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Most folks get a thank you card when someone wants to express gratitude to them. Corporate bigwigs, however, get the Pirelli Calendar. Dating as far back as 1964, the calendar’s been sent exclusively to important Pirelli customers and celebrity VIP’s as a limited-edition, year-end gift. A byproduct of the cultural revolution of the ’60s, it featured glamour shots of pin-up models expressing a new sensuality and a hightened appreciation of the female form. In other words, it featured jaw-droppingly sexy nudes of beautiful models in exotic locales. Every year since—well, aside from a 10-year moratorium in the ’70s caused by economic distress from the oil shock—the forward-looking tire company has called upon world-class photographers like Richard Avedon, Peter Lindergh and Bruce Weber to shoot names you’re probably more acquainted with: Laetitia Casta, Christy Turlington, Cindy Crawford, Ana Beatriz Barros, Penelope Cruz, and oh, so many more. Yes, we know, it’s a drag that only gentlemen who know someone who know someone get to gawk at these titillating timetables. Well, today’s a lucky day for you dirty dogs. Here’s a selection of some of the most scorching Pirelli shots from recent years—just our way of saying “much obliged.”
