Paris/Munich. In 2026, Rétromobile, one of the
world’s most prestigious automotive shows for the classic car sector,
will celebrate its 50th anniversary. So does BMW’s collection of the
legendary Art Cars. To mark this milestone, BMW is bringing together
all BMW Art Cars that have raced in Le Mans for a spectacular reunion
in Paris. From Alexander Calder’s groundbreaking debut in 1975 to
Julie Mehretu’s sleek masterpiece in 2024, the BMW Art Cars that dared
to race will return to the spotlight at Rétromobile 2026 – not on the
track, but in all their glory.
BMW Art Cars on display at Rétromobile in Paris:
- #1 I Alexander Calder, BMW 3.0 CSL (1975)
- # 2 I Frank Stella, BMW 3.0 CSL (1976)
- #3 I Roy Lichtenstein, BMW 320i Turbo (1977)
- #4 I Andy Warhol, BMW M1 (1979)
- #15 I Jenny Holzer, BMW V12 LMR (1999)
- #17 I Jeff Koons, BMW M3 GT2 (2010)
- #20 I Julie Mehretu, BMW M Hybrid V8 (2024)
“Bringing these Le Mans Art Cars together in Paris is more than a
tribute,” says Helmut Kaes, Head of BMW Group
Classic. “It’s a statement: about courage, about creativity,
and about the power of radical ideas that keep moving — even 50 years on.”
50 years of “rolling sculptures”: The BMW Art Car World Tour.
The Paris exhibition is part of the BMW Art Car World
Tour, celebrating the 50th anniversary of the BMW Art Car Collection.
Since the global kick-off in March 2025, the world tour has featured
an ambitious exhibition programme on all five continents, engaging
over 20 markets. The tour brings together art, innovation, and
mobility in a celebration of bold vision. It will continue until the
end of 2026 and will make additional stops in Belgium (Brussels, Zoute
Grand Prix), Morocco (Marrakech), South Africa, the United States
(Pebble Beach), Turkey (Contemporary Istanbul), and Italy (Milan, ADI
Design Museum).
Since 1975, renowned artists from around the world have created BMW
Art Cars. The idea was born when French racing driver and art
enthusiast Hervé Poulain, together with Jochen Neerpasch, then Head of
Motorsport at BMW, invited friend and artist Alexander Calder to paint
a race car. The result – a vibrant BMW 3.0 CSL – competed in the 24
Hours of Le Mans in 1975, captivating the crowd and making history.
Over the decades, the collection has grown to include visionary works
by Frank Stella, Roy Lichtenstein, Andy Warhol, Robert Rauschenberg,
Esther Mahlangu, David Hockney, Jenny Holzer, Ólafur Elíasson, and
many others. More recently, John Baldessari and Cao Fei used the BMW
M6 GTLM and M6 GT3 respectively for dynamic entries at Daytona (2016)
and Macau (2017). The BMW Art Cars by Jeff Koons and Julie Mehretu
returned to Le Mans in 2010 and 2024.
“What better theme than Art Cars to celebrate the 50th anniversary of
the Rétromobile show? We are very excited and delighted to unveil
today both the official poster for the 2026 edition of the show and
the official exhibition that will bring together these seven
automotive masterpieces for the first time in France. I would like to
warmly thank our friends at BMW for their trust and partnership in
this fantastic human, technical and artistic adventure that is the BMW
Art Cars collection,” says Romain
Grabowski, director of Rétromobile.
Rétromobile 2026: a highly anticipated edition dedicated to
art.
Founded in 1976, Rétromobile is celebrating
its 50th anniversary. To mark this milestone, the event
organisers have gone all out: the first-ever edition in New York from
19 to 22 November 2026, a brand-new event dedicated to the phenomenon
of modern supercars, the “Ultimate Supercar Garage,”
co-located with Rétromobile Paris. Above all, four exclusive
exhibitions await visitors at the Parc des Expositions at Porte de
Versailles. Among them, the first will spotlight an international
artistic and mechanical phenomenon: the BMW Art Cars.
Practical Information
Place: Paris Expo Porte
de Versailles
Public Days: 28 January – 1 February 2026
Follow The BMW Group’s Cultural Engagement for exclusive updates and
deeper insights into its global initiatives on Instagram: @BMWGroupCulture