Feature: Cars as Art

Mar - 01 | By: admin-pub | no comments.

Filed under : 1. Jan / Feb 2010, Feature Articles

Some of the world’s most valuable cars are rolling canvasses

Can a car be considered a piece of art? I suspect the majority would answer no, but a number of insurance companies who specialize in automobile insurance do not agree, and consequently these types of cars are usually forced to go to Lloyd’s of London for their specialist coverage.

These mechanical canvases require two types of oil, engine and paint, and usually a climate-and light-controlled storage environment that is built like Fort Knox.

In February 2009, “Octane magazine” rated the top 25 most valuable cars in the world, and of the 25, three would fall into the realm of automotive art.

Topping the list at number six is the 1979 BMW M1 Group 4 race car that placed 6th overall in the 24 hrs of Le Mans race in the same year. Andy Warhol was the fourth artist commissioned by BMW to create an art car. His creation took just 23 minutes; he finished it by running his fingers through the wet paint. A panel of the world’s most knowledgeable automotive specialists valued this car at $17.3 million.

The ex-John Lennon 1965 Rolls-Royce Phantom V, the heaviest rolling canvas weighing in at 3 tons, was painted in a scroll and flower pattern design created by the artist Steve Weaver. He received a whopping $500 for his design, which was applied to the car by a team of Dutch gypsy artist. The entire job cost $4,200 in 1967. Today the Phantom V occupies number 16 on the list at $5.2 million.

The third psychedelic painted car on the list is George Harrison’s 1966 Radford Mini Cooper “S” which ranks at number 20.

It was hand painted featuring pictures from the book Tantrum Art, which you may recall seeing in the TV film the magical mystery tour. It has been suggested that John and George took two trips at the same time in this mini— One of those, being their first LSD trip! The car is presently in the care of Harrison’s second wife Olivia, and is valued at $3.4 million.

These mechanical canvases require two types of oil, engine and paint, and usually a climate-and light-controlled storage environment that is built like Fort Knox.

In February 2009, “Octane magazine” rated the top 25 most valuable cars in the world, and of the 25, three would fall into the realm of automotive art.

The third psychedelic painted car on the list is George Harrison’s 1966 Radford Mini Cooper “S” which ranks at number 20.