Art cars: art on wheels from BMW to Porsche

Horsepower under the bonnet and colour on top – when Andy Warhol and other artists get their hands on cars, they create automobile personalities known as art cars.

Art attracts attention. When iconic cars are personalised by renowned artists, all parties can be sure of the media spotlight. Pablo Picasso once honoured a Citroën DS limousine by painting it. Porsche also had a series of extravagant works of art, although not all of them were suitable for their actual purpose, driving on roads. Other car brands with a long tradition have joined the trend – including BMW, Bentley, Ferrari and Lamborghini.

BMW: Bavarian engineering, pop art and conceptual art

1) Pop artist David Hockney got to work on a BMW 850 CSi and, with his art, put a car on the road that is still causing a stir 30 years later. Hockney wanted to look into the soul of the car with his work, to show it as if you could see inside.

2) Pop icon Andy Warhol tackled the BMW M1 and created what is probably the most famous art car of all time. Warhol wanted to depict speed through blurred lines and colours. He certainly set a speed record himself – the work of art was completed in 28 minutes.

3) The artist Jenny Holzer, known for her critical reflections, sent the BMW V12 Le Mans sports car onto the race track with one of her most famous sentences. ​“Protect me from what I want” can be read across the body. Further messages can be found on the left and right sides of the car and on the spoiler. With publicity guaranteed, the BMW took part in the pre-qualifying race in Le Mans in 1999.

Love is Bentley

As daring as it is iconic – Bentley commissioned designer Rich Morris to create a car that stands for diversity and inclusion. Designed in the nine colours of the rainbow flag, the work of art joins the words ​“Love is Love” through a single line that depicts faces and dancing figures. Bentley wanted to demonstrate that promoting diversity within the company is extremely important to them and that they are on track to meet their target of 30% diversity at the management level.

Sex, drugs and cars

In the 1960s music scene, it was popular to make cars as eye-catching as possible. John Lennon, for example, had his Rolls-Royce Phantom V painted in the colours of the album cover of 1967’s ​‘Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band’, and Janis Joplin’s Porsche reflected the psychedelic universe in colour. Today, art cars are often museum trophies or shine at art shows and festivals. They are even sold as NFT artworks.

Porsche: driving universes

1) In the 1960s, Janis Joplin’s brightly painted Porsche 356 SC was one of the best-known vehicles in California. The iconic car was painted by Dave Richards, who immortalised the history of the universe on the vehicle in the brightest colours. The legendary cruiser was repainted a few more times, but has never lost its original charm.

2) When artist Chris Labrooy created his 3D artwork of a Porsche in the shape of a swan, he didn’t actually expect it to be built. But the extravagant 996 was so well received by Porsche China that they simply recreated it. Unfortunately, it is not suitable for the water or the road.

3) Austrian artist Erwin Wurm has attracted attention with his Fat Cars. For the 20th anniversary of his series, he created a video project with a Porsche 911 that was brought to life by breathing in and out. Wurm offered the work for sale as a non-fungible token (NFT).

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