Celebrated American pop artist, Andy Warhol made his mark on this M1 factory race car in 1979 as the 4th BMW in the company’s Art Car series launched in 1975. BMW’s newly released flagship performance model, the M1, raced in Le Mans, where it took a second in class finish, and a sixth-place finish overall with Warhol’s hand laid brushstrokes adorning the angular Giorgetto Giugiaro designed body.
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.
Warhol’s creation was not originally intended to be the car we know today, however. Warhol was initially invited to design a BMW 320 touring car which would be raced by Poulain at the 24 Hours of Le Mans. When Warhol revealed his design to BMW, it came as a surprise that the windows and headlights were completely covered by the design, making it impossible to drive the car. It was then proposed that Warhol start fresh with a new supercar that BMW Motorsport had been developing – the M1.
The M1 was a complete departure from the formula BMW was known for. Inspired by the “Turbo” concept of 1972, the M1 featured a wedge-shaped silhouette concealing a spaceframe chassis and BMW’s signature inline-six engine mounted midship. In development throughout the ‘70s, the M1 was announced in 1977. It was designed to be BMW’s flagship performance car at the time and engineered to compete on the world stage. BMW Motorsport aimed the M1 squarely at the Porsche 935, which was the dominant car in Group 4 racing at the time. For the M1 to qualify, BMW was required to build at least 400 units over the course of 2 years for public sale. Penned by Giorgetto Giugiaro, the M1 was originally planned to be built in Italy with the collaboration of Lamborghini, but ultimately was completed in Germany, as the Italian automaker entered financial difficulties. From 1979 until 1981, just 453 M1’s were built, 399 being street cars. The M1 was never officially sold in the U.S., with only a handful of examples privately imported. Today, they are well regarded as one of the vehicles that inspired the supercar genre in the 1970s.
The car provided to Warhol was a factory racecar version of the M1 known as a Group 4 or “Procar” after the class it was designed to compete in at Le Mans. The racecar version of the M1 that Warhol painted features a more potent version of the 3.5 liter inline-six producing nearly 500 horsepower. The sleek body bulges with large fender flares to conceal the oversized wheels and tires, behind them, oversized disc brakes and double wishbone suspension at all four corners.
With the first three BMW art cars, the artist painted a scale model with the artwork to be applied to the car. When it came time to apply paint to the M1, however, Warhol was the first artist to choose to paint the car himself, rather than direct it. Warhol turned the painting of the car into a performance, applying thirteen pounds of paint to the M1’s body in under 30 minutes. It is said that Warhol painted the car so quickly, the camera crew sent to capture it nearly missed it! “I adore the car, it’s much better than a work of art.”, said Warhol.
The art car was entered in the 1979 running of the 24 Hours of Le Mans, driven by Hervé Poulain, Manfred Winkelhock, and Marcel Mignot. After racing day and night for 3,875 kilometers, through inclement weather, Warhol’s art car placed an impressive second in class, and sixth overall. After LeMans the car was retired from racing and has been part of BMW’s collection ever since, touring the globe at important museums and cultural installations.
NHVR No. 37, HAER No. NJ-162
Paint and exterior
The car was hand-painted in 1979 by Andy Warhol. Warhol applied 13 pounds of paint over the white base coat in only 28 minutes.
Upholstery and interior
The interior of the BMW M1 is spartan, featuring a roll cage and a driver’s seat trimmed in fire retardant material.
Engine
The M1 is powered by a mid-mounted, naturally aspirated 3.5 liter inline-six BMW M88/1 engine, featuring dual overhead camshafts, 4 valves per cylinder, and mechanical fuel injection. It produces 470 horsepower and 288 lb-ft of torque.
Mileage
After completion, this M1 was raced at the 24 Hours of Le Mans and covered 3,875 km. Afterwards, it was retired from racing and put on display.
Wheels and tires
The M1 features 16" BBS center lock wheels and racing tires.
Brakes
The M1 is fitted with upgraded 4-wheel hydraulic disc brakes.
Transmission
The M1 features a 5-speed ZF DS25 gearbox and limited slip differential, driving the rear wheels.