For 50 years, BMW Art Cars have exemplified the unique intersection of art, automotive design, and innovation. The program began in 1975 when French auctioneer and racing driver Hervé Poulain convinced BMW Motorsport founder Jochen Neerpasch to commission American sculptor Alexander Calder to create a distinctive livery for Poulain’s BMW 3.0 CSL. Debuting at the 24 Hours of Le Mans, Calder’s vibrant, kinetic design set a precedent for future collaborations between BMW and celebrated artists. Although the car didn’t finish the race, the public reception to this bold fusion of art and engineering was overwhelmingly positive, sparking one of the most unique and enduring corporate commitments to the arts.
BMW’s Art Car series quickly expanded under the guidance of influential New York art dealer Leo Castelli, who brought artistic icons like Frank Stella, Roy Lichtenstein, and Andy Warhol into the fold during the 1970s. While early iterations focused on race-spec vehicles, the program broadened its scope in the 1980s to include standard production models, showcasing the global appeal of this creative initiative. The roster of artists over the decades reads like a who’s who of contemporary art, featuring visionaries such as David Hockney, Jenny Holzer, Olafur Eliasson, and Jeff Koons. These collaborations highlight not only the beauty of automotive design but also how technology and motorsport can serve as canvases for innovation and imagination.
To mark this half-century milestone, BMW has unveiled a global celebration of the Art Car program, including exhibitions, displays, and archival showcases of the 20 commissioned works from 1975 to 2024. A world tour will bring select pieces to prestigious venues such as Art Basel Hong Kong, the Shanghai Auto Show, and the Louwman Museum in The Hague in 2025, with the latter including a curated display of eight cars. The celebrations will culminate with the unveiling of the latest addition to the collection: the 2024 BMW M Hybrid V8 by Ethiopian artist Julie Mehretu. Combining engineering excellence with the boundless creativity of fine art, the BMW Art Cars continue to inspire and challenge the boundaries of what cars – and art – can achieve together.
📷: BMW
