Although which is more famous, the Artist or the
Racecar?
With visions of Sugar Plums, Err Easter Eggs
still on my mind, I thought this was a
good time for this No Fenders yarn. Although apparently it was last Fall when
the subject of the oft, forgotten BMW Art Cars came to my Attenzione when
Surfing the Car and Driver magazine via my NFB Newsline for The Blind telephone
service. Yet naturally, now I cannot find said article on the All Conquering
Intrawoods’, Arse-sumedly since they run us thru a third Party’s “Site” in order
to collect our email information for Uhm, Marketing? Yeah, that’s the Ticket!
The story was about how the Alexander Calder
Foundation had commissioned BMW to create what is known as the BMW Artist Proof
version of Calder’s original 1975 BMW 3.0 CSL racecar, that French racer and
Auctioneer Herve Poulainraced in that year’s 24 Heurs du Mans.
As Poulain, now known as the instigator of the BMW
Art Car project, asked his friend Calder to create a stunning work using the three-liter Bimmer’ CSL “Batmobile”
as his canvas. Although the car’s graphics were more striking then the car’s performance.
As Poulain, Jean Guichet and some Yank named Sam Posey retired the car after
just nine hours with Driveshaft maladies…
Reportedly, this rolling piece of Art was inspired
by Calder’s work for Braniff International Airlines, who’d commissioned him in
1973 to paint one of it’s Douglas DC-8 Jetliners, commemorating it’s 25 years
of service to South America.
The first jet known as Flying Colours, was such
a sensation at the 1975 Paris Airshow, that Braniff commissioned Calder for two
more airplanes, both being Boeing 727’s. The first being called the Flying
Colours of the United States, in tribute to the United States Bicentennial with
it’s red, white and blue motif. With the
second called Salute to Mexico, which sadly wasn’t completed due to Calder’s
sudden death in 1976.
Legend has it that Messer Calder always wanted
to create his own BMW “Batmobile” in order to be able to Hear the symphonic Harmony
of it’s BMW M49 3.5-litre DOHC inline six cylinder engine ticking over. And it
was Alexander S. C. Rower, Alexander’s Grandson and President of the Calder
Foundation who finally accomplished this Dream with BMW’s assistance last year…
Have to say I’d never heard of Monsieur Poulain
before, who apparently was the “Ultimate Driving Force” behind the first four BMW
Art Cars that All competed in le 24 Heurs du Mans during the Mid to late 1970’s.
As Frank Stella painted the second Art Car rendition,
another 3.0 CSL Batmobile, driven by two Blokes named Brian Redman and Peter
Gregg in the ’76 24 Hours of Le Mans.
As this was the year that turbos were allowed
at the Circuit de la Sarthe under the ACO’s new Group 5 and Group 6 regulations.
And the BMW Motorsport GmbH #23 Stella Art Car entry was actually a Group 5
3.2-litre turbocharged 3.0 CSL variant that retired after a modest five hours
with an Oil leak.
On a side note, I’ve “Seen” Stella’s other Art
Car, a non commissioned BMW M1 that the company let Peter Gregg purchase. As it
was one of the two BMW Art Cars on display during the Peter Gleeson Master
Collector’s exhibit at America’s Car Museum in Tacoma, WA Wayback’ in 2016.
But that was a Humiliating day for Mwah. As
Tacoma Bureau Chief Mary Ellen had stopped one of the Museum’s roving Volunters
and inquired how I could Volunteer? The Man looked at me holding my White Cane
and blandly said what can you do? As I was so flummoxed by the question that
All I could say was, I can answer telephones…
http://www.nofenders.net/2016/12/autos-bimmers-abound-at-americas-car.html
The 3.0 CSL has to be one of BMW’s greatest
racecars, having won six European Touring Car championships (ETCC) from 1973-79,
including five straight between 1975-79! Along with winning the 1976 24 Hours
of Daytona with Peter Gregg, Brian Redman and John Fitzpatrick. Also winning
the prior year’s 12 Hours of Sebring with Sam Posey and Hans Stuck joining Brian
Redman and Alan Moffett.
Whilst I’d forgotten that I’d chronicled “Peter
Perfect,” aka Peter Gregg in a No Fenders tome five years ago, which also
discusses Gregg’s association with Frank Stella, that other BMW M1 Art Car and the
late Ronnie Peterson in the story below…
Art Car No. 3 was a 1977 BMW 320i painted by renown
Artist Roy Lichtenstein. As Monsieur Poulain had much better results. As He
and Countryman Marcel Mignot finished ninth
overall and second in their IMSA GT Class, behind a Belgian entry.
As I always find it amusing that McLaren campaigned
a BMW 320i in the IMSA GT Championship for ‘Ol Hobbo’, aka HobbsCapp’, nee
David Hobbs, who won multiple races aboard it. As the 320i was BMW’s 3.0 CSL
successor.
For Mwah, I suppose due solely to sheer name
recognition, the fourth Art Car’s Artist is the most famous I know. Although I
was unaware that Andy Warhol had actually been commissioned to paint a black BMW
320i in 1978, which subsequently failed to qualify for that years Le Mans race.
Thus, for 1979, Warhol painted Art Car No. 4,
arguably the most famous Art Car? A 1979 BMW M1, albeit this one being a Group
4 racing version that Poulain, Mignot and Manfred Winklehock shared. With the
trio finishing sixth overall and second in class at that year’s 24 Heurs du
Mans.
Funny, but whenever I think of the M1, BMW’s
first production mid engine car, I always think of the M1 Procar series, a one
make support series for Formula 1 run between 1979-80. Which several F1 Drivers
would compete in, with Niki “the Rat” Lauda winning the ’79 Procar title, and
Nelson Piquet the second and final Procar title the following year.
The M1 would contest the 24 Hours of Le Mans between 1981-86 with modest results…
