The 2018 Le Mans Classic featured a particularly colorful competitor this July. A highly personal creation of Sports Purpose founder and director James Turner, a one-off Porsche 911 made its racing debut with a paint job inspired by the legendary British fashion designer Paul Smith.

As a lifetime fan, Turner approached Smith to receive his blessing before rebuilding a 1965 Porsche 911 with the designer’s iconic “Artist Stripe” motif. Turner remarked that he still remember buying his first Paul Smith jumper and jeans. “In fact, I still have them!” he adds. So when he got the opportunity to create his own race car, he jumped at the chance to recreate the Artist Stripe design that has graced much of Smith’s best apparel and many of his best accessories. The Artist Stripe appears on the car both inside and out. Inside, the balsa wood gear knob also bears Paul Smith’s signature.