These BMW Art Car T-Shirts Are Understated Automobilia Perfection
At $35 each, Period Correct’s latest line hits the mark.
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BMW’s Art Car series is one of the coolest long-term projects in automotive history. Conceived of by French racing driver Hervé Poulain in 1975, the program has since spawned seventeen custom-painted vehicles, each one a masterpiece. In recent years, the likes of Jeff Koons, David Hockney, and A.R. Penck, prolific artistic talents, have all participated. But it’s tough to beat the original handful of BMW Art Cars from the 1970s. Now, motorsport-inspired streetwear company Period Correct has a new line of t-shirts to celebrate that heady era.
New for this season, each is 100 percent ring-spun cotton, and made in the U.S.A. Each features a candid photo of the artist, his signature, and year and model of the vehicle they painted. Four screen-printed designs are on offer. The first portrays the Art Car genesis, the BMW 3.0 CSL that Poulain commissioned to be painted before running at Le Mans, and its artist, Alexander Calder, standing proudly in front of the finished product. Others include pop icon Andy Warhol hard at work on his mid-engine 1971 M1 Group 4 racer; Roy Lichtenstein and his 1977 320i Turbo; and a wonderful shot of Frank Stella striking a pose with both the 1976 3.0 CSL he painted, as well as a scale model.
All four designs are on sale now through Period Correct’s online store. Alternatively, if you’re in California near the Orange County area, check out the brand’s killer pop-up atelier in Costa Mesa. Either way, at $35 a pop, these stylish, understated tees are a no-brainer.
