Art cars are growing in popularity, with a number of automakers and their subsidiaries getting on board the trend. But BMW is where it all started. The German automaker has been at it since 1975. A good blogger’s dozen of them have been commissioned for BMW over the years, and every one of them has remained in the company’s private collection. Except one.

That one is the M1 Procar you see here, painted by Frank Stella in 1979. It remains the only example in the series that was created for a private individual with BMW’s blessing. After years in the Guggenheim, Bonhams auctioned it off a couple of months ago at Monterey for a whopping 4,000 – well above estimate.

So who bought it? Jonathan Sobel, owner of (among other interests) BMW of Southampton, way out at the eastern end of New York’s Long Island. The dealership is just settling in to its new showroom on Montauk Highway, and that’s where the M1 art car will be showcased for much of the new year ahead. So if your plans include a trip out to the Hamptons, you may want to stop by for a rare glimpse. Press release after the jump.

Continue reading Frank Stella’s BMW M1 art car finds a new home in the Hamptons

Frank Stella’s BMW M1 art car finds a new home in the Hamptons originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 07 Oct 2011 08:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Strand Craft Limousine Beach Cruiser is designed to shuttle the super-wealthy from luxury suites to their favorite resort’s pristine beaches in as much comfort and style as money can buy. Cooked up by Swedish firm Gray Design, the Beach Cruiser is powered by a 6.0-liter, 400 horsepower Chevrolet V8 pushing grunt to all four wheels, so guests never have to wait too long before hitting the sand.

Inside, Gray Design decked the Strand Craft out with the last word in luxury appointments. The upholstery is Alcantara set off with brushed aluminum and chrome accents on the dash and console. Watchmaker Breitling, famed for its relationship with Bentley, handled the instrumentation, while Swarovski Crystal accents take the opulence to obscene levels.

The Beach Cruiser’s stereo is a 15-speaker 1100-watt Naim audio system, which Gray Design says keeps sound quality optimal even with the limo’s canvas roof open. Strand Craft is mum on what this super shuttle will retail for, but you know what they say…

[Source: Gray Design, Strand Craft]

Continue reading Swedish design firm crafts Beach Cruiser fit for The Hamptons

Swedish design firm crafts Beach Cruiser fit for The Hamptons originally appeared on Autoblog on Sat, 09 Apr 2011 09:36:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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