The Hagerty Drivers Foundation, a 501(c)(3) non-profit and BMW North America, announced that the 1979 BMW M1 Group 4, BMW Art Car No. 4 by Andy Warhol is the 37^th 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 racecar 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.

“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.” Andy Warhol.

50 years of ‘rolling sculptures’: the BMW Art Car Collection

Since 1975, renowned artists from around the world have created BMW Art Cars. The idea emerged thanks to 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, captivating the public and 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 BMW vehicles that have been turned into works of art using a wide variety of graphic and artistic techniques are as different as the artists themselves—from pure racing thoroughbreds to production vehicles and rare sports cars. The results are all vastly different. No two vehicles are alike. BMW Art Car collaborators are selected by an independent worldwide jury of gallerists and curators, and the artist always maintains complete creative freedom throughout the entire process.

The Warhol car is the 4^th BMW in the legendary Art Car series. The M1 isn’t just art, however—it 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.

“Many view the automobile as a form of art in motion, and the Warhol BMW M1 is arguably the most iconic example in the Art Car series,” said McKeel Hagerty, Board President of the Hagerty Drivers Foundation. “We greatly appreciate BMW North America’s support and enthusiasm for sharing this historic car, and we are proud to help secure its legacy by including it in the National Register.”

The BMW Art Cars are currently on a World Tour to celebrate the 50^th Anniversary of the series. The M1 will make its U.S. tour debut along with the 20^th Art Car (2024 BMW M Hybrid by Julie Mehretu) at this year’s Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance. As part of the U.S. tour Warhol’s automotive masterpiece will travel to Washington D.C. to be displayed on the National Mall for the Hagerty Drivers Foundation’s annual Cars at the Capital Exhibition (September 17-23) honoring its National Register designation. The DC exhibition will be located just steps from the Smithsonian museums that hold countless pieces from the very artists that were featured in the BMW Art Car series and those that inspired them.

This unique automotive and art exhibition will be available free for the public to see, allowing a rare up-close opportunity to experience this significant car. To inspire both the rising generation of artists and car enthusiasts, the non-profit will host a Family Day activation at the exhibit on Saturday, September 20. Kids will be able to paint their very own masterpiece in the spirit of Warhol and the artists that made the BMW Art Cars so iconic.

Photos: Media Images – HDF Dropbox Link

Hagerty Drivers Foundation

The Hagerty Drivers Foundation is a 501(c)(3) non-profit launched in 2021 by Hagerty. With the purpose of shaping the future of car culture while celebrating our automotive past, the Hagerty Drivers Foundation provides scholarships for students in the automotive field of education, as well as students seeking formal driver education training. In addition, the Foundation continues to build a federally recognized program – the National Historic Vehicle Register – that documents and records the important history of our shared automotive past, please visit https:///driversfoundation.org/.