As if you happen to wanted extra causes to go to Paris, BMW has an actual deal with in retailer for Artwork Automotive followers. The enduring car that kicked off the long-running sequence again in 1975 is taking heart stage on the Hôtel de la Marine, a historic constructing on the Place de la Concorde. You will have till January 26 to admire Alexander Calder’s 3.0 CSL within the lodge’s courtyard, which is open each day from 8 AM till midnight.
In case you’re planning a visit to France’s capital a number of days later, Rétromobile is the go-to occasion for traditional automobile aficionados. This yr, it’s bringing collectively all seven BMW Artwork Vehicles that raced at Le Mans. That lineup consists of not solely Alexander Calder’s CSL but in addition Frank Stella’s model, which competed in 1976. A yr later, Roy Lichtenstein’s 320i Turbo took on the legendary Circuit de la Sarthe, and it too shall be on show on the present held within the Metropolis of Lights.
In chronological order, the 4 remaining BMW Artwork Vehicles are Andy Warhol’s M1 (1979), Jenny Holzer’s V12 LMR (1999), Jeff Koons’ M3 GT2 (2010), and Julie Mehretu’s M Hybrid V8 (2024). It’s additionally price noting that 2026 marks the fiftieth anniversary of Rétromobile, usually the primary main basic automobile present of the season.
The unique Artwork Automotive on the Hôtel de la Marine, together with six extra automobiles at Rétromobile at Paris Expo Porte de Versailles, permits BMW to proceed celebrations that started in 2025, when the Artwork Automotive assortment turned 50. In complete, there are 20 rolling artworks, and we’re hoping the day will come when all of them are displayed in a single place.
That mentioned, it’s simple to know what an enormous logistical enterprise that may be, as even bringing a 3rd of the gathering to Retromobile should have been a problem. It makes excellent sense for BMW to showcase these race vehicles in France, on condition that the Artwork Automotive initiative was began by native racing driver Hervé Poulain. He was the one to strategy BMW within the first place. The remaining, as they are saying, is historical past.

