BMW 3 Series Touring Prototype Art Car # 13 (1992): Sandro Chia

BMW’s thirteenth art car was crafted in 1992, when Italian artist Sandro Chia applied a people-centric focus to a 3 Series touring car prototype.

Chia believed faces are the focus of the world — and as a result, his racer is adorned with a collage of faces.

“I have created both a picture and a world,” Chia said of his work. “I have created both a picture and a world. Everything that is looked at closely turns into a face. A face is a focus, a focus of life and the world.”

Chia’s design draws some inspiration from the works of painters like Carra, de Chirico, Montegna, and Giorgione — along with the cubist forms traditionally associated with Picasso. Unlike those other works, however, every face on Chia’s car appears to have features in correct locations.

As this was a prototype, Chia’s 3 Series never made it to the track — but the stripped-out interior, full roll cage, and other racing equipment meant it was certainly suited for such motorsports activity.