To celebrate BMW M’s 50th anniversary, the German premium manufacturer is bringing to Italy the most special example of the first car signed M: the M1 designed by Giorgetto Giugiaro, which – painted by Andy Warhol in 1979 and after participating in the 24 Hours of Le Mans that year – was to become the fourth Art Car in the Bavarian manufacturer’s collection. The occasion is the exhibition ‘Andy Warhol: The Publicity of Form’, from 22 October at the Fabbrica del Vapore in Milan. The BMW Art Cars, dubbed ‘Rolling Sculptures’, are original masterpieces of art that demonstrate an individual synthesis of artistic expression and automotive design. Since 1975, 19 international artists have created Art Cars based on contemporary BMW cars of their time, all offering a wide range of artistic interpretations.
“I love this car. It is more successful than artwork,” was Andy Warhol’s opinion after his brushstrokes had transformed the BMW M1. It took him less than half an hour to create the fourth BMW Art Car. 40 years later, the enthusiasm for the mid-engined sports car remains undiminished. Already world-famous at the time, the American Pop Art icon shared the same passion with many car enthusiasts of that bygone era. And the fascination of the unique special created by Warhol has indeed grown to become, according to many fans, the highlight of the entire BMW Art Car collection. Warhol saw no conflict between technology and creativity. Instead of first designing a scale model and leaving the final completion to his assistants, as his predecessors did, the pop art legend painted the BMW M1 himself from start to finish. “I tried to give a vivid representation of speed. If a car is really fast, all the contours and colours will become blurred.”
