Small in stature he may be, but Ralph Lauren is a giant of the fashion industry. He’s as immaculately dressed as you’d imagine, and up close you can’t help noticing how his taut, teak-colour skin belies his 71 years. This is a man who works hard and holidays well.

But he has also poured a lot of energy and a chunk of his fortune into building arguably the finest car collection in the world. Seventeen of these cars were on display at Les Arts Décoratifs, in the Louvre in Paris, for all to see (though, alas, the exhibition’s now closed). And he’s just asked me what I think of them.

Words: Jason Barlow

Photography: Justin Leighton

This feature first appeared in the August 2011 issue of Top Gear magazine