50 years of BMW art cars: look back at iconic models by andy warhol, jeff koons and more

BMW Art car collection celebrates 50 years with world tour

On the occasion of BMW’s Art Car 50th anniversary, we dive into some of the most iconic models in the collection. These include Andy Warhol, Alexander Calder, Esther Mahlangu, Jeff Koons, Julie Mehretu, Cao Fei, John Baldessari, Jenny Holzer, Olafur Eliasson, and more. So far, there are 20 BMW Art Cars in the collection that artists have transformed into ‘rolling sculptures.’ They all exude art movements, from minimalism and pop art to abstraction and digital art. These art cars are set to go on a world tour, exhibiting them across five continents. The BMW Art Car World Tour begins in Europe and Asia. On March 20th and 21st, 2025, the models by Roy Lichtenstein, Andy Warhol, Robert Rauschenberg, David Hockney, and Jeff Koons are on display at the Museum of Applied Arts and the SPARK Art Fair in Vienna as part of the BMW Group Niederlassung Wien event ‘(R)Evolution of Art.’

The 20th BMW Art Car in the collection, the BMW M Hybrid V8 by Julie Mehretu, appears at Art Basel in Hong Kong from March 28th to 30th. The 13th Art Car by Sandro Chia shows up at Concorso d’Eleganza Villa d’Este at Lake Como in May 2025. Then in July and August, the Louwman Museum in The Hague presents eight BMW Art Cars collections in an exhibition. The BMW Museum also hosts an exhibition combining the anniversaries of the BMW Art Cars and the BMW 3 Series (the series marks its 50th anniversary in 2025). Starting June 16th, the museum showcases the history of all BMW 3 Series models as well as the BMW M3 Art Cars by Sandro Chia, Michael Jagamara Nelson, and Ken Done.

all images courtesy of BMW AG

Alexander Calder, 1975

BMW Art Car 1 by Alexander Calder | photo by Jean-Marie Bottequin

The first BMW Art Car in the collection is created in 1975 when artist Alexander Calder designs a bold livery for the BMW 3.0 CSL. Commissioned by auctioneer and racing driver Hervé Poulain, the project comes to life in collaboration with BMW Motorsport Director Jochen Neerpasch. Here, Alexander Calder applies his signature red, yellow, blue, and white patterns to the car.

The Calder-designed BMW 3.0 CSL makes its debut at the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1975. Sam Posey, Jean Guichet, and Hervé Poulain drive it, though it retires from the race after seven hours due to a mechanical failure. The artist’s influences for the BMW art car in this collection extend from engineering to avant-garde art, drawing inspiration from Piet Mondrian and Joan Miró.

the Calder-designed BMW 3.0 CSL makes its debut at the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1975 | photo by Enes Kucevic 

Frank Stella, 1976

BMW Art Car 2 by Frank Stella | photo by Robert Kröschel

Frank Stella designs the BMW 3.0 CSL Art Car in the collection back in 1976, drawing on his early Abstract Minimalist Black Paintings. He creates a black-and-white grid pattern resembling oversized graph paper, inspired by the car’s precision engineering. The design highlights the contours and lines of the vehicle, reflecting technical accuracy. Applying the design requires extensive work over hundreds of hours.

Frank Stella’s BMW 3.0 CSL races at the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1976, driven by Brian Redman and Peter Gregg, but technical issues prevent the car from finishing. A similar outcome occurs at the Dijon 6 Hours on 5 September 1976, with Ronnie Peterson and Gunnar Nilsson as drivers. During the 1960s, he becomes known for abstract color paintings exhibited worldwide. From the 1980s, he focuses on relief paintings and sculpture.

Frank Stella designs the BMW 3.0 CSL Art Car in the collection back in 1976 | photo by Enes Kucevic

Roy Lichtenstein, 1977

BMW Art Car 3 by Roy Lichtenstein

Roy Lichtenstein designs the BMW 320 Art Car of the collection to depict motion even when the car is stationary. The lines on the bodywork symbolize the road, while abstract representations of light and landscape suggest passing scenery. The doors display images of the sun, one rising and one setting, referencing the 24 Hours of Le Mans. Lichtenstein’s Art Car debuts twice—first at the Centre Pompidou in Paris as an artwork and then at the 24 Hours of Le Mans in June 1977 as a race car. 

