/2005/02/26/the_car_fan?mode=PF

"The car fan - Up close, classics reveal beauty, flaws

By Jeffrey Krasner, Globe Staff | February 26, 2005

Physically and spiritually, the centerpiece of the Museum of Fine Arts' exhibit ''Speed, Style, and Beauty: Cars From the Ralph Lauren Collection" is the 1938 Bugatti Type 57SC Atlantic Coupe. Impossibly rare, insanely expensive (both originally and currently), and outrageously flamboyant, it defines Lauren's collecting aesthetic.

Only three were made, so marvel at its indecent proportions and unlivable ergonomics.

For most auto enthusiasts, that alone should make the show worth visiting: These are cars you've seen for years in books and magazines, in grainy period photos, and in films. There's a lot to be learned from seeing them in person.

After years of driving, restoring, and writing about cars, there's little in the automotive world to make my jaw drop. The hoary aphorisms about form following function and cars as ''rolling sculpture" -- all dutifully recited in yesterday's preview event by curator Darcy Kuronen and other museum officials -- made me fear the worst as I entered the exhibit.

But being close to cars I've known about for years gave me an opportunity to see them fresh.

Take the 1955 Mercedes-Benz 300SL Gullwing coupe. It has been an icon since the moment it appeared. But to view it on the short white riser at the MFA is to be amazed all over again at the audacious and ultimately impractical combination of racing frame and mechanicals combined with Grand Touring style and luxury.

With the famous doors lifted upward, you can see the wide, leather-swathed sill that caused women in skirts such embarrassment when they attempted to exit the car. (It was made necessary by the race car space-frame chassis underneath the sheet metal.)

Looking at the 1930 Mercedes-Benz SSK, you can almost forgive the hucksters who launched a thousand tacky knockoffs. The tail, with the skiff-shaped rear fenders and trunk trailing behind the car, inevitably sparks comparisons with the Batmobile. The look is emphasized by the enormous spats covering the rear wheels. The priceless Mercedes can pull it off, while fender skirts on an Oldsmobile are relentlessly cheesy. The overall lack of ornamentation puts added emphasis on the massive, upright chrome radiator, which remains the template for Mercedes grilles to this day.

Such lasting influence is found on many of the cars. The 1929 Blower Bentley, a large, unpretty, and unsuccessful race car, contributed to Bentley's subsequent acquisition by Rolls-Royce. Along with all the accoutrements of 1920s race-car design -- lots of louvers to let heat out of the engine compartment, leather straps to keep the hood from flying open at speed -- you'll notice the wire mesh grilles that cover the headlamps, radiator, and exposed carburetors. Suddenly it becomes clear why so many modern British cars with sporting aspirations -- Jaguar XJ-Rs, Bentley Continentals -- come with wire mesh grilles.

Despite a welcome lack of Ralph Lauren photos in the exhibit, there's a nagging feeling that this is very much Ralph's Collection. There's nothing resembling an actual production car available to commoners. Nothing to dilute the feeling of authentic, patrician nostalgia -- the feeling that Lauren strives so hard to project in his fashion ads. Few of the cars represent significant engineering advances that had an impact on the motoring public.

''Rather than collecting in a systematic way, Mr. Lauren has taken an individual approach, acquiring cars that appeal to his personal sense of aesthetics," says the catalog. So Lauren bought what Lauren likes, and what he likes tends to be rare, historic, and expensive. Does the average viewer benefit from seeing four racing Ferraris from an eight-year period? Obviously, Ralph was going through his Ferrari phase.

To see these cars up close is to also become aware of their failings. The design touch that separates the Bugatti Atlantic from all others is the raised, riveted seams that run atop each fender and the length of the roof and fastback. Seemingly razor-sharp, they give the Atlantic unmatchable menace.

In the catalog, you'll learn that the seams, essential for the prototype because it was made of an unweldable alloy, weren't necessary on the production car. Jean Bugatti, legendary designer and son of founder Ettore Bugatti, kept them because he liked them. Nice to know the Bugattis fell victim to the same temptations that led designers at General Motors to put non-functioning hood scoops on Camaros.

Not every car is a classic. The 1988 Porsche 959 is basically a 911 on steroids, with orthopedic assistance in the form of four-wheel-drive to cure the unmanageable handling inherent in the rear-engine design. Yes, it was super-fast and desirable. But is the 959 really the most worthy of all the umpteen 911 derivatives, offshoots, and descendants? It certainly isn't the prettiest, with crudely flared fenders blending into an ungainly rear spoiler.

The 1996 McLaren F1, another disappointment, sprang from the clichéd premise of making a road car that provides the closest thing possible to the real race car experience -- exciting in the prewar period, valid in the postwar period, but perhaps irrelevant by the mid-'90s. To this was added a goofy twist -- three-abreast seating with the driver in the center of the car. There's a reason the only other car to have a similar layout is the Matra Murena, a French oddball from the 1980s.

As to the McLaren's aesthetics, let's just say this is a design that won't be viewed kindly 20 years from now. The front end is cluttered and the aggressive side strakes look like nothing more than kid racer stripes, albeit stripes executed in exotic, lightweight carbon fiber.

Still, it's a reminder that the beauty of cars remains subjective, and even Ralph Lauren takes an occasional taste vacation."

 

I guess this guy never heard of the 365P from 1966

 

i have my tickets for april 10th. are cameras allowed?

 

Look forward to attending the show. Thank you Dennis for the star studded preview!
Several years ago I saw his Porsche 959 at the Mobil gas station in Rowley on Rte.1! Went to the Dunkin Donuts across the highway, saw the 959 and assumed it was a re-body kit. Came out and figured I would check it out. Had my former TR at the time. As I approached the Porsche realized it was genuine! Turns out the car was being serviced at Paul Russell’s. Talked to the tech, nice guy. Said the Porsche was amazing! Great car!

 

id like to find this out myself. would anyone happen to know if cameras are allowed?

 

Yes but no flash and no tripods

 

No Flash? WTF - its not like they're 500 year old rennaisance paintings! Or are there paintings in the background behind the cars that might be damaged by the Flash?

 

Surely you jest, in polite company, one does not use a flash.

 

Im flattered.... email directly if youd like a hi-res copy of that pic

 

How does one get an invite to a VVIP early exibition at the MFA? I have memberships up the wazoo and heard nothing about this. While I'm not on the same continent currently, I wish I could have been there. Thanks for the pics, any more hottie VIP pics?