Black Beauties

René Staud, the grand master of automotive photography, celebrates the allure of black in his new coffee-table book Black Beauties. This stunning volume takes car enthusiasts on a journey through time, showcasing iconic sports cars like the Alfa Romeo 8C from the 1930s, the Citroën DS, and the Bugatti Veyron Grand Sport Vitesse. Staud’s signature style captures the elegance and power that the color black brings to these legendary vehicles.

Beyond the breathtaking photography, the book features texts by Jürgen Lewandrowski, a leading automotive journalist, alongside expert commentary from Andrea Zagato (CEO Zagato), Gorden Wagener (Head of Design at Mercedes), and design critic Stephen Bayley. Together, they provide unique insights into the world of high-performance cars.

Black Beauties is a captivating tribute to the design, power, and technology of the world's most stunning sports cars—a must-have for car and design enthusiasts alike.

René Staud was born in Stuttgart in 1951. A top car photographer for five decades, he is renowned as one of the greatest innovators of automotive photography. His patented Magicflash® not only illuminated his art, but also revolutionized car photography in the studio. Still the most apt review of his work originated from Motor Presse Stuttgart: “René Staud is a masterful photographer: his artworks are finely balanced compositions of light and color contoured with a flash. His portraits of captivating car bodywork have made a distinctive mark in the world of modern automotive photography.”