BMW Art Car by Alexander Calder on display at Bucharest art fair

The first BMW Art Car, painted by American artist Alexander Calder, is on display at RAD Art Fair, currently taking place in Bucharest, as part of the BMW Art Car World Tour.

Alexander Calder’s BMW 3.0 CSL (1975) laid the foundation for the BMW Art Car collection when French racing driver and art dealer Hervé Poulain, together with then BMW Head of Motorsport Jochen Neerpasch, asked Calder to paint a car.

The completely reimagined 3.0 CSL, patterned in red, yellow, blue, and white, went on to compete in the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1975. The car will complement RAD Sculpture Park, open until May 15, at the Hotel Caro Gardens in Bucharest.

Twenty artists have contributed since 1975 to the BMW Art Car series, among them Andy Warhol, Roy Lichtenstein, David Hockney, Jeff Koons, Cao Fei, and Olafur Eliasson.

Currently, the BMW Art Car artists are chosen by an independent international jury, which includes curators and museum directors as well as Hervé Poulain.

The BMW Art Car World Tour, which kicked off in March 2025 and continues through August 2026, celebrates the 50th anniversary of the BMW Art Car Collection with a journey across flagship art fairs, museums, motorsport events, and cultural institutions worldwide. It features more than 55 stops in over 30 countries.

Highlights of the tour include Art Basel Hong Kong, Art Dubai, Auto Shanghai, the Concorso d’Eleganza Villa d’Este, Ultrace in Poland, the 24 Hours of Le Mans and Le Mans Classic, the Louwman Museum in The Hague, Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance and The Bridge in the USA, the Goodwood Revival, Contemporary Istanbul, Zoute Grand Prix in Belgium, Frieze London, Market Art Fair and The Aurora in Sweden, as well as Retromobile in Paris.

(Photo: Ciprian Mihai, courtesy of organizers)