Carrying the number 50 and driven by Hervé Poulain and Marcel Mignot, the BMW Art Car in the collection finishes ninth overall and first in its class. Roy Lichtenstein (1923-1997) is one of the founders of American Pop Art. His early works include Cubism and Expressionism, but he does not explore comics and advertising until the late 1950s. In 1961, he creates his first Pop Art paintings, developing a visual language of large dots and clear contours

Roy Lichtenstein designs the BMW 320 Art Car of the collection to depict motion | photo by Enes Kucevic

Andy Warhol, 1979

Instead of using pop culture references, Andy Warhol paints the BMW M1 Art Car himself. He covers it in colors and textures with broad brushstrokes in 28 minutes. The artist’s design represents speed, with contours and colors intended to create the effect of motion. Hervé Poulain, founder of the BMW Art Car Collection, observes Warhol painting the car and compares it to a live dance performance.

Andy Warhol’s BMW Art Car in the collection races for the first and only time at the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1979. Numbered 76, the M1 is driven by Manfred Winkelhock from Germany and Hervé Poulain and Marcel Mignot from France. The car finishes sixth overall and second in its class. The celebrated artist is a key figure in modern art and a leading proponent of Pop Art.

Andy Warhol paints the car with broad brushstrokes in 28 minutes | photo by Stephan Bauer

Esther Mahlangu, 1991

BMW Art Car 12 by Esther Mahlangu

For her Art Car in the BMW collection, Esther Mahlangu applies traditional Ndebele painting to the BMW 525i. She brings tribal art to a modern vehicle. The artist’s geometric patterns and vivid colors, typically seen on house facades, cover the art car. To familiarize herself with the new medium, she first paints the door of another BMW before completing the Art Car in a week. She becomes the first woman and the first African artist to design an Art Car. Esther Mahlangu’s BMW Art Car in the collection is created for exhibition and has never been driven in a race.

Born in South Africa (1935), Esther Mahlangu learns traditional Ndebele painting techniques from her mother. Ndebele murals, known for their patterns, are traditionally created by women. The artist is recognized as a leading figure in this field, with exhibitions in institutions such as the British Museum in London and the Centre Pompidou in Paris. In 2024, the Iziko Museums of South Africa in Cape Town hosts a major retrospective of her work. 

Esther Mahlangu applies traditional Ndebele painting | photo by Clint Strydom

Jenny Holzer, 1999

BMW Art Car 15 by Jenny Holzer

American conceptual artist Jenny Holzer’s BMW Art Car in the collection features messages similar to those in her Truisms series. The car displays one of her most well-known ones, ‘PROTECT ME FROM WHAT I WANT,’ on the bonnet. It critiques the endless desires of capitalism, placed on a 580-bhp, 340-km/h racing car. To make sure viewers see it during the 24 Hours of Le Mans, Holzer uses reflective chrome letters and phosphorescent paint. The letters reflect the sky during the day and glow BMW blue at night, releasing the daylight they absorbed.

In May 1999, Jenny Holzer’s Art Car in the BMW collection participates in the qualifying round for the 24 Hours of Le Mans. Although it does not make it into the race, another BMW V12 LMR competes and wins, driven by Joachim Winkelhock, Pierluigi Martini, and Yannick Dalmas. Born in Ohio in 1950, Jenny Holzer focuses on using text as an artistic medium, projecting her messages onto various surfaces such as posters, benches, photos, and LED displays. She begins her career in Ohio and moves to New York in 1977, where she creates her Truisms series.

Olafur Eliasson, 2007

BMW Art Car 16 by Olafur Eliasson | image courtesy of Studio Olafur Eliasson and BMW Group

For his Art Car in the BMW collection, Olafur Eliasson transforms a hydrogen-powered prototype, the H.R. He removes its body and then replaces it with a reflective wire mesh, covering the entire car. The artist also layers the mesh with ice, turning the car into an ice sculpture. The artwork weighs around two tons and is internally illuminated. The BMW H.R research vehicle is Olafur Eliasson’s BMW Art Car. It sets nine records for vehicles powered by hydrogen combustion engines. It has been tested on a high-speed track in Miramas, France.

Olafur Eliasson’s BMW Art Car in the collection is also intended solely as an exhibition piece. It has never been driven on the road or in a race. Born in Copenhagen in 1967 to Icelandic parents, he has created installations that explore natural phenomena like light, water, movement, and mist. He is best known for his large-scale works, such as The Weather Project (2003), exhibited at Tate Modern in London. The piece features an artificial sun made of monochromatic lights, mist, and mirrors, which made the vast Turbine Hall appear even larger. 

Olafur Eliasson transforms a hydrogen-powered prototype into an ice sculpture

Jeff Koons, 2010

BMW Art Car 17 by Jeff Koons

Jeff Koons creates a design for the 17th BMW Art Car in the collection using the M3 GT2 as his base. He applies bright colors and streaks of light. The design includes clusters of lines suggesting speed and energy across the bodywork. There are graphic explosions at the rear, representing the power of the engine. Jeff Koons uses 20 Pantone colors reproduced with digital printing techniques. The challenge lies in finding the brightest possible white for the basecolor on the special vinyl wrap. 

