Those early pieces were primarily made of bronze but also stones or ceramic and a few even in sterling silver or gold. With the automobile being a new innovation, a few artists decided to create 3 dimensional items for decoration.
Using the same materials, a few bronze, ceramic and even pot metal sculptures started to appear in galleries and department stores as decorative objects celebrating the new invention.
At the same time manufacturers and automobile owners started to personalize the temperature gauge on top of their radiators. Some elaborate motor-meters started to appear with figures and wings created by sculptors.
As the temperature gauges moved inside the car to the dashboard, mascots or hood ornaments replaced them and well known sculptors got involved and created mini sculptures such as Frederick Bazin, René Lalique, Rembrandt Bugatti, just to name a few.
Many artists were commissioned to do mascots for many different manufacturers and also for special interest groups mainly made in bronze or pot metals and often nickel or chrome plated.
René Lalique and a few others used glass or crystal. As mascots disappeared from the front of the automobile, trophies and awards kept being generated and a few sculptors in the U.S. and Europe in the 1970’s started creating decorative and commemorative sculptures.
Stanley Wanlass in the U.S. and Emmanuel Zurini in Europe are two of the pioneers of this decorative art as cars themselves became more and more highly collectible and you started seeing more and more of those sculptures that captured moments in automotive history, racing and design.
As personal garages, private car museums, man caves and now car condos became more popular a larger demand grew. You now also see limited edition sculptures made out of resin.
Today also some of those large sculptures in 1/1 scale have found their way outdoors in the middle of a car collector’s lawn or at the entrance of an automobile museum or at the entrance of a race track as they are robust and very decorative.
You can see more automotive sculptures on our website at www.arteauto.com
by Jacques Vaucher
For Linkage Magazine
Click here to view 3D Artwork we have now
]]>Louis Vuitton probably does not really need any introduction. It is a pretty well known name, originally recognized for their luxury luggage with the famous LV monogram.
]]>Louis Vuitton probably does not really need any introduction. It is a pretty well known name, originally recognized for their luxury luggage with the famous LV monogram.
This was started by the founder in 1854 in Paris. He had a love affair with travel. More recently, the Louis Vuitton brand has expanded into other luxury and fashionable goods.
With their “Art of Travel” philosophy, the company decided to sponsor Christian Philipsen and Antoine Prunet’s vision of “The Parc de Bagatelle Concours d’Elegance” outside of Paris which they started in 1988 to show the crème de la crème of automobiles created for traveling.
From the 1980’s to the 2010 decade, Vuitton expanded and began organizing other Concours and Vintage car tours around the world. At the same time they hired an artist to create an image for a poster promoting those events.
This is when Razzia came into the equation. His given name is Gerard Courbouleix-Deneriaz and he was born in Paris. He choose his artist’s name as Razzia.
Razzia is an artist at heart starting as a teenager with photography. His inspiration came from British music groups such as The Rolling Stones and the Beatles. He photographed for many years this new generation of musician. His passion then developed into graphic design and poster designing.
He created his first poster in 1979 for Carolyn Carlson, a dancer and choreographer. It was a mixture of his photography, design and paint.
Razzia was making a name for himself as a poster artist and taught himself how to paint so he could create posters for concerts, movies, album covers, fashion shows and magazine covers. This is how the self taught Razzia discovered his talent for poster art.
In an age when most poster art is computer generated, Razzia is one of the world’s only modern day “poster artists”. During the Golden Age of posters, late 1800’s and early 1900’s, before television and certainly computers, advertisers employed the best artists they could find to make interesting and unique renderings of the product they wished to advertise and sell.
This was done in order to impact the market and stand out from their competitors with a strong image. In most cases the artist would produce a painting which when approved would be lithographed in a larger size with appropriate text. Razzia still conceives his posters from an original painting. Today Razzia is one of the only poster artists who still paints an image that he creates and turns it into an attractive and captivating advertising poster.
Since 1985, Razzia has created posters for concours and vintage car tours which Vuitton organized. A dream for a commercial artist is that Vuitton gave Razzia carte blanche on all the images he conceived for them. At the same time he created images for the Louis Vuitton Cup prestigious boat races which they have sponsored over the years, which were the qualifying races for the America’s Cup.
