Five BMW Art Cars To Be Displayed At Goodwood Revival 2025

BMW Art Car #3 by Roy Lichtenstein

BMW

Fiftieth anniversary celebrations will see five of BMW’s 20 art cars displayed at Goodwood Revival from 12th to 14th September. Over the past five decades, the collection has been added to by some of the most well known artists in the world. The five art cars below are due to make an appearance at the historic motorsport event.

1976 Frank Stella BMW 3.0 CSL

Following the first BMW art car, created by American sculptor Alexander Calder in 1975, artist Frank Stella was responsible for the second. His canvas was a BMW 3.0 CSL, known for competing in the 24 Hours of Le Mans.

Stella took inspiration from the technical aspects of the car, creating a design that prominently featured graph paper and a black and white theme to make the vehicle stand out against competitors.

Underneath the hood, the race car was equipped with a 750hp engine. Like the Calder car before, the paintwork was completed by BMW’s renowned custom paint expert Walter Maurer.

1977 Roy Lichtenstein BMW 320i Turbo

The third BMW art car, designed by pop artist Roy Lichtenstein, was a tough competitor at the 24 Hours of Le Mans. Driven by Hervé Poulain, founder of the art car series, and the French racing driver, Marcel Mignot, they achieved 9th overall and first in class, proving the vehicle was more than just looks.

True to Lichtenstein’s style, his art car featured sunrise motifs on both sides, intertwined with his distinctive ‘Ben Day dots’ hallmark. The oversized racing bodywork played seamlessly with Lichtenstein’s characteristic thick black lines and bold colors.

1982 Ernst Fuchs BMW 635 CSi

Titled ‘Fire Fox on a Hare Hunt’, Ernst Fuchs’ BMW art car marked a significant shift for the series and the artist. The fifth art car was the first based on a production vehicle. Unlike its forebearers, the car was destined to be an exhibition piece from the beginning, spared from a life of grueling motorsport appearances.

As far as the car’s importance for Fuchs, up until that point, the Austrian artist had risen to prominence for his religious and mystical depictions. The flame-like paintwork against a stark black background was a marked deviation away from his traditional aesthetic.

1995 David Hockney BMW 850 CSi

British artist, David Hockney, was the mastermind behind the 14th art car. Hockney is said to have spent an extended period of time designing his final vision for the car before bringing it to life on a BMW 850 CSi.

He wanted to bring the inside of the vehicle to the surface and in doing so painted a driver and steering column on the door to give observers an idea of what might lie inside. Many smaller details were included in the design to invite viewers to look closer at the intricacies of the artwork.

2010 Jeff Koons BMW M3 GT2

Jeff Koons created an impressively dynamic composition for the 17th BMW art car. In a full circle moment, Koons brought pop art back to the series with bright colors and crisp, bold lines. While most art cars since the fifth installment had been cosseted, this one was present at the starting line for the 2010 24 Hours of Le Mans.

All five cars will be displayed in the Earls Court Motor Show area of Goodwood Revival from 12th to 14th September. BMW’s art cars are currently touring the world to celebrate 50 years since the first art car.