Autoblog http://www.autoblog.com Autoblog http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/www.autoblog.com/media/feedlogo.gif Autoblog http://www.autoblog.com en-us Copyright 2012 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only. Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/<![CDATA[Renault gets creative with Twingo art cars]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2011/12/27/renault-gets-creative-with-twingo-art-cars/http://www.autoblog.com/2011/12/27/renault-gets-creative-with-twingo-art-cars/http://www.autoblog.com/2011/12/27/renault-gets-creative-with-twingo-art-cars/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , ,

Renault Twingo 55 FBG by Jean-Charles de Castelbajac

Art cars are becoming de rigeur once again, but while most automakers getting in on the action contract painters of some sort or another to spruce up their products, Renault has gone in a slightly different direction for its latest project.

To celebrate the arrival of its new Twingo hatchback, the French automaker has brought in a musician, a chef, a fashion designer and a product designer to give their take on the Twingo's interior.

Pop singer Nicola Roberts installed a mobile recording studio and a dressing trailer's worth of equipment in hers. Fashion designer Jean-Charles de Castelbajac turned his rolling canvas into a stately presidential city car. Designer Nils Holger Moormann made his Twingo into a mobile "reading room." And chef Davide Scabin drew inspiration from pasta in his interpretation.

Intriguing ideas, all, if a tad impractical. But the photos speak for themselves, so check 'em out in our high-res image gallery and follow the jump for the full press release.

Continue reading Renault gets creative with Twingo art cars

Renault gets creative with Twingo art cars originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 27 Dec 2011 09:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>art carart carsdavide scabingirls aloudjean-charles de castelbajacnicola robertsnils holger moormannrenaultrenault twingotwingoTue, 27 Dec 2011 09:30:00 EST http://www.autoblog.com/feed/20134553/article-comments.xml http://www.autoblog.com/feed/2011/12/27/renault-gets-creative-with-twingo-art-cars/20134553/article-detail.xml 20134553 http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2011/12/twingo-presidential_thumbnail.jpg http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2011/12/twingo-presidential.jpg <![CDATA[Alfa celebrates economical new MiTo with Louise Dear art car]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2011/07/20/alfa-celebrates-economical-new-mito-with-louise-dear-art-car/http://www.autoblog.com/2011/07/20/alfa-celebrates-economical-new-mito-with-louise-dear-art-car/http://www.autoblog.com/2011/07/20/alfa-celebrates-economical-new-mito-with-louise-dear-art-car/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

Alfa MiTo art car by Louise Dear

Make no mistake about it, ladies and gentlemen: the era of the Art Car has returned, and it's returned in a big way. Not only has BMW been showcasing its own extensive collection with a special online gallery, Force India has commissioned the first Formula One art car. Need more proof? Tesla had its roadster worked over, Citroën gave its Survolt concept a new paintjob and numerous other automakers have gotten in on the action just in recent months.

The latest, however, is an Alfa Romeo. The Italian automaker commissioned acclaimed artist Louise Dear to apply her talents to the MiTo to celebrate the launch of its new, more economical 1.3 JDTM-2 engine. The finished product, dubbed "Because I can" was apparently inspired by Dear's 17-year-old daughter, and it incorporates classic Alfa iconography like the company's logo and the Cloverleaf emblem that adorned the marque's racing cars of old. Check out the decidedly flowery result in the high-res image gallery above, along with more details of the partnership in the press release after the jump.

Continue reading Alfa celebrates economical new MiTo with Louise Dear art car

Alfa celebrates economical new MiTo with Louise Dear art car originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 20 Jul 2011 09:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>alfaalfa mitoalfa romeoalfa romeo mitoart carart carslouise dearWed, 20 Jul 2011 09:31:00 EST http://www.autoblog.com/feed/19993090/article-comments.xml http://www.autoblog.com/feed/2011/07/20/alfa-celebrates-economical-new-mito-with-louise-dear-art-car/19993090/article-detail.xml 19993090 http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2011/07/webmito-artcar_thumbnail.jpg http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2011/07/webmito-artcar.jpg <![CDATA[BMW M1 art car by Frank Stella headed for the auction block]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2011/05/13/bmw-m1-art-car-by-frank-stella-headed-for-the-auction-block/http://www.autoblog.com/2011/05/13/bmw-m1-art-car-by-frank-stella-headed-for-the-auction-block/http://www.autoblog.com/2011/05/13/bmw-m1-art-car-by-frank-stella-headed-for-the-auction-block/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

