The Hagerty Drivers Foundation hosts its annual “Cars at the Capital” exhibition featuring a world-renowned piece of automotive art by Andy Warhol – the 1979 BMW M1 Art Car No.4. The exhibition takes place at the National Mall in Washington D.C. from September 17-23, 2025. The BMW M1 exhibited in the Foundation’s lit glass enclosure is the 37th vehicle added to the National Historic Vehicle Register. The vehicle’s documentation is permanently archived in the U.S. Library of Congress.

Andy Warhol, the celebrated Pittsburgh-born American artist, gave this 1979 BMW M1 factory race car 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 in history.

The BMW M1 by Andy Warhol is not just art. It was also raced during 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.

The DC exhibition is 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.

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.

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