L.A.’s Auto Show Spotlights Art Cars From Keith Haring, Virgil Abloh, and More

L.A.’s auto show is bringing art center stage.

A collaboration between Cart Department and the renowned West Coast Customs, Art Car Series presents 10 artist-designed vehicles from leading creatives across fine art and culture. Some of the exhibition standouts include a 1983 Buick handpainted by Keith Haring and a Project Geländewagen (a sort of reimagined Mercedes G-Class) by Virgil Abloh. Additional vehicles from West Coast Customs, such as the AMG Mercedes customized for Don Toliver or the Tesla concept refashioned for Wil.i.am, flesh out the dream lineup.

“The Art Car Series represent a vital new genre of Art that bridges the gap between Art and popular culture, one of the most compelling aspects of the art cars is their capacity for storytelling,” Larry Warsh, founder of Cart Department, told Hypebeast. “This presentation sets the stage for the cars as a time capsule for future generations to understand and appreciate our current culture.”

Cart Department, a relatively new player on the automotive scene, launched with a mission to celebrate the intersection of art and traditional car culture through content, collaborations, and events. West Coast Customs, on the other hand, has spent over 30 years securing its reputation as one of the premier car customization shops in the world. Fusing the deftness of a digital upstart with the deep knowledge of an establishment player has allowed Cart Department to quickly (and strategically) build awareness for its endeavors.

But the new show is just the latest example of a decades-long history between luxury automobiles and art. For nearly 50 years, BMW has commissioned some of the world’s top artists to use its cars as a blank slate for their signature work, a roster that includes Andy Warhol, Jeff Koons, Jenny Holzer, Robert Rauschenberg, and most recently, Julie Mehretu. In 2017, Rolls-Royce also began exploring its connection to art with the launch of Phantom Gallery, a feature that allows for an immersive art display to run the length of its Phantom interiors.

The LA Auto Show runs now through December 1.