THE ICONIC BMW ART CAR COLLECTION TURNS 50 - BMW CELEBRATES WITH A MASSIVE TOUR.
BMW’s most creative anniversary celebration yet is officially underway in Munich, where the BMW Museum has opened a bold new chapter in its legacy with a special exhibition honouring 50 years of the BMW Art Car Collection - and the 50th birthday of the legendary BMW 3 Series. Launching hot on the heels of the 2025 Le Mans 24 Hours - the very track where the Art Car journey began in 1975 - this one-of-a-kind exhibition runs until 1 February 2026, and shines a well-deserved spotlight on three rolling works of art built from BMW’s most iconic canvas: the 3 Series. On display are Sandro Chia’s emotional BMW M3 GTR, and two vivid 1989 BMW M3 Group A race cars hand-painted by Australian artists Michael Jagamara Nelson and Ken Done.
It was half a century ago that French racing driver and art enthusiast Hervé Poulain, along with BMW Motorsport boss Jochen Neerpasch, sparked an idea that would blend high art with high speed. They handed a BMW 3.0 CSL to iconic artist Alexander Calder, who turned it into a kinetic canvas. That car didn’t just race at Le Mans in ’75 - it kickstarted a cultural movement. The BMW Art Car Collection was born.
Since then, the list of contributing artists reads like an art history textbook: Frank Stella, Roy Lichtenstein, Andy Warhol, Robert Rauschenberg, Esther Mahlangu, David Hockney, Jenny Holzer, Ólafur Elíasson and ma Esther Mahlangu, to name just a few. The tradition has evolved as well, with more recent contributions from John Baldessari, Cao Fei, Jeff Koons, and Julie Mehretu, who have used race-bred machines like the M6 GTLM and M6 GT3 as their medium of choice.
Now, the global BMW Art Car World Tour - the biggest showcase of these cars ever assembled - stops at its spiritual home. The BMW Museum’s special exhibition is one of the anchor points of the tour, which has already visited 12 markets across five continents, and continues to spread the gospel of art on wheels around the globe.
Three 3s That Redefine the Art Car
BMW M3 GTR by Sandro Chia (1992)
Italian artist Sandro Chia brought his expressive, humanistic style to the M3 GTR, painting emotional faces across the bodywork in a way that blurs the line between sculpture and soul.
“Everything that is looked at closely turns into a face. A face is a focus, a focus of life and the world.” – Sandro Chia
BMW M3 Group A by Michael Jagamara Nelson (1989)
A celebration of Aboriginal art and storytelling, Michael Jagamara Nelson used intricate dot painting to turn the M3 into a cultural canvas that echoes the Dreaming.
“A car is a landscape as it would be seen from a plane – I have included water, the kangaroo and the opossum.” – Michael Jagamara Nelson
BMW M3 Group A by Ken Done (1989)
Known for his vibrant colours and bold brushwork, Ken Done delivered a joyful homage to speed and power through his richly coloured, energetic M3.
“I wanted to express the joy of speed and the brilliance of the machine itself.” – Ken Done
Celebrating the 3 Series Legacy
While the art may grab the headlines, the BMW 3 Series is the underlying star of the show - a car that’s defined the sports sedan segment since its debut in 1975. Over six generations, it’s become a global icon of dynamic driving and engineering excellence, earning its place not just in garages but also in art galleries. From that first E21 to today’s tech-laden G20, the 3 Series has continued to evolve without losing its soul - the perfect muse for artists looking to explore the intersection of motion, identity, and machine.
And if you’re visiting the BMW Museum, don’t miss a bonus gem: the BMW 730i Art Car by César
Take a look at the YouTube video that gives a brief glimpse of 50 years of the iconic BMW Art Car Collection. We love these things, especially since there's also a South African connection along the way from Esther Mahlangu: 50 Years of BMW Art Cars 🎨 | BMW Group
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