BMW M1 art car by Frank Stella
BMW M1 art car by Frank Stella - Click above for high-res image gallery

In a perfect world, maybe the world's top museums would have infinite space and infinite resources to acquire and display every significant piece of artistic creation they could get their hands on. But, as we are all at times painfully aware, this is an imperfect world. Which is why the Guggenheim Museum is forced to sell this unique BMW M1 art car, in order to raise funds and make way for other works of art. And their loss could be your gain.

The original Bavarian supercar was painted by the celebrated artist Frank Stella in 1979. But while BMW has commissioned many art cars (including another M1 by Andy Warhol and a 3.0 CSL also by Stella) since the program kicked off in 1975, this is the only one that was officially sanctioned by the factory for a private client, whereas all the others remained in the German automaker's private collection. This, then, represents an extremely rare opportunity to acquire an original BMW art car.

The vehicle has been part of the museum's collection since 1999, and will be auctioned by Bonhams this coming August at the Quail Lodge in Carmel, California, where it's expected to fetch around half a million dollars, an estimate we can see it blowing right past. Us? We're just hoping that BMW itself decides to bid on the car so that this Stella M1 can rejoin its celebrated relatives in the German automaker's collection.

If you're in New York and want to catch a glimpse at this one-of-a-kind rolling work of art, it's currently on display outside Bonhams' offices in the atrium of the IBM Building at 56th and Madison.

Follow the jump for the official press release and scope out the images in the gallery below.

Continue reading BMW M1 art car by Frank Stella headed for the auction block

BMW M1 art car by Frank Stella headed for the auction block originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 13 May 2011 09:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>artart carart carsauctionbmwbmw m1bonhamsfrank stellaguggenheimm1montereystellathe quailthe quail lodgeFri, 13 May 2011 09:57:00 EST http://www.autoblog.com/feed/19936885/article-comments.xml http://www.autoblog.com/feed/2011/05/13/bmw-m1-art-car-by-frank-stella-headed-for-the-auction-block/19936885/article-detail.xml 19936885 http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2011/05/web630-stellabmw1_thumbnail.jpg http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2011/05/web630-stellabmw1.jpg <![CDATA[eBay Find of the Day: Crocheted 1959 Morris Minor [w/video]]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2010/10/22/ebay-find-of-the-day-crocheted-1959-morris-minor-w-video/http://www.autoblog.com/2010/10/22/ebay-find-of-the-day-crocheted-1959-morris-minor-w-video/http://www.autoblog.com/2010/10/22/ebay-find-of-the-day-crocheted-1959-morris-minor-w-video/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

Olek Morris Minor
Olek's crocheted Morris Minor - Click above to watch video after the jump

We can only hope that the art world has as much trouble understanding us we have trying to fathom its hows and whys. Brooklyn-based, Polish-born artist Olek just closed her installation, "Knitting is for Pus****" in which she swaddled a host of everyday objects in vividly colored crocheted garb. Everything from bicycles to televisions and living, breathing people got the yarn treatment, including a plaster remake of a 1959 Morris Minor. Near as we can tell, the vehicle isn't in any sort of operational state, so don't start thinking you can strip the threads and have yourself a decent project vehicle.

As of writing, the current bid is at $1,525 with the reserve not met and a little over nine hours left on the auction. If you're thinking this is your next must-have piece of modern art, head to the interwebs and get your bid going. If nothing else, it'd be a great way to get into a Morris Minor-shaped blanket. Hit the jump for a look at the installation's opening.


