Force India 'art car' ready for auction

RM Auctions, in partnership with the Force India F1 team, is to offer a unique example of the Silverstone-based outfit's creative ability when it accepts bids for the first Force India 'art car'.

The machine, chassis VJM1-05, has been hand-painted by world-renowned motorsport artist Dexter Brown and signed by an illustrious collection of respected F1 figures and other important dignitaries, and will be the featured attraction at RM's highly-anticipated London sale on 26 October.

Driven at 16 of the 18 races during the 2008 F1 season, the car - which will be offered as a static display without an engine - covered over 13,000km at circuits such as Monaco with Giancarlo Fisichella at the wheel. First debuted in its new guise as an 'art car' at this year's British Grand Prix, the machine took pole position at Force India's post-race party and subsequent F1 balls, allowing legends of yesteryear, including Sir Stirling Moss, Sir Jackie Stewart and Niki Lauda to leave their own personal on the bodywork alongside current stars such as McLaren's Lewis Hamilton and Ferrari's Fernando Alonso.

"Seeing one of my F1 cars transformed into a painting is a wonderful initiative that combines two of my greatest passions - cars and art," team principal Vijay Mallya commented, "I wish to thank Dexter for producing this exquisite piece of work and to all who signed it. I am sure it will attract great interest at the forthcoming RM London sale, raising valuable funds for charity."

Dexter Brown has been a fixture on the automotive art scene for almost three decades and, in recent years, his work has evolved to focus on the abstract expression of racing images. Using his distinctive technique of broken brush strokes, he has built up an enviable catalogue of work which has been exhibited at various locations around the world, and current projects see him collaborating with the Pullman Gallery in London where a wide selection of his work remains on show.

"When I was approached to paint an 'art car', I was immediately excited by the project as it's the first time I've had the chance to work with a modern F1 car," the artist explained, "Painting the car was an interesting challenge because I had to work around the complex bodywork. It's great to be involved in such a unique project and I look forward to seeing how much it can raise for these two great causes."

All proceeds from the car's sale, including RM auction commissions, will be donated to Great Ormond Street Hospital Charity, which provides world-class care for its young patients, and the Force India Formula One Team Academy, an initiative aimed at identifying racing talent in India and providing youth in India the chance to get involved in motorsport. The car is expected to fetch in excess of ?150,000 when it goes under the hammer next month.