Andy Warhol BMW Art Car Will Be on Display in Washington, D.C., Exhibition
The 1979 BMW M1 Art Car No.4 will be featured in a lit glass enclosure at the "Cars at the Capital" pop-up museum by Hagerty Drivers Foundation…
The Hagerty Drivers Foundation, a 501(c)(3) non-profit dedicated to preserving automotive culture and history, is hosting its annual “Cars at the Capital” exhibition featuring a world-renowned piece of automotive art by the iconic Andy Warhol—the 1979 BMW M1 Art Car No.4. The exhibition will be staged at the National Mall in Washington D.C. from Sept. 17-23, 2025. The BMW M1 exhibited in the Foundation’s lit glass enclosure will be the 37th vehicle added to the National Historic Vehicle Register. The documentation of the vehicle will be permanently archived in the U.S. Library of Congress.
Warhol, the celebrated Pittsburgh-born American artist, gave this 1979 BMW M1 factory race car an elaborate pop-art makeover, adding to the significant BMW Art Car Collection started in 1975, and, in doing so, created one of the most significant automotive works of art known today, company officials stated in a press release.
The BMW M1 by Andy Warhol also raced in the 1979 24 Hours of Le Mans, continuing the legacy set in motion with the first Art Car, finishing 6th overall and 2nd in its class. Its combination of artistic, cultural and racing pedigree makes it a natural fit for the National Historic Vehicle Register, noted the release.
“I attempted to show speed as a visual image. When the automobile is really traveling fast, all the lines and colors are transformed in a blur,” said Warhol.
The DC exhibition will be located near the Smithsonian museums that hold countless pieces from the artists who were featured in the BMW Art Car series and those who inspired them.
The History of the BMW Art Car Collection
Since 1975, renowned artists from around the world have created BMW Art Cars. The idea emerged when French racing driver and art enthusiast Hervé Poulain—who, in collaboration with Jochen Neerpasch, then Head of Motorsport at BMW—invited his friend and artist Alexander Calder to paint a car. The result was a BMW 3.0 CSL that participated in the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1975, marking the birth of the BMW Art Car Collection. Famous figures such as Frank Stella, Roy Lichtenstein, Andy Warhol, Robert Rauschenberg, Esther Mahlangu, David Hockney, Jenny Holzer and Ólafur Elíasson have since enriched the collection with their unique styles.
“The Warhol BMW M1 is arguably the most iconic example in the Art Car series,” said Casey Maxon, director of heritage at Hagerty. “The National Historic Vehicle Register features many different eras and cultural touch points of our automotive past. The Warhol M1 represents the confluence of great German engineering, fabulous Italian design, performance on the global stage and the lasting influence of the dynamic American pop-art scene.”
The BMW Art Cars are currently on a World Tour to celebrate the 50th Anniversary of the series. The M1 made its U.S. tour debut along with the 20th Art Car (a 2024 BMW M Hybrid by Julie Mehretu) this past August at the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance.
