That's quite a piece of history. Netflix has an excellent series on Warhol, BTW.
1955 Mercedes-Benz 300 SL by David S. Wallens
Nov 8, 2022
Photography Courtesy RM Sotheby's
The actually Gullwing Benz featured in a piece of artwork by Andy Warhol has been found, authenticated and restored. And soon this 1955 Mercedes-Benz 300 SL Gullwing will be available for sale via RM Sotheby’s.
From the listing:
The Cars Series would never have come into being if it weren’t for Warhol’s German gallerist, Hans Mayer, who came up with the idea the iconic automotive brand should collaborate with the world’s most iconic contemporary artist. It wasn’t met with much enthusiasm when he first proposed it to the Daimler-Benz executives, but as art world people know, art needs to be seen to exert its power, and so Mayer travelled to New York, handed his artist a book of sports cars (Frank Oleski, “Series Sports Cars from 1945-1980”, a 4,5 kilo heavy tome still cherished by car afficionados because of its outstanding photography and high quality prints), asked him to pick a photo of a car and create an appetizer – a work so enticing Daimler-Benz couldn’t say no to. The artist picked a 300 SL, the gallerist’s plan worked out, and the artist was commissioned to create 80 works based on 20 vehicles, a selection of the company’s most ground-breaking models. In the end, he only managed to finish 49 works (36 on canvas and 13 drawings) before he died unexpectedly and prematurely on 22 February 1987, in hospital following complications of surgery, which makes the Car Series an unfinished work, but this only adds to its value.
It’s not unusual for a Gullwing to fetch at least a million dollars these days. The house expects this one to bring in $1.5 to $3.0 million.
That's quite a piece of history. Netflix has an excellent series on Warhol, BTW.
May we see the renderings please and thank you....?
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Price
Price upon request
Color
Silver