Producing poster images for Vuitton has established Razzia as a semi-automotive artist to much of his delight as he is an automobile and Formula 1 enthusiast who owns and has owned a few Porsches, Mini Coopers and Triumphs. Since 1985, Razzia has created close to 30 different automotive images for the Louis Vuitton rallies and Concours d’Elegances they have organized around the world.
Fortunately, the spectacular images that Razzia has created for Louis Vuitton are popular and they live on as a legacy. Other clients for which Razzia has worked include Stetson Hats, Lancia Automobiles, L’Oreal, International Prêt à Porter Féminin (France), Bloomingdale’s, Macy’s in the U.S., Harrods in the U.K., the Nice Jazz Festival, the City of Deauville, several brand names of Champagnes and several restaurants in Paris and New York. Among collectors of his posters are such prestigious names as Elton John, Jackie Collins and Michael Caine. His work has been shown in every major city around the world and is highly collected.
The Vuitton management has changed and for the last decade they did not renew their agreement with Razzia and have stopped supporting Classic Car events and the Vuitton Cup.
We are proud to have been working with Razzia for the last 25 years and have helped him distribute his striking images around the world. In 2007, Razzia produced a beautiful book covering the first 25 years of his work: “25 Years of Poster Art”.
Razzia has found his niche by creating compositions which blend perfectly with vintage advertising posters.
You can see most of his images on our website at www.arteauto.com
by Jacques Vaucher
For Linkage Magazine
Click here to view the Razzia items we have now
]]>His passion for classy automobile design came at a young age. By the time Lévesque became a teenager it was clear to him that he wanted to be an artist. With that in mind, he was accepted into the art studies program at the University of Québec where he is from. This is where he learned the different techniques, mediums and materials available.
Not very interested in drawing landscapes, bowls of flowers or fruits, he concentrated on his automobile passion and art deco architecture and discovering different techniques while developing his own style.
Inspired by the Italian Futurist movement, Industrial Constructionism developed in Russia in the early part of the 20th century and the Bauhaus method from Germany, Lévesque continued to refine his own style and technique.
After leaving art school, Alain worked for several advertising agencies in Montreal where he also designed a few posters at that time for different events.
Since then he has worked as a fine artist still designing posters for auction houses such as Barrett-Jackson, Concours d’ Elegances such as the Kansas City and New York Concours and also producing a poster for the American Bugatti Club and a print edition for the Porsche Club of America national meet. His work has been published on the cover of numerous magazines and books.
Alain is busy producing multiple commissions for collectors worldwide. Along with all of his original artwork now mainly created in oil or acrylic on canvas, Alain has a large selection of prints of his originals, mainly giclées that you can purchase at l'art et l'automobile.
Also fascinated by 1930’s locomotives, Alain has painted a few of them as well as aircrafts in his very recognizable style.
As a new service for collectors, he can also produce his giclées in various sizes to accommodate your space and on different materials such as paper, canvas or banner material to enhance your car condo, garage or museum and study.
Enjoy his images. I know I have for the last 40 years.
by Jacques Vaucher
For Linkage Magazine
Click here to view the Levesque items we have now
]]>Though it may seem like the tradition of spraying champagne after a race is as old as motor sport itself, the story has more intricate roots. This integral part of the trophy ceremony only began in 1967, and the first driver to spray champagne on the podium was Dan Gurney. Gurney left us in January 2018, so looking back at his career, let's remember how the tradition that has graced and stained countless podiums began.
After winning the 1967 Le Mans for Ford with A.J. Foyt, Gurney saw that Ford CEO Henry Ford II, team owner Caroll Shelby, their wives, and a few journalists, who predicted a bad race for the duet, had gathered at the podium. In a move that caught everyone by surprise, he shook up the bottle of Moët that he had been given and sprayed them with champagne. This made him the first driver to spray champagne while celebrating on the podium, starting a new tradition.
If you want to learn more about the incredible story, or hear what the man himself had to say about it, Follow the link to our Blog, where we have a fantastic article by Eoin Young detailing the momentous day.
We also have gathered a collection of Dan Gurney Artwork, Collectibles and Memorabilia, including a poster commissioned especially to commemorate Dan's contribution to racing tradition. Feel free to tour the gallery here.