Gallery: Olek's crocheted Morris Minor


[Source: eBay Motors]

Continue reading eBay Find of the Day: Crocheted 1959 Morris Minor [w/video]

eBay Find of the Day: Crocheted 1959 Morris Minor [w/video] originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 22 Oct 2010 08:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>art carart carscrochetknitknittingmorris minorOlekFri, 22 Oct 2010 08:58:00 EST http://www.autoblog.com/feed/19682393/article-comments.xml http://www.autoblog.com/feed/2010/10/22/ebay-find-of-the-day-crocheted-1959-morris-minor-w-video/19682393/article-detail.xml 19682393 http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2010/10/olek-minor_thumbnail.jpg http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2010/10/olek-minor.jpg <![CDATA[BMW 5 Series Gran Turismo gets artsy with Patricia Urquiola and Giulio Ridolfo]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2010/04/21/bmw-5-series-gran-turismo-gets-artsy-with-patricia-urquiola-and/http://www.autoblog.com/2010/04/21/bmw-5-series-gran-turismo-gets-artsy-with-patricia-urquiola-and/http://www.autoblog.com/2010/04/21/bmw-5-series-gran-turismo-gets-artsy-with-patricia-urquiola-and/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

The Dwelling Lab - Click above for high-res image gallery

It's safe to say you won't be seeing this BMW art car lapping Sarthe any time soon. The Bavarian automaker teamed up with textiles manufacturer Kvadrat and Flos to create "The Dwelling Lab" - a design installation. The brain child of artists designers (Thanks, Lorenzo!) Patricia Urquiola and Guilio Ridolfo, the exercise was designed to strut both BMW's and Kvadrat and Flos' commitments to creativity. Or something.

We won't pretend to be art critics, so we'll avoid strutting our ignorance by throwing judgment against the fabric-covered 5-Series Gran Turismo. Instead, we'll do our best to describe the piece and let you do the judging for yourself.

Urquiola wanted to draw the viewer's focus to the interior of the car, so she created the massive fabric cones called "diamonds" to pull your look inward. Sure enough, it's effective. You can't help but look toward the car's cloth-swaddled guts. The piece will be on display during the Salone Internazionale del Mobile, held in Milan all this month. You'll find the press release after the jump.


Gallery: The Dwelling Lab


[Source: BMW]

Continue reading BMW 5 Series Gran Turismo gets artsy with Patricia Urquiola and Giulio Ridolfo

BMW 5 Series Gran Turismo gets artsy with Patricia Urquiola and Giulio Ridolfo originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 21 Apr 2010 08:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>5-Series Gran Turismo5-series GT5-seriesGranTurismo5-seriesGtArt CarsArtCarsBMWBMW 5-Series Gran TurismoBMW 5-Series GTBMW Art CarBMW Art CarsBMW Design InstallationBmw5-seriesGranTurismoBmw5-seriesGtBmwArtCarBmwArtCarsBmwDesignInstallationKvadrat and FlosKvadratAndFlosWed, 21 Apr 2010 08:59:00 EST http://www.autoblog.com/feed/19447280/article-comments.xml http://www.autoblog.com/feed/2010/04/21/bmw-5-series-gran-turismo-gets-artsy-with-patricia-urquiola-and/19447280/article-detail.xml 19447280 http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2010/04/02-dwelling-630_thumbnail.jpg http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2010/04/02-dwelling-630.jpg <![CDATA[Chevrolet Cruze gets artsy playing cricket [w/video]]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2010/04/02/chevrolet-cruze-gets-artsy-playing-cricket-w-video/http://www.autoblog.com/2010/04/02/chevrolet-cruze-gets-artsy-playing-cricket-w-video/http://www.autoblog.com/2010/04/02/chevrolet-cruze-gets-artsy-playing-cricket-w-video/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , ,

Michael Vaughn artballs a Chevrolet Cruze - Click above to watch the video after the break

We've always been under the impression that the art world and the professional sports galaxy were somewhat mutually exclusive. You just don't see too many former players trying their hands at high art. Unless you've been paying attention to retired England cricket captain Michael Vaughan. The guy just can't seem to put down the bat, even though he's walked away from pro sports for good. Instead, he's a self-proclaimed artballer - slinging paint-soaked cricket balls at canvases over and over again until he sees what he wants. High art? Who are we to judge?

