TIMELESS BEAUTIES

If looks alone could fi re up passion for vintage cars, surely the Bugatti 57SC Atlantic would win that contest. The car embodies the gleaming mystique of Darth Vader, the sleek grace of a panther, and the idea of a tycoon who’s ditched his cigar for a joyride. It’s distinctive for the very fact that only four were ever made and only two exist in the world today – one housed in Mullin Automotive Museum in California and the other in a discreet garage belonging to classic car collector Ralph Lauren. Needless to say, it’s the crown jewel of the fashion designer’s extraordinary gallery of 60plus vintage automobiles, among which include the historic 1929 Bentley 4.5-liter “Blower” and 1938 Alfa Romeo 8C 2900 Mille Miglia. Lauren reportedly calls the US$ 40 million Bugatti the most beautiful car in the world.

I came across this beauty in 2012 when a colleague fi led his report on the Concorso d’Eleganza Villa d’Este, where the car took the top prize. For the fi rst time, I was envious of a work assignment – the Bugatti was stunning, its voluptuousness beckoning to be caressed, even in just photos; and the vintage cars on display at Lake Como were stellar. This was, after all, the world’s most prestigious car competition.

Come next month, Singapore will have its own Concours d’Elegance as part of Fullerton’s 90th anniversary celebrations. Given that a “concours quality” car is judged on the extent that it resembles the original when it rolled out of the factory, the length that collectors go to restore and maintain the vehicles is nothing short of astonishing. For the 1959 Mercedes-Benz 220s cabriolet that he will be exhibiting, Allen Lim ( Page 42) had to track down a collector in Australia. He spent 20 years restoring another vintage Mercedes in his stable.

Even if their cars are not as rare and history-making as those in Lauren’s garage, these individuals, in their dogged pursuit of recreating perfection, make their own art. Like us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/ThePeakSingapore.