BMW Art Car

The BMW Art Car collection consists of automobiles transformed into mobile artworks by international artists, with each vehicle displaying its own visual concept. The cars are painted using various techniques and combine artistic creativity with the technical structure of the vehicles.

French racing driver Hervé Poulain came up with the idea in 1975 when he commissioned artist Alexander Calder to paint a BMW 3.0 CSL for a race at Le Mans. This first Art Car sparked a tradition that attracted leading artists over the decades and brought new vehicles to life.

The collection displays works by Andy Warhol, Roy Lichtenstein, and Robert Rauschenberg, who each left their personal artistic signature on the vehicles. This collaboration between the art world and automobile industry shows how different creative worlds can come together.

The vehicles are displayed at the BMW Museum in Munich where you can view the painted details and technical features of each car. It is worthwhile to spend time looking at each design, as every automobile shows a different artistic approach.

A remarkable aspect is that many of these vehicles actually participated in real automobile races after their artistic transformation. These cars were not merely exhibition pieces but also functioned as genuine race cars on the track.