BMW Art Cars: the story of rolling art since 1975
Since 1975 famous artists have turned BMW racing and road cars into works of art. The story of the BMW Art Car collection, from Calder and Warhol to Koons.
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The BMW Art Cars are one of the most unusual collections in the car world. Since 1975, famous artists have used BMW cars as their canvas, and many of these cars actually raced at events such as the Le Mans 24 Hours before going to museums.
In this article we tell the story of the BMW Art Cars: how the idea started, the most famous cars by artists like Alexander Calder, Andy Warhol, Roy Lichtenstein and David Hockney, and why the collection is so special.
How the BMW Art Cars began
The idea came from Hervé Poulain, a French racing driver and auctioneer who loved art. In the mid-1970s he wanted to race a car painted by an artist at the Le Mans 24 Hours.
He asked the American artist Alexander Calder, famous for his mobiles, to design a car. BMW supported the idea, and in 1975 a BMW 3.0 CSL painted by Calder raced at Le Mans. The bright, colourful design was a sensation.
The project was so successful that BMW decided to continue it. Over the following decades, artists from around the world created more Art Cars, using racing cars, road cars and even a hydrogen research car.
Today the collection includes around twenty cars and is shown in museums and exhibitions around the world. It connects two worlds that rarely meet: motorsport and art.
The 1970s: Calder, Stella, Lichtenstein and Warhol
The first four Art Cars are among the most famous:
- Alexander Calder (1975) painted a 3.0 CSL with large areas of bright colour. It was the first Art Car and raced at Le Mans.
- Frank Stella (1976) covered a 3.0 CSL with a black and white grid, like technical drawing paper, inspired by engineering.
- Roy Lichtenstein (1977) designed a 320i racing car with lines that show the landscape the car passes through, in his typical pop-art style with dots.
- Andy Warhol (1979) painted a BMW M1 racing car himself, with fast brush strokes to show speed. He said he wanted to show the impression of speed, where colours and lines become blurred.
Warhol's M1 also raced at Le Mans, and it is often called the most famous Art Car of all.
The 1980s and 1990s: art from around the world
In the following decades, BMW invited artists from many countries and styles.
Robert Rauschenberg (1986) used photographs and images of classic paintings on a 635CSi. Australian artist Ken Done painted an M3 with colourful parrots and fish in 1989. Japanese artist Matazo Kayama created a delicate design on a 535i in 1990.
In 1991, Esther Mahlangu, a South African artist of the Ndebele people, painted a 525i with traditional geometric patterns. She was the first woman to create a BMW Art Car, and her car became one of the best-known in the collection.
In 1995 the British painter David Hockney designed an 850CSi, showing the inside of the car, including the engine and a driver, on its outside. In 1999 Jenny Holzer covered a V12 LMR racing car with short messages, in her typical style of text-based art.
Modern Art Cars
The tradition continued into the new century. In 2007 the Danish-Icelandic artist Olafur Eliasson transformed the BMW H2R hydrogen research car into a sculpture of ice, raising questions about the environment and the future of mobility.
In 2010 the American artist Jeff Koons designed an M3 GT2 racing car with bright, explosive lines of colour suggesting speed and power. It raced at the Le Mans 24 Hours, continuing the tradition started by Calder.
More recent Art Cars have included works by artists such as John Baldessari and Cao Fei, using the M6 GTLM racing car, and some projects have explored digital and virtual art.
Each new Art Car reflects its time, from pop art to environmental concerns and digital technology.
Why the collection is special
The BMW Art Car collection is unique for several reasons.
First, many of the cars are real racing cars that competed in famous events. They are not just painted show cars, but machines that raced at full speed.
Second, the artists had complete freedom. BMW provided the car, but the artists decided the design. The result is an extraordinary variety of styles and ideas.
Third, the collection shows how cars have become part of culture. A car can be a symbol of freedom, technology, speed and design, and artists have used it to express all of these themes.
The Art Cars are regularly shown in museums around the world and at the BMW Museum in Munich, where visitors can see some of them up close.
Seeing the Art Cars
If you want to see the BMW Art Cars, the BMW Museum in Munich is the best place to start. It often shows a selection of the cars, and its exhibitions change regularly.
The cars also travel to museums, art fairs and motor shows around the world. BMW announces these exhibitions on its classic and museum websites.
Seeing an Art Car in person is very different from seeing photos. You notice the details, the brush strokes and the way the design follows the shape of the car.
For BMW fans who are also interested in art, the Art Car collection is a perfect example of how a car brand can be part of the wider cultural world.
Famous BMW Art Cars
| Item | Details |
|---|---|
| 1975 | Alexander Calder – 3.0 CSL (first Art Car, Le Mans) |
| 1976 | Frank Stella – 3.0 CSL |
| 1977 | Roy Lichtenstein – 320i racing car |
| 1979 | Andy Warhol – M1 (Le Mans) |
| 1991 | Esther Mahlangu – 525i (first female Art Car artist) |
| 1995 | David Hockney – 850CSi |
| 2007 | Olafur Eliasson – H2R hydrogen car |
| 2010 | Jeff Koons – M3 GT2 (Le Mans) |
Frequently asked questions
What was the first BMW Art Car?
The first BMW Art Car was a 3.0 CSL painted by the American artist Alexander Calder. It raced at the Le Mans 24 Hours in 1975.
Which famous artists created BMW Art Cars?
Among others: Alexander Calder, Frank Stella, Roy Lichtenstein, Andy Warhol, Robert Rauschenberg, Esther Mahlangu, David Hockney, Jenny Holzer, Olafur Eliasson and Jeff Koons.
Did the BMW Art Cars race?
Many of them did. Several Art Cars, including those by Calder, Warhol and Koons, raced at the Le Mans 24 Hours.
Where can I see the BMW Art Cars?
The BMW Museum in Munich often shows a selection of the cars, and the collection also travels to museums and exhibitions around the world.
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