Ralph Lauren Car Collection

Ralph Lauren’s Cars

Its no doubt that we are fascinated with celebrity houses, personal lives and careers.

Now more than ever we are being exposed to amazing car collections – Come on we all have seen MTV Cribs….

Fashion mogul Ralph Lauren is well-known for his Polo label, a brand that coveys the inner American Dream of money, acceptance, and an overall opulent way of life.

What Ralph Lauren is not as well-known for is his incredible car collection.

The 29 cars that Lauren lays claim to include the 1929 Blower Bentley, 1930 Mercedes-Benz “Count Trossi” SSK, 1938 Bugatti Type 57SC Atlantic Coupe, 1938 Alfa Romeo 8C 2900 Mille Miglia, 1958 Ferrari 250 Testa Rossa, 1961 Ferrari 250 Testa Rossa 61 Spyder Fantuzzi, and the 2005 McLaren F1LM.

“”I’ve always admired timelessness, and some of the cars that I have started to collect have that message of timeless beauty,” Lauren says in the show.

The BMFA recently displayed Lauren’s collection.

Ralph Lauren’s 2005 McLaren

Ralph Lauren’s 1938 Bugatti

Ralph Lauren Collection Ralph Lauren's 1961 Ferrari

Ralph Lauren’s Cars

Ralph Lauren Collection

Ralph Lauren Collection

When the 1940 Chevy convertible George Holder was trying to sell at the Pomona, Calif., Swap Meet was built, a gallon of gasoline cost 18 cents.

At today’s prices, that will move the car about a half-mile.

Collecting cars has always been a high-dollar hobby, enthusiasts say, but $4-plus-a-gallon gas and other economic woes are pricing them out of their passion.

“It’s been bad before,” said Norm Samuels, a Brea, Calif.-based hot-rod dealer. “Ten years ago it was like this, but not as bad as this housing market has made it.”

Southern California and cars are inexorably linked, from freeway commutes to cruising Route 66. It’s why many classic-car clubs took root there, members say.

High gas prices just mean some of them are leaving their classic cars in the garage rather than cruising. When they do hit the road, hot-rod revelers add, they are taking shorter trips.

Roger Valez, of Riverside, Calif., said he rarely drives his 1966 Chevy Caprice low-rider because of the cost of gas. He said he starts it once a week in his driveway and might fiddle with the engine on weekends.

Holder, leaning against one of two 1940 rag-top coupes he towed to Pomona, said gas prices are making car lovers think twice before buying, too. Classic-car dealers are cutting back on where they take their cars to reduce travel costs.

“There’s not 50 percent of the buyers here there should be,” Holder grumbled. “Gas prices are hitting everybody, and if you don’t think that, then you’re a fool.”

Classic-car fans remain resilient, many said, because high prices can’t put the brakes on their enthusiasm. Strong crowds are a mainstay of the area’s biggest shows, including the Route 66 Rendezvous, which will take place in San Bernardino in September.

The Route 66 Rendezvous will likely host more than 500,000 people, said Shelly McNaul, director of event operations for the annual rally. Space for the show is limited, so only 1,900 entrants are allowed.

“We’ve seen a slight drop in registrants,” McNaul said. “But we have received new registrants.”

McNaul said although vendors are telling her crowds are down, most are also saying the Route 66 Rendezvous is important.

“The Route 66 is like the mother of all car shows, so they’ll save their money to come to it,” she said.

Four-dollar gas doesn’t stop everybody from buying or driving. Lucy Clark, a member of the Early Birds club for owners of classic Ford Thunderbirds, said she still plans to take her ’57 T-Bird — “Betsy Bird” — on a 48-state road trip this summer.

“When it comes to my classic car, yes, I think about gas prices beforehand, but then decide to drive it anyway,” Clark said.

She said she is trying to combine routine errands to cut down on driving around Anaheim, Calif., using her daily car, but won’t give up on her hobby or the “48 in ’08″ trip to the capitals of the Lower 48.

“When planning this trip a year ago, I used $4 per gallon for gas,” Clark said. “That seemed really high at the time and everyone thought I was crazy to use such a high price. Well, it’s a year later and that $4 per gallon is looking a little low.”

Owners reported getting about 15 miles to the gallon on the highway in a ’57 T-bird, so do the math. The 14,000-mile trip covering 60 days will cost Clark $3,839.76 based on last week’s average national fuel price.

Nobody collects classic cars for a cheap hobby, collectors said. Even in a buyer’s market, the price for classics stays high. Samuels, the Brea dealer who has sold at the Pomona Swap Meet for more than 20 years, was selling his restored 1937 Ford Woody hot rod on Sunday for $115,000.