]]>We here at l'art et l'automobile have an unrivaled passion for motorsports and the art and memorabilia that celebrates motorsports. So of course we look forward to the beginning of NASCAR season, and celebrate the history and adventure of NASCAR's creation, especially when the spirit moves us. Wink wink. Our hope is that you will celebrate with us and in that spirit, we wish to present our collection of NASCAR Artwork, Collectibles and Memorabilia.
Click here to view the Gallery, and perhaps find an item or two to add to your collection.
For more on the history of how NASCAR made millionaires out of moonshiners, read our fantastic blog article here.
Happy Holidays Race Fans,
Jacques Vaucher
For more great automotive memorabilia, don't forget to browse the many other categories on our Website. Remember we also have many more items in our gallery, do not hesitate to contact us if you are looking for something in particular.
And as always, be sure to Like and Share on Facebook, Follow us on Twitter, share a photo on Instagram and read our Blogs.
]]>The Ford Motor Company invented the moving assembly line under the leadership of the iconic Henry Ford. The assembly line started rolling for the first time on December 1st, 1913, 105 years ago. The invention of the moving assembly line was a game-changer for the automotive industry. Vehicles were able to be built at a much faster rate, which directly drove prices down. This made automobiles more accessible to the general public.
We here at l'art et l'automobile have a passion for how the legendary automobiles of the past were envisioned, designed and built, just as intense as our passion for how they are celebrated and rendered into art and memorabilia. We would like to honor Ford's monumental achievement, bringing the automobile to the mainstream consumer through the use of the assembly line, by presenting to you our collection of Artwork and Memorabilia detailing The Ford Motor Company and its achievements. Feel free to tour the collection here, and perhaps find some piece of Ford's History to add to your collection.
Cheers and Happy Holidays,
Jacques Vaucher
Also, for great automotive artwork and memorabilia, don't forget to browse the many categories on our WEBSITE. Remember we also have many more items in our gallery, do not hesitate to contact us if you are looking for something in particular.
And be sure to check out our Blog, which has a great article with tons of information on Ford's moving assembly line and how it changed automobiles and manufacturing forever. Hopefully by sharing a little history on the subject, we can enlighten you just a little bit more on the amazing history of our shared love; the automobile
And as always, be sure to Like and Share on Facebook, Follow us on Twitter, or share a photo on Instagram.
Great Britain has a long and storied history of producing some of the finest machines and best racing drivers and world class races on earth. Each country boasts its bloodlines, companies, engineers, executives and enthusiasts whose powerful competitive spirit and dauntless courage drives them to dominate in motor racing.
To celebrate the 60th anniversary of the legendary Mike Hawthorn becoming Britain’s first ever Formula One World Champion and Lewis Hamilton clenching his 5th World Championship Title, we present to you the Cars and Drivers of the British Isles.
We here at l'art et l'automobile, as you may know, are avid racing historians, and the Drivers, Manufacturers and race tracks of Great Britain have definitely resonated through the various racing sports throughout the years. To celebrate Britain's racing achievements, we gathered all of our artwork and memorabilia related to the Cars and Drivers of the Isles, and present them here to you.
We invite you to view the British Cars and Drivers gallery and acquire one of these pieces of racing history while they last. Please tour the collection here and perhaps you will find something to add to your collection.
All our best from the staff at l’art et l’automobile,
Jacques Vaucher
For more great automotive artwork and memorabilia, don't forget to browse the many other categories on our WEBSITE. Remember we also have many more items in our gallery, do not hesitate to contact us if you are looking for something in particular.
And as always, be sure to Like and Share on Facebook, Follow us on Twitter, share a photo on Instagram and read our Blog.
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Many consider Juan Manuel Fangio to be the greatest driver of all time. Several highly successful later drivers, such as Jim Clark, Alain Prost, Ayrton Senna and Michael Schumacher, have been compared with Fangio, however the qualities required for success, levels of competition, and racing rules have changed over time. His record of five World Championship titles stood for 45 years before German driver Michael Schumacher surpassed it in 2003. In his home country of Argentina, Fangio is revered as one of the greatest sportsmen the nation has ever produced. He lived until he was 84, but his memory and achievements live on, probaably embodied best by this quote:
You must always strive to be the best, but you must never believe that you are. —Juan Manuel Fangio
At l'art et l'automobile, we follow racing, whether it be Formula, Indy or Le Mans, almost as if it were a religion. And if one man were to be sanctified in the Church of Speed, it would be St. Fangio. To celebrate a the life of El Maestro, we have gathered a selection of our Fangio Artwork and Memorabilia and are presenting them here to you. Enjoy looking through the collection and tell us which ones you would like to own. Please Tour the gallery at arteauto.com, and perhaps add a piece to your collection.
