This Group A racer was customised by Australian artist Ken Done
Matazo Kayama used traditional Japanese techniques to paint this E34 535i
The first Art Car – this 3.0 CSL – was created by Alexander Calder
Frank Stella's creation, a 1976 3.0 CSL, competed at Le Mans
A.R. Penck drew on influences as varied as cave painting, physics and mathematics to create this Z1
Andy Warhol's M1: "I tried to portray a sense of speed. When a car is going really fast all the lines and colours are a blur."
This Esther Mahlangu-designed E34 525i was the 12th Art Car, and the first to be created by a woman
David Hockney designed this 850 CSi to make the car's contents visible from the outside
Jenny Holzer's BMW V12 LMR used lightweight foil rather than chrome to avoid adding weight
This BMW 3-series Racing Prototype was created by Sandro Chia. "A car is a coveted object in our society," he said
César Manrique created the only 7-series Art Car in 1990
Ernst Fuchs's 635 CSi was the first Art Car to be based on a series production BMW
Roy Lichtenstein's 1977 BMW 320i Group 5 racer is one of the most popular Art Cars
Robert Rauschenberg's 635 CSi was the first Art Car to carry photographic materials
Ernst Fuchs said: "Actually the car needs no embellishment. It has its own aesthetic appeal."
Michael Jagamara Nelson drew on aboriginal art, taught to him by his grandfather, to create his E30 M3 Group A racer
In total, 17 Art Cars have been built. Fifteen of them are shown here
Although not an Art Car, Robin Rhode used a Z4 to create a 100x200ft canvas
Jeff Koons unveiled his M3 GT2 at the Pompidou Centre in 2010. Like the Warhol-designed M1, it competed at Le Mans
by Autocar
21 July 2012
BMW's Art Cars have provided canvases for top artists since 1975.
The BMW Art Car Collection was kicked off by French racing driver Herve Poulain in 1975 who invited Alexander Calder to "design a car that married artistic excellence to an already perfect object" – in this case the BMW 3.0CSL Le Mans challenger.
Other high points included the Alexander Calder-designed 3.0CSL from 1975, a 1995 David Hockney BMW 850i, and Jeff Koon’s striking BMW M3 GT2 racer of 2010.
Join the debate
BriMarsh
Art Drive!
I read that as Art Drivel. I never saw the point of this art on BMW thing, but I am perhaps a Philistine. Still, a nice opportunity isn't it? BMW, official cars of the London Olympics put on an art exhibition also in London. Anyone would think the whole thing was just one big commercial based junket for those in power, underwritten by the taxpayer.
disco.stu
Brilliant
Having been a fan of the Art Car series for many years, it was brilliant to see all 16 of the Art Cars (the 17th isn't actually a car and looks like a giant cocoon, so they didn't bring it) in one place.
Interesting that Alex failed to mention that the display includes the Andy Warhol-painted M1 from 1979 - which is considered to be the most valuable BMW in the world (although personally, I prefer Alexander Calder's 3.0 CSL).
For a free exhibition, it is absolutely fantastic. Plus it has been kept relatively quiet, so you won't have to battle hordes of punters like you do at Goodwood FoS or Chelsea AutoLegends. Just don't tell anyone about it...
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doragames
doragames
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