Bill Wasson, a member of a Riverside car club, said the group’s roster hasn’t thinned because of gas costs.

“I don’t think a dollar a gallon is going to make much of a difference to collecting cars,” he said. “It costs you more to go, we know that.”

Rodrigo Garcia, of Anaheim, said people who are in good shape financially don’t care if gas prices rise, and those are the ones buying.

“If you can afford the car, you can afford the gas,” Garcia said.

A self-proclaimed collector, Garcia said he can buy cars now as investments and sell them off 10 years later for a profit. Collectors will take advantage of a buyer’s market, no matter how much gas costs.

“If they see a deal, they’ll buy,” he said.

Garcia said high gas prices don’t bother him. He drives a Hummer, “so I spend $100 a day in gas.

By DUG BEGLEY

For more information on The Herb Chambers Companies Click Here

By BENGT HALVORSON

If you’re a car enthusiast like us, you’ve probably lusted after some special car for years.

But you’ve hesitated because you don’t want to make a mistake that could cost you thousands, and maybe even ruin your marriage, right?

How do you get into that sexy classic car and stay out of financial trouble?

Follow a few commonsense tips and your love affair with a classic car will be less destined for heartbreak.

Fall is the best time to shop for an old car. It’s the time of year when a lot of cars are changing hands, and the market is more for the buyers than the sellers. Lack of winter garage space, unfinished summer project cars, and classic-car dealerships cutting their inventories are all reasons why fall is a good time to buy.

In shopping for classic and vintage old cars, the local newspaper is not the place to look.

Pick up a copy of Hemmings Motor News (www.hemmings.com) for heaps of classified listings, or Sports Car Market (www.sportscarmarket.com) for listings and excellent advice.

Collectors’ meets, car shows, and club events are also good places to hear about quality classic cars for sale. Also, there are several reputable auction companies that stage regular classic-car auction events around the country.

These auction companies usually have decent documentation on most of the cars to be auctioned off. Two such examples are RM Classic Cars (519-352-4575, www.rmcars.com) and Dan Kruse Classic Car Productions (210-495-4777, www.dkruseclassic.com

When you do find a potential car, be wary. As in buying any used car, buying an old car is a risk. Follow these tips to minimize the risks:

Determine the fair value. Check on the car’s value, in its present condition, in a price guide such as the Standard Guide to Cars & Prices. Double-check it with another resource if possible.

Popularity helps.

Check for clubs that take special interest in the model. This will provide some assurance of the car’s status and collectibility, and it will also give you contacts for procuring hard-to-find replacement parts. Rarity of a particular model is not necessarily an indication that the car will have a loyal following.

Check for obvious alterations or flaws. If any significant components of the car have been altered or replaced with different ones, or if body panels don’t meet properly, pass the car up, even if it’s extremely cheap. Shoddy body repair work or a poor paint job indicates that the last owner cut corners on a restoration. The car will be extremely hard to resell, and repairs may be complicated.

Have the car checked by an expert. It is extremely worthwhile to have the car checked out by an experienced classic-car appraiser. Such shops usually do a complete inspection, including making sure powertrain and chassis numbers match, for less than a few hundred dollars. Sometimes, only the experts will be able to tell a poor restoration from a good one.

Have a place to properly store your car. Make sure you have a secure place that’s warm and dry. Ordinary home garages often suffer from moisture buildup (read: rust), so make sure you have adequate ventilation. Sometimes, local car clubs arrange for group car storage in dust-free, dry environments at reasonable rates.

Insure your investment. Remember that you need to arrange for full-coverage insurance, valued for what the car is currently worth. Some major insurance companies, such as the AAA, offer classic car insurance in some states.

For specialty and antique vehicles, check with Hagerty Classic Car Insurance (800-922-4050, www.hagerty.com).

Be prepared for costly repair bills and maintenance. Routine repairs can cost a fortune, especially on some older European cars. Ask the experts or your local car club what the weak design points are on your car, and also which parts are especially hard to find, and pay special attention to them.

Are you ready for it? This is probably the most important question of all.

Restoring, or just keeping, an old car can be taxing on personal time and the wallet. If you find yourself not having enough time in your schedule for family time and social obligations, don’t buy it.

If you have enough spare time and money, having an old car can be a relaxing and fulfilling hobby.

If you don’t think you’re ready for a big investment but have the garage space, start with something less risky but fun, like an affordable ’60s- or ’70s-era MGB or American muscle car.

And one final point: Don’t plan to make money on the car, because you probably won’t.

Buy a car you like-better yet, one you’re passionate about-and have fun with it.

For more information about Herb Chambers Companies please click here

By BENGT HALVORSON