All our best from the staff at l’art et l’automobile,
Jacques Vaucher
For more information on the dangerous life of Juan Manuel Fangio, click here to read an excellent article detailing his career and the harrowing story of his final race at Nurburgring.
For more great automotive artwork and memorabilia, don't forget to browse the many other categories on our WEBSITE. Remember we also have many more items in our gallery, do not hesitate to contact us if you are looking for something in particular.
And as always, be sure to Like and Share on Facebook, Follow us on Twitter, or share a photo on Instagram.
]]>If you collect autographs, at l'art et l'automobile, we have a good selection of photographs, prints, trophies, paintings, programs and other memorabilia that have been autographed by some of the most successful drivers, team owners, manufacturers and famous celebrities of the 20th century. Enjoy looking through our collection and tell us which ones you would like to own. Please Tour the gallery at arteauto.com, and perhaps add a piece to your collection.
Also, you should defeinately make sure to check out our latest Blog article. This week we are republishing and article from Autoweek detailing a man who has just become the owner of THE Most autographs by Indy 500 drivers. He has over 500!
For more great automotive artwork and memorabilia, don't forget to browse the many other categories on our WEBSITE. Remember we also have many more items in our gallery, do not hesitate to contact us if you are looking for something in particular.
And as always, be sure to Like and Share on Facebook, Follow us on Twitter, or share a photo on Instagram.
All our best from the staff at l’art et l’automobile,
Jacques Vaucher
]]>
Greetings,
After a ‘car crazy’ last 10 days at Carweek on the Monterey Peninsula, we are back at the Gallery. To celebrate a fun filled and successful week, we are having a Sculpture Showing, detailing magnificent works by multiple artists from around the world.
Ever since the invention of the automobile, Sculptors have been using them as inspiration for their work. With their sleek lines and generous curves, automobiles lend themselves easily to being captured and exalted in any artistic form, but sculpture seems to have a special connection. After all, one might consider them to be functional sculptures in and of themselves.
Sculpture has always had a deep seeded bond to the automobile. For decades, car designers sculpted the lines and curves of the auto’s body the same way an artist would sculpt his work, but when the model was done, it would then be rendered in steel and gasoline rather than clay, stone or bronze.
Sculpting was originally more widely used for trophy making rather than celebrating the actual cars, but in the last few decades artists have taken it upon themselves to capture the details and the elegance of the cars themselves, showcasing the supple bodywork of classic cars from manufacturers like Ferrari, Bugatti, Porsche, Mercedes-Benz and others.
Many artists attempt to produce three dimensional works that show their passion for and the cultural significance of these machines in a new and interesting way. These luminaries include such names as Dennis Hoyt, Larry Braun, Richard Pietruska, Raymond Meyers, Stanley Wanlass and Emmanuel Zurini, just to name a few.
At l’art et l’automobile we have a keen interest in the sculpted elegance of vintage automobiles, but more specifically the artistic interpretations rendered three dimensionally. To celebrate this fact, we have collected all our sculpted pieces by these artists from around the globe and present them to you. We have a wide variety of sculptures for every taste and every budget. Please Tour the gallery at arteauto.com, and perhaps add a piece to your collection.
Enjoy
Jacques Vaucher
For more great automotive artwork and memorabilia, don't forget to browse the many other categories on this Shopify Store. Remember we also have many more items in our gallery, do not hesitate to contact us if you are looking for something in particular.
And as always, be sure to Like and Share on Facebook, Follow us on Twitter, share a photo on Instagram and read our Blogs.
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Over the last century, not only has England been a nucleus of automobile racing but it also seems that some of the best automobile artists also come out of the UK. With names like Bryan De Grineau, Fredrick Gordon Crosby, Michael Turner, Dexter Brown, Peter Hearsey and Barry Rowe, whose artwork we featured a few weeks ago, just to name a few.
Today we are showing the work of Nicholas Watts, who for the last few decades has been using his brushes and pencils to capture some of the most important moments and scenes in the history of motor racing.
