The notoriously exclusive Pirelli Calendar, featuring glamorous shots of beautiful women, was first published in 1964.

Reserved for important clients and VIPs, the calendar has since grown into a legend of its own, showcasing the beauty of models such as Alessandra Ambrosio, Gisele Bündchen, Naomi Campbell, Laetitia Casta, Cindy Crawford, Penélope Cruz, Milla Jovovich, Heidi Klum, Angela Lindvall, Sophia Loren and Kate Moss.

Some hard-to-find calendars are sold online for hundred of dollars, and personally, we’ve only managed to snagged the Bruce Weber, Peter Beard (above) and Nick Knight ones.

“They took a humble garage calendar and magically turned it around into the most desirable object for the jet set, the glamour set,” said Benedikt Taschen, of the publishing house. “And it is the hottest ticket for any photographer working today.” — The New York Times

Bonus features include rarely and never-before-seen behind-the-scenes images of the shoots, the unpublished 1963 calendar, and a selection of “censored” images deemed too risqué by the editors of the time.

The book has an introduction by Philippe Daverio (famous Italian opinion leader) and an interview with art directors Derek Forsyth and Martyn Walsh.

US$69.90 (S$95), buy the book here.