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On the previous pages, Guy Berryman behind the On these pages, some of the cars in Guy Berryman’s collection: Porsche 911S, Citroen SM, Lancia Flaminia
wheel of his Ferrari 275 GTB Zagato 2.8, Porsche 914-6, Ferrari 599 GTZ, Jaguar E-Type

He enjoys getting his hands dirty (in the passions, one of those individuals for whom a people worldwide, the very same people who envy
literal sense) restoring cars; he spends hours hundred lives wouldn’t suffice to pursue them all. his renowned musical skills. While we wait for
looking for the rarest and most perfect classic So, like a skilled acrobat, he manages to balance the band to release their new album Music of the
automobiles; and he also designs for his own family commitments with tours around the globe Spheres on October 15, we caught up with him to
fashion label. Oh, and we almost forgot a tiny and, in the meantime, keeps on expanding his ask him about his infinite ‘obsessions’, as he calls
‘insignificant’ detail: he is Coldplay’s bassist. astonishing collection of luxury cars (and dozens them, and his passion for collecting, which seems
Guy Berryman is a man of many interests and of other kinds of objects), which are envied by to have accompanied him throughout his life.

Did you inherit the passion for collecting We know of your great passion for Ferraris, more important than its condition and I prefer
from your parents? especially for the 275 GTB. What do you love to manage the restoration process myself since
I have always developed passions and fas- in particular about this model? I am very fussy about original details. As a col-
cinations for things, which sometimes becomes The 275 GTB encapsulates everything lector, it is important to only have rare cars or
obsessive. Like Star Wars: I was only four years good about the golden age of European sports cars with an exceptional history. All my cars be-
old and I wanted to collect all the action figures! cars: the styling of the car is just perfect and is come fully documented: I spend a huge amount
When I was a teenager, instead, it was music so complimented by the classic soundtrack of a V12 of time tracking down original owners and early
I collected vinyl LPs, which is still a passion of Ferrari engine. My car’s color is Pino Verde and pictures of the cars.
mine to this day. it has an orange interior, which is a dramatic
combination. Do you look more for form or substance in
You collect cars, but also many other kinds of a car?
objects. Which ones? How do you decide which cars to collect? It’s always a combination of all of these el-
I collect original military and utilitar- Style plays a key factor in the decision to ements, but style usually wins my heart. I have
ian garments, vintage fashion pieces by Raf add a car to my collection. Cars used to be sexy a very early P400 Lamborghini Miura, which
Simons, Helmut Lang, and Martin Margiela. – smooth, simple, and curvaceous – they had a is possibly the greatest car ever from a styling
I also have a large collection of vinyl LPs, vin- certain organic feel that is completely missing point of view…. But most people will tell you it’s
tage cameras, books and magazines on fashion from most modern cars. I am also drawn to not a car you want to spend too much time driv-
and automobiles (mostly from the 1960s), and I cars with very strong engineering principals. ing as the comfort levels and driving experience
have a small collection of watches. I have a Citroen SM, which is a technological does not match the beauty of the car!
masterpiece with an avant-garde body style that
Could you tell us the story of your car I love, and of course installed with a Maserati You studied engineering at University College
collection? engine! Similarly, the guiding principle of London and now you are a car collector: are
My father is an engineer and I started re- Zagato cars had to do with lightweight and the two connected?
storing cars when I was a teenager. My personal aerodynamics. I generally believe the principle Absolutely. I studied engineering because
collection started when I was thirty years old: I of form-follows-function produces beautiful I have a fascination with mechanical art – and
bought several E-Types to restore. From there, objects. I believe engineering is underrepresented as an
I became fully obsessed with classic cars and art form.
learned everything there was to learn about Some of your cars are truly rare items. Which
them by consuming books, magazines, and one was the hardest to get? Do you enjoy getting your hands dirty by
restoration processes. My collection focuses I spend a lot of time looking for cars and I repairing and restoring your cars or do you
on 1960s European sports cars, including lots have a good network of people all over the world prefer to rely on professionals?
of esoteric Italian models. I am a big fan of who know what I like and send me interesting I spent many years working on my cars
Zagato and Abarth. cars they have found. For me, the car’s story is personally. Nowadays, I run my own workshop

100 Portrait Protagonist