Is the automotive world home to what Tom Wolfe famously described as a "kandy-kolored tangerine-flake" aesthetic finally ready for a matte-finish car? The industry shifted gears briefly in Milan last week when Mercedes-Benz and Giorgio Armani two of the most powerful brands in their respective industries teamed up to design the limited-edition, four-seat CLK.
The sand-colored roadster with a luggage-leather interior was presented alongside Armani's spring 2004 fashion collection. Skeptics at the press conference kicked the funky green-rubber tires and compared notes on other fashion designers Bill Blass, Pierre Cardin,...