BMW – M1 – Andy Warhol (1979)

Probably the best known example of the BMW Art Car series is the BMW M1 painted by Andy Warhol himself. This Bavarian super sports car is a legend in itself. Thanks to the design by probably the most famous pop artist of all, the racing version of the BMW M1 became putatively one of the most valuable automobiles in history. Warhol had one thing in common with his predecessors: he too received no fee for his work as a car artist. Yet instead of designing a scale model like his fellow artists and having the car painted, the American did it himself. “I attempted to show speed as a visual image. When an automobile is really traveling fast, all the lines and colors are transformed into a blur,” the artist said in explanation of his work. Warhol literally exemplified this speed, applying over 13 pounds (six kilogram) of paint in just 28 minutes. Credit where it’s due, the mid-engined racing car was also fast in its only race – in Le Mans in 1979. After all, it posted a creditable sixth place finish in the overall standings. The colorful racer then retired to a museum.