Fortunately, Vaughan doesn't seem to take himself too seriously, and he has teamed up with Chevrolet to create an artball Cruze. No, he didn't get to sling cricket balls at a real-live car. Bummer. Instead, the player-turned-artist used a stencil to create his largest work of art yet. Supposedly the feat took eight hours to create and soaked up a little more than five gallons of paint in the process. Sounds like fun to us. Vaughan's previous work has fetched over $30,000, which would probably make this the most expensive Cruze yet. Check out the high-res gallery below and click through to the jump for a video of Vaughan doing what he (now) does best.


Gallery: Michael Vaughan Artball Chevrolet Cruze


[Source: General Motors]

Continue reading Chevrolet Cruze gets artsy playing cricket [w/video]

Chevrolet Cruze gets artsy playing cricket [w/video] originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 02 Apr 2010 08:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>Art CarArt CarsArtballArtball Chevrolet CruzeArtballChevroletCruzeArtCarArtCarsChevroletChevrolet CruzeChevroletCruzechevychevy cruzeChevyCruzecricketcricket playerCricketPlayerCruzeMichael VaughanMichael Vaughan Artball Chervrolet CruzeMichaelVaughanMichaelVaughanArtballChervroletCruzeFri, 02 Apr 2010 08:58:00 EST http://www.autoblog.com/feed/19421228/article-comments.xml http://www.autoblog.com/feed/2010/04/02/chevrolet-cruze-gets-artsy-playing-cricket-w-video/19421228/article-detail.xml 19421228 http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2010/03/cruze-630_thumbnail.jpg http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2010/03/cruze-630.jpg <![CDATA[BMW Art Cars begin international tour]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2006/09/08/bmw-art-cars-begin-international-tour/http://www.autoblog.com/2006/09/08/bmw-art-cars-begin-international-tour/http://www.autoblog.com/2006/09/08/bmw-art-cars-begin-international-tour/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

Frank Stella BMW Art Car
1976 BMW 3.0 CSL by Frank Stella

A group of BMW Art Cars is headed to Gallery Petronas in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia this month for the start of a museum tour that will keep the cars on the road until 2010. The Malaysian display runs from from September 14 to October 22 and includes cars by Frank Stella, Andy Warhol, Roy Lichtenstein and Ken Done. After Malaysia, the cars will head to Singapore, the Philippines, South Korea, Australia and New Zealand -- the end of the line for that particular group.

At the same time, Art Cars by Alexander Calder, Matazao Kayama, David Hockney and Jenny Holzer will be making the rounds through Taiwan, China, Russia and Africa. From there, a group of Art Cars (BMW doesn't specify which ones) will go to Turkey and then tour the United States and head back to Europe, where France, Spain and Portugal all have events in the works so far.

We'd love to tell you what the US stops will be but we're guessing they aren't finalized (BMW doesn't give any details). They aren't going to arrive here for quite a while anyway. Regardless, we're looking forward to checking out the exhibit when it does. Significant cars by significant artists? We're there.

(Photos, press release after the jump)

[Source: BMW]

Continue reading BMW Art Cars begin international tour

BMW Art Cars begin international tour originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 08 Sep 2006 17:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>3.0 CSL3.0Csl320i535i850 csi850Csialexander calderAlexanderCalderandy warholAndyWarholart carart carsArtCarArtCarsbmw art carBmwArtCarcalderdavid hockneyDavidHockneydonefrank stellaFrankStellahockneyholzerjenny holzerJennyHolzerkayamaken doneKenDonelichtensteinM1M3matazao kayamaMatazaoKayamaroy lichtensteinRoyLichtensteinstellaV12 LMRV12LmrwarholFri, 08 Sep 2006 17:02:00 EST http://www.autoblog.com/feed/665915/article-comments.xml http://www.autoblog.com/feed/2006/09/08/bmw-art-cars-begin-international-tour/665915/article-detail.xml 665915 http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2006/09/frankstella30csl_1976_thumbnail.jpg http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2006/09/frankstella30csl_1976.jpg -1 2