Bmw 3.0 Csl Art Car
By the Editorial Staff
March 16, 2026
News The Original BMW Art Car Visits Paris For Special Display Alexander Calder's stunning 1975 BMW 3.0 CSL is at Hôtel de la Marine until January 26. Frank Stella 1976 BMW 3.0 CSL In 1976 this BMW 3.0 CSL shot around the race circuit at 300 km/h at the Le Mans 24. The 1976 24 Hours of Le Mans featured the second BMW 3.0 CSL Art Car, with a contrasting style to the previous year.
After Alexander Calder's explosion of colour came a black and white grid design by Frank Stella based on oversize graph paper. Six European championships, a sensational lap record on the Nürburgring and the first ever BMW Art Car - wherever the BMW 3.0 CSL turned up, it stood out from the crowd. Time for a journey through the history of the BMW lightweight coupé.
BMW Art Cars - three words that evoke the legendary link-up of car icons such as the BMW M1 and the BMW Z1, with world-famous artists like Roy Lichtenstein and Jeff Koons. Read on to see who designed which BMW model, how, and why. In 1975, Alexander Calder transformed the BMW 3.0 CSL into a mobile masterpiece, marking the birth of the BMW Art Car series.
Discover how Calder's bold colors and dynamic shapes brought art and engineering together, turning the 3.0 CSL into an icon of both racing and creativity. The BMW Art Car project began in 1975 when French artist Alexander Calder transformed a BMW 3.0 CSL into a moving canvas. This innovative concept was born out of a desire to merge the worlds of art and automotive engineering, creating a unique platform for artistic expression.
The legendary Calder-painted BMW 3.0 CSL Art Car is rolling back onto the Circuit de la Sarthe, joining Le Mans Classic from 4-6 July 2025 to mark half a century of BMW's Art Car programme and the equally storied BMW 3 Series. This very coupé, the Artist's Proof finished under the guidance of the Calder Foundation and BMW Group Classic, last graced the track in 1975; now it returns with. The Art of Speed: Since Alexander Calder first transformed a BMW 3.0 CSL Le Mans racer into a fast-paced canvas in 1975, BMW's Art Cars have embodied the perfect intersection of automotive engineering and artistic expression.
For the 50th anniversary we look back at all 20 BMW Art Cars. Calder BMW Art Car Date 1975 Media Automotive paints on 1974 BMW 3.0 CSL Dimensions 54" × 181" × 74 1⁄2".