Nicholas and I go back a few decades. We started working together in the 1980’s and in 1989, the gallery of l’art et l’automobile organized a ‘one man show’ for Nicolas in our New York Penthouse gallery on 34th Street in Manhattan. Ever since, or relationship has been excellent, and to this day I am an avid fan of him, his family and his work.
Keep up the Good work Nicholas. I am grateful to know you and will do my best to display your work with the respect it deserves and help others discover and celebrate your art.
Enjoy our collection of Fabulous Artwork here! If you are looking for any piece in particular contact us and we'll see if we have it.
Also don't miss our blog, where we are most happy to bring you a newly published in-house written article detailing the Artwork of Nicholas Watts. It is a fantastic resource for collectors and enthusiasts. Read it Here.
And as always, be sure to Like and Share on Facebook, Follow us on Twitter, share a photo on Instagram and read our Blogs.
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L’art et l’automobile’s very own Jacques Vaucher will as usual be exhibiting some of our latest vintage Automobile Memorabilia at the Spanish Bay Inn from Thursday the 23rd through Saturday the 25th. Make sure to please come by, have a chat with Jacques and Karen and peruse the collection in person.
In addition, Jacques has been invited to participate in the Pebble Beach Classic Car Forum on Friday afternoon at 3:30 pm, also at the Spanish Bay Inn. He will be collaborating in a talk on “collecting everything but cars” as part of the panel, for a discussion on all memorabilia surrounding car collecting.
Come Visit, and we hope to see you there.
Jacques Vaucher
For more great automotive memorabilia, don't forget to browse the many other categories on this WEBSITE. Remember we also have many more items in our gallery, do not hesitate to contact us if you are looking for something in particular.
And as always, be sure to Like and Share on Facebook, Follow us on Twitter, share a photo on Instagram. If you want more information about the Pebble Beach and read our Blogs.
]]>At l’art et l’automobile we appreciate artistry and craftsmanship as much as anyone, and in the case of Bugatti, those characteristics have produced a marque that refines and defines the terms in the automotive industry. For many, the Bugatti Marque represents the pinnacle of classic automotive engineering, and we are hard pressed to disagree. To that end, we have amassed a good collection of items representing this illustrious marque through the decades. Enjoy looking through the gallery here, and perhaps add a piece to your collection.
Also, if you are interest
Regards.
Jacques Vaucher
For more great automotive memorabilia, don't forget to browse the many other categories here at Arteauto.com. Remember we also have many more items in our gallery, do not hesitate to contact us if you are looking for something in particular.
And as always, be sure to Like and Share on Facebook, Follow us on Twitter, or share a photo on Instagram. Also, if you are interested in learning more about this artistic and industrious man, be sure to head over to our blog, where we have a great new informational article on the Automobiles of Ettore Bugatti.
]]>We here at l'art et l'automobile are definitely not going to miss this illustrious event, and we very much hope that you will be joining us as well. To that end, we have gathered a collection of Artifacts and Memorabilia from this momentous race and are providing it to you, our followers. Below is a sampling of the collection as well as a link to find all the German GP artwork and Automobilia we have to offer. Please feel free to tour the gallery here, and perhaps you will find something to add to your collection.
GP of Germany - Hockenheim 1983 poster by Carlo Demand | 1939 German GP at the Nurburgring print by Carlo Demand, autographed | GP of Germany Hockenheim 1994 official event poster |
Also, if you are interested in learning more about the German Grand Prix, make sure to check out our blog, which features a fantastic republished article detailing the 7 most eye-catching and hair-raising moments that have happened at the German Grand Prix.
And as always, Like and Share us on Facebook, Follow us on Twitter, Share a Picture with us on Instagram and catch up on the rest of the blog below.
James Karthauser
Development and Social Media
l'art et l'automobile
For the next week l'art et l'automobile gallery is proud to feature a showing of artwork promoting the presence and influence that women had with the automobile culture in the last century. All items are available for purchase, but please note that in most cases we only have one of each of those pieces, so they will go on a first come first served basis. The collection can be viewed here.
Enjoy, and we hope you will find it an interesting subject that you would want to display on your wall or your shelf.
Don't forget to head to our Shopify Store for more great automotive memorabilia. We have many more items in our gallery, so do not hesitate to contact us if you are looking for something in particular. And as always, Like and Share us on Facebook, Follow us on Twitter, Share a Picture with us on Instagram and catch up on the rest of the blog below.
Cheers!
