Amazing art cars

Art cars are pretty special. Their owners/designers are known as Cartists and they're reflections of their owners' personalities.

Some are brilliant - original and elegant in design. But as with all art, some of them can be pretty ropey. Still - we're not here to look at the terrible ones, we're looking at some of the all-time greats.

Whether they're bright and bold, subtle and slinky or plain ol' pretty, it's worth taking note of the work that went into creating these gorgeous cars. And if you ever get the opportunity to see them in the metal, do take it - they tend to be once-in-a-lifetime type sightings.

We know there's a bit of a BMW slant in there, but when you see the cars you'll realise exactly why - they're some of the best.

So even if you can't tell your César from your Warhol, there's something in here to inspire you.

BMW M1 by Andy Warhol

This is probably one of the most iconic BMW art cars produced. In fact, it may just be the most iconic art car ever made.

It's big, bright and rare. And a little bit tatty in places, which just adds to its charm. The fact it's an M1 doesn't hurt either.

Bug Ranch by everyone

Owing to either a terrible accident or a brilliant coincidence there are five VW Beetles buried nose to the ground at the Long Horn Trading Post in Amarillo.

All you have to do is turn up with a can of spray paint and add your own mark to them. In fact, Bug Ranch is a small copy of the cars in the next picture...

Cadillac Ranch by everyone

...which are these 10 Caddies. They sit between junctions 60-62 of the I-40 near Amarillo. Put there by millionaire Stanley Marsh 3rd in 1994 (after being moved) they remain a pretty busy tourist spot. Marsh once commented: "Art is a legalised form of insanity and I do it very well."

The cars are covered white every year, ready to be painted over by another set of travellers. Just remember to pick up your own paint on the way - there isn't a shop.

Rolls-Royce Phantom by John Lennon

Certainly an expression of who he was, Lennon's psychedelic Phantom V is one of the brighter cars to display the Spirit of Ecstasy.

It's a fitting tribute to the man that so many remember so fondly.

Audi A1 by Damien Hirst

Small and pink. Ish. Hirst's take on the A1 is something special, not only because it's a one-off, but because it was auctioned for Elton John's AIDS foundation at his annual White Tie and Tiara Ball.

It set the lucky owner back a very healthy £350,000.

Jaguar E-Type by Jaguar

Okay, this isn't a traditional art car, but it's topped so many 'most beautiful' charts it's safe to argue that it could be art.

Many pedants will disagree, but we feel as though the E-Type belongs in a museum. Well, at least one does; the rest should be on the road.

BMW 320i by Roy Lichtenstein

Lichtenstein's work is famous for its comic book stylings and general brilliance, and this BMW art car is a perfect example of why.

It may be a little yellow for some, but it's certainly up there with the greats. It just needs a giant 'Whaam!' to make it perfect.

MINI Clubman by Agent Provocateur

It's one of the more... odd art cars in recent times, but this pink 'n' black 'police' Clubman certainly cuts a fine figure.

The car was sold via eBay Austria for a whopping 45,000 euro for an AIDS charity. We like the wheels.

Citroën 2CV by Andy Saunders

This is Andy Saunders' take on a 2CV created through the eyes of Picasso himself. It's entirely road legal and pretty bonkers to look at.

We'll bet it gets more than a few double takes - maybe because onlookers think it's been in a crash already.

Audi RS4 by Romero Britto

Brazilian artist Britto makes the list with a nutty car toned down to a friendly, child-like level.

Now just imagine that happy, smiling face on the bonnet shouting in 7,000rpm+ V8 tones. Not so friendly any more, is it?

BMW M3 GT2 by Jeff Koons

This one's a racer, and a pretty awesome one at that.

Koons worked with BMW to make sure that the design didn't fiddle with the M3 GT2's aerodynamics - its full debut was at Le Mans this year. Sadly it didn't complete the race due to technical difficulties.

Aston Martin One-77 by Aston Martin

There will only be 77 of these behemoths - 220mph top speed and all.

However, there's a story doing the rounds that one wealthy buyer, having successfully ordered one, asked for a second. One for the road and one for his living room.

Chevrolet SpART by Ian Cook

This car's not for sale (yet) and is still a work in progress.

Cook's not only using it to highlight his talents, but he's actually using it. Which is something we can get behind. It'll be doing a tour of Europe at some point soon.

BMW 8 Series by David Hockney

For this art car, Hockney wanted the interior to be visible, and spent months creating an abstract view of both the internals and some of the views a driver may see on their travels.

Citroën Survolt by Francoise Nielly

Designed to take pride of place at Citroën's swanky, Paris-based C42 showroom, the Survolt is certainly eye-catching.

Nielly wanted to make the 'leccy racer as bright as possible with its bold and very contrasting fluorescent paint scheme.

MINI Countryman by Francisco Costa

Calvin Klein's Francisco Costa coated a Countryman in Matte Black and made a truly fearsome looking car.

Designed for auction at the Life Ball (an AIDS fundraising event), the black beastie went for over 40,000 euro.

Rover 25 by Matthew Williamson

It's very... pink. We'll give it that much. The bodywork paint is a gold/pink flip, the leather inside is a specially commissioned hue and pretty much every visible surface is a lurid shade.

While it's not for everyone, it's certainly unmissable.

The Spindle by Dustin Shuler

Standing 50ft tall and boasting eight cars, the Spindle stood for 19 years until its demolition in 2008.

The cars impaled upon it ranged from the late 60s to the early 80s. The top two cars were removed from the Spindle before demolition and are currently being stored until a 'sequel' Spindle is erected.