French driver and auctioneer Hervé Poulain, an avid contemporary art enthusiast, is the man behind the BMW Art Car project. The series began with the 3.0 CSL, successively decorated by Alexander Calder in 1975, and then Frank Stella in 1976.

The car – For its third Art Car, BMW selected a new model. Launched in 1975, the 3-Series followed on from the BMW 2002. When Group 5 regulations for Silhouettes – racing versions of production models – were introduced, BMW selected the 320i to face the Porsche 935, derived from the 911. The 1977 race marked the inaugural appearance of the 320i at the 24 Hours of Le Mans.

The artist – The idea of New York-born artist Roy Lichtenstein (1923–1997) was to depict the circuit’s landscapes that the car whizzed through. His design (and especially the big spots typical of his style) also bears witness to his comic strip experience.

The 1977 24 Hours of Le Mans – Lichtenstein’s 320i is the first BMW Art Car to see the Le Mans chequered flag. While Jacky Ickx, supported by Jürgen Barth and Hurley Haywood, claimed his fourth victory (equalling the record of his Belgian compatriot, Olivier Gendebien), Hervé Poulain and his teammate Marcel Mignot entered the Top Ten, finishing ninth overall. Teaming up with BMW works driver Joachim Winkelhock, they climbed even higher in 1979, with a sixth-placed finish in the M1 painted by Andy Warhol, the fourth BMW Art Car. The 1977 race proved to be the BMW 320i’s one and only appearance at the 24 Hours of Le Mans.