The BMW Art Car program is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year, and its story has been told many times. But when it comes straight from Jochen Neerpasch — the man who founded BMW M, created BMW Motorsport, and greenlit the first BMW Art Car — the tale hits differently. We spoke with Jochen Neerpasch earlier this year at the Rolex 24 at Daytona, where he looked back at how an idea that began almost by accident grew into one of the most famous intersections of art and motorsport.
The First BMW Art Car Wasn’t Planned
For anyone unfamiliar, the BMW Art Car series is a collection of race cars — and occasionally road cars — transformed into rolling works of art by some of the world’s most celebrated contemporary artists. These aren’t replicas or studio props. They’re real machines that have competed in legendary events like the 24 Hours of Le Mans, painted by names such as Alexander Calder, Roy Lichtenstein, Andy Warhol, Jenny Holzer, David Hockney, Jeff Koons, Esther Mahlangu, Olafur Eliasson, and Julie Mehretu.
Since the first one in 1975, each Art Car has been a unique collaboration between engineering and artistry — a canvas with a top speed, born for the track yet destined for the museum.
A Phone Call from Jean Todt
Neerpasch’s version of the origin story isn’t a polished corporate pitch. In his words, it started as a stroke of chance during a time when BMW was limited in where it could compete. “It happened by accident,” he recalled. “At that time, we couldn’t race in Europe — only in the United States. We wanted to race in Le Mans, but we knew it would be tough.”
Then came the call that set things in motion. Jean Todt — long before his Ferrari and FIA years — reached out to Neerpasch about an unusual proposal. “He told me there was an art dealer in Paris who had a project. He wanted to run a car in the 24 Hours of Le Mans, painted by an artist. He had already asked ALPINA to do it, but they had rejected the idea.” The art dealer and racing driver was Hervé Poulain.
Most teams might have dismissed it, but Neerpasch saw something more. “I thought it was a good idea — not to go to Le Mans purely as a motorsport event, but as an art event.”
Racing to Prepare a Le Mans Entry
There was one major obstacle: BMW’s racing team was based in the United States, and there was no crew in Europe ready to prepare a car for Le Mans. “But if you want to, you always find a way to do it,” Neerpasch said. That “way” produced the first BMW Art Car — a 3.0 CSL painted by American artist Alexander Calder. Calder’s bold colors and flowing forms turned the car into a kinetic sculpture, standing out even in the frenetic environment of a 24-hour race.
From One-Off Experiment to Ongoing Legacy
After that debut, Neerpasch knew the concept had potential beyond a single outing. “After the first year, we decided to do more Art Cars. The idea was to connect the artist not only to the car but also to the event.” This approach produced pieces like Roy Lichtenstein’s 1977 BMW 320i Group 5, whose sweeping lines and bright gradients symbolized the road, the rising sun, and the experience of racing through the French countryside at dawn.
It wasn’t about just painting a car — it was about capturing the spirit of endurance racing. And remarkably, none of the artists took payment. “All the artists after that didn’t take money,” Neerpasch said. “They just wanted to do it.”
Five Decades, Twenty Cars, Endless Stories
What started with Calder’s CSL now includes 20 BMW Art Cars spanning minimalism, pop art, magical realism, abstraction, concept art, and digital art. They’ve been displayed in galleries, raced at Le Mans, and toured the world, each one representing a unique collaboration between an artist’s vision and BMW’s engineering.
And to think — it all began with a phone call, a rejected proposal, and a motorsport boss who was willing to take a chance on something unconventional.
Neerpasch’s story is a reminder that some of the most enduring legacies in racing don’t start with a strategic plan. They start with a “why not?” and the determination to make it happen.
BMW Art Cars Timeline (1975–2024)
- 1975 – Alexander Calder (USA) – BMW 3.0 CSL
- 1976 – Frank Stella (USA) – BMW 3.0 CSL
- 1977 – Roy Lichtenstein (USA) – BMW 320i Group 5 Race Version
- 1979 – Andy Warhol (USA) – BMW M1 Group 4 Race Version
- 1982 – Ernst Fuchs (Austria) – BMW 635 CSi
- 1986 – Robert Rauschenberg (USA) – BMW 635 CSi
- 1989 – Michael Jagamara Nelson (Australia) – BMW M3 Group A Race Version
- 1989 – Ken Done (Australia) – BMW M3 Group A Race Version
- 1990 – Matazo Kayama (Japan) – BMW 535i
- 1990 – César Manrique (Spain) – BMW 730i
- 1991 – A.R. Penck (Germany) – BMW Z1
- 1991 – Esther Mahlangu (South Africa) – BMW 525i
- 1992 – Sandro Chia (Italy) – BMW 3-Series Racing Touring Car Prototype
- 1995 – David Hockney (Great Britain) – BMW 850CSi
- 1999 – Jenny Holzer (USA) – BMW V12 LMR
- 2007 – Olafur Eliasson (Denmark) – BMW H2R Hydrogen Record Car (Your mobile expectations: BMW H2R project)
- 2010 – Jeff Koons (USA) – BMW M3 GT2
- 2016 – Cao Fei (China) – BMW M6 GT3
- 2016 – John Baldessari (USA) – BMW M6 GTLM
- 2024 – Julie Mehretu (USA) – BMW M Hybrid V8
