Andy Warhol's Iconic BMW M1 Showcased at Art Dubai as Part of Global Anniversary Tour

BMW's legendary Art Car Collection celebrates its 50th anniversary with a world tour that recently made a significant stop at Art Dubai, featuring Andy Warhol's vibrant BMW M1—one of the collection's most celebrated pieces.

The Rolling Canvas: Warhol's Artistic Vision

In 1979, Pop Art master Andy Warhol transformed BMW's first mid-engine sports car into a dynamic expression of speed and motion. Unlike his predecessors in the Art Car series—Alexander Calder, Frank Stella, and Roy Lichtenstein—who worked with sketches and scale models, Warhol took a boldly direct approach. He applied approximately 13 pounds of paint directly onto the vehicle's body, completing the entire work in just 28 minutes with expressive, intuitive brushstrokes designed to capture the essence of velocity.

"I have tried to give a vivid depiction of speed. If a car is really fast, all the contours and colors will become blurred," Warhol explained about his creation.

From Racetrack to Art History

The artistic intervention wasn't merely decorative—Warhol's M1 raced competitively the same year it was painted, entering the prestigious 24 Hours of Le Mans with drivers Hervé Poulain, Manfred Winkelhock, and Marcel Mignot. The vehicle finished impressively, placing sixth overall and second in its class before retiring to BMW's permanent collection.

A Legacy of Automotive Artistry

The BMW Art Car project originated in 1975 through the vision of French racing driver and art enthusiast Hervé Poulain, who conceptualized automobiles as both high-performance machines and mobile canvases for artistic expression. What began with Calder's creation has evolved into a collection of 20 vehicles transformed by renowned contemporary artists over five decades, firmly establishing these "rolling sculptures" as significant cultural artifacts bridging automotive and art worlds.

Link: https://www.press.bmwgroup.com