Jeff Koons’s BMW Art Car in the collection makes its world premiere on June 2nd, 2010 at the Centre Pompidou in Paris. The car competes in the 24 Hours of Le Mans on 12 June 2010. It comes with a number 79 to pay homage to Andy Warhol’s 1979 Art Car. Andy Priaulx (UK), Dirk Müller (DE), and Dirk Werner (DE) drive the BMW Art Car. It becomes a fan favorite but faces technical issues and withdraws after five hours of racing.

Jeff Koons’ design includes clusters of lines suggesting speed across the bodywork | photo by Enes Kucevic

Julie Mehretu, 2024

BMW Art Car 20 by Julie Mehretu | photo by Tereza Mundilová

For her Art Car in the BMW collection, American artist Julie Mehretu works with various media on large canvases. These include photos, social media posts, musical motifs, and literary quotations. She distorts, pixelates, and paints over them, adding her visual gestures. While working on a painting called Everywhen, the model of a BMW M Hybrid V8 arrives at her studio. She considers the possibility of the car racing through the painting. Her outcome merges the worlds of art and motorsport, creating a kind of performative artwork.

The BMW Art Car in the collection has its world premiere on May 21st, 2024, at the Centre Pompidou in Paris. The car competes in the 24 Hours of Le Mans on 15 June 2024. The team includes Robin Frijns, Sheldon van der Linde, and René Rast. After five hours, the car drops out due to a driver error. The car makes a lap of honor 24 hours later. In 2024, the prototype BMW M Hybrid V8 covers 82,400 km in tests and races.

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BMW Art Car 5 by Ernst Fuchs, 1982 | photo by Jean-Marie Bottequin

the BMW 635CSi by Ernst Fuchs, is the first Art Car based on a production vehicle, paying homage to mythology, speed, and spiritual symbolism | photo by Enes Kucevic

BMW Art Car 6 by Robert Rauschenberg, 1986

Robert Rauschenberg transforms this BMW 635CSi into a collage of art history, photography, and everyday culture | photo by Enes Kucevic

BMW Art Car 7 by Michael Nelson Jagamara, 1989 | photo by Michel Zumbrunn

Michael Nelson Jagamara paints Aboriginal Dreamtime animals, tracks, and stories on the BMW M3 by hand | photo by Enes Kucevic

BMW Art Car 8 by Ken Done, 1989 | photo by Michel Zumbrunn

Ken Done uses the colors of parrots and parrotfish for the BMW M3

BMW Art Car 9 by Matazo Kayama, 1990 | photo by Werner Deisenroth

Matazo Kayama's design for his BMW Art Car is inspired by the snow, moon, and cherry blossom of traditional Japanese artworks

BMW Art Car 10 by César Manrique, 1990

César Manrique's Art Car, a 1990 BMW 730i, takes after the world of his native Lanzarote; in particular, birds in flight

BMW Art Car 11 by A.R. Penck, 1991

A.R. Penck draws a matchstick man representing humanity; an allseeing eye; a snake as a stand-in for the natural world for his Art Car | photo by Enes Kucevic A.R. Penck draws a matchstick man representing humanity; an allseeing eye; a snake as a stand-in for the natural world for his Art Car | photo by Enes Kucevic

BMW Art Car 13 by Sandro Chia, 1992 | photo by Werner Deisenroth

Sandro Chia covers the body of the BMW M3 GTR with faces and a sea of intense colors until it is completely adorned

BMW Art Car 14 by David Hockney, 1995

David Hockney designs the BMW Art Car to give the impression of seeing inside the vehicle

BMW Art Car 18 by Cao Fei, 2017

Cao Fei brings the first-ever digital BMW Art Car, using both physical and virtual elements, including augmented reality | image courtesy of BMW AG and Cao Fei Studio

BMW Art Car 19 by John Baldessari, 2016 | photo by Chris Tedesco

John Baldessari’s design for the BMW M6 GTLM features dots and shapes in red, yellow, blue, and green | photo by Enes Kucevic

project info:

name: 50 years of BMW Art Car Collection

car manufacturer: BMW | @bmw, @bmwgroupculture

art car artists: Alexander Calder (1975), Frank Stella (1976), Roy Lichtenstein (1977), Andy Warhol (1979), Ernst Fuchs (1982), Robert Rauschenberg (1986), Michael Jagamara Nelson (1989), Ken Done (1989), Matazo Kayama (1990), César Manrique (1990

), A.R. Penck (1991), Esther Mahlangu (1991), Sandro Chia (1992), David Hockney (1995), Jenny Holzer (1999), Ólafur Elíasson (2007), Jeff Koons (2010), Cao Fei (2017), John Baldessari (2016), Julie Mehretu (2024)