Some cars have been described as rolling works of art, but several famous artists have taken this literally and designed their own unique one-off creations. Alexander Calder’s BMW 3.0 CSL certainly comes to mind, as does Andy Warhol’s BMW M1. Interestingly, this 1960 Cadillac Coupe DeVille created by Kenny Scharf was one of the most valuable art cars to trade hands in 2023.
According to Hagerty, Scharf’s Cadillac, titled Astro Cumulo Uber Express, sold for $435,000 via Heritage Auctions earlier this year. As Hagerty points out, that price tag makes Scharf’s Astro Cumulo Uber Express over 900 percent more valuable than a standard 1960 Cadillac Coupe DeVille.
Scharf produced Astro Cumulo Uber Express in 2005, following through on the artist’s motto of “too much is never enough.” Just about every surface on this thing has been customized, creating something that’s utterly unique.
Per Heritage Auctions, Astro Cumulo Uber Express captures the spirit of “a functional machine turned into pure fun, a multimedia feast that is 100 percent Scharf.” The exterior is adorned in swirling shapes, chevrons, and streamlined characters that lend the body forward momentum, while also incorporating space-age style details that work well with the large rear tail fins of the 1960 Cadillac Coupe DeVille. Pink and light blue accents are seen in the grille, while the license plate, “60-CADI”, fits quite nice as well.
The interior is a smorgasbord of painted surfaces and found objects, with more swirling forms and a huge number of colors and designs. The seats, doors, carpets, and even the headliner are painted or accented in some fashion.
Further detailing can be found in the trunk and under the hood, with the former stuffed with found objects, and the latter showing loads of white paint on the engine and various components. The Astro Cumulo Uber Express Cadillac apparently starts and runs as expected, as well.
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Comments
Very beautiful……….. Going to drop a few tabs of acid.
Signing off.
Al
Shame to mess up a beautiful specimen like that. And the absurd price is indicative of this wacked-out economy.
I agree with everything you said except “the whacked out” economy
In my experience, “Art Cars” are usually neither.
They made the car ugly but got a big payday out of it.
I prefer the Janis Joplin Porsche.
I’ve been doing custom art & design on vehicles since the 70s and made a damm good living at it since going full time in 1978. There is a certain group of people who like to be original and will not follow the normal crowd. No, it is not for everyone, but whether it’s for personal or business, it gets the job done.