Jacques Vaucher
Owner and Curator
l’art et l’automobile
Also, we are currently in the midst of a big Promotion of Porsche Memorabilia on this Website as we speak. Not long ago, our blog detailed the history and creation of some Victory Posters commissioned by the Porsche Factory, and we've just released Chapter 2 of that collection that we acquired. You can visit the Gallery here, and possibly add one of these pieces to your collection. But hurry they're going fast, and We Only Have One of Each.
And as always, Like and Share us on Facebook, Follow us on Twitter, Share a Picture with us on Instagram and catch up on the rest of the Newsfeed below.
James Karthauser
Development and Social Media
l'art et l'automobile
With only a few interruptions, due to wars or accident, the Marque from Stuttgart has championed successfully over many competitors and in all forms of racing they have entered, even to this day.
Both Marques, Daimler-Motoren-Gesselsvhaft and Benz Patent-Motorwagen, independently enjoyed success in the sport of motor racing throughout their separate histories. But when the two companies were merged to form the Mercedes-Benz brand in 1926, they continued their relentless campaign of excellence, right up through today’s racing events. Throughout its long history, the company has been involved in a range of motorsport activities, including sports car racing, Formula 1, Indy Cars and rallying. On several occasions Mercedes-Benz has withdrawn completely from motorsport for a significant period, but they have repeatedly returned to prominence.
Several notable achievments of the racing partnership bear mentioning. A single Benz competed in the world's first motor race, the 1894 Paris–Rouen, where Émile Roger finished 14th in 10 hours 1 minute. Between 1934 and 1939, the Mercedes-Benz Silver Arrows dominated the Grand Prix Circuit, and in the 50's, the Marque dominated Formula 1 driven by the legendary Juan Manuel Fangio. Prior to the famous accident in 1955, they nearly dominated both at Le Mans and the Carrera Panamerica, and did well at the Mille Miglia. Starting in the mid 80's the Brand saw a resurgence with the return of Mercedes-Benz to endurance racing, which took the company to new heights.
Mercedes-Benz is currently active in four motorsport categories, Formula Three, DTM, Formula One and GT, even winning the Formula 1 Constructor's and Driver's Championship for the last four years.
Over the last 40+ years here at l’art et l’automobile, we have accumulated a vast collection of moments and memorabilia from Mercedes-Benz’s illustrious racing and production career, including many of their triumphs and successes over the decades.
Today we are pleased to share these pieces with you, our email subscribers, and wholeheartedly invite you to come and tour the Mercedes-Benz Collection at arteauto.com. Feel free to peruse the gallery, and perhaps add something to your collection.
Enjoy,
Jacques Vaucher
For more great automotive memorabilia don't forget to browse our many other categories on our NEW WEBSITE. Remember we also have many more items in our gallery, do not hesitate to contact us if you are looking for something in particular.
And be sure to Like and Share on Facebook, Follow us on Twitter, share a photo on Instagram and read our Blogs.
The Sunday of Memorial Day weekend, May 27 this year, is widely considered one of the most important days on the motorsports calendar, starting at 9:00 am is the illustrious Monaco Grand Prix, followed by the Indianapolis 500 at noon, and the day concludes with NASCAR’s Coca-Cola 600 at 6:20 pm, a series of events totaling 28 hours of Racing!
We here at l’art et l’automobile know how we are going to spend Sunday, constantly glued to the TV screen watching these races, but for those of you who are interested in partaking in every aspect of this enormous day of Racing, and as a special bonus, we have collected all of our Monoco, Indy and NASCAR artwork, memorabilia and collectables into one gallery, and are presenting it to you. Feel free to tour the collection here, and perhaps add a few pieces to your collection for race day!
For those of you who are interested in learning more about this enormous day of Racing, we have collected a treasure trove of information for you, to catch you up on the history and importance of it all, and put it all into a fantastically informative article on our Blog, which can be read here. If you want to learn more about the historical aspect of these three races, we highly encourage you check it out.
And as always, Like and Share us on Facebook, Follow us on Twitter, Share a Picture with us on Instagram and catch up on the rest of the blog below.
James Karthauser
Development and Social Media
l'art et l'automobile
]]>The most exciting models we carry are from historic model companies. (above Jaguar D Type, description and link further down!) Because many miniature vehicles were originally aimed at children as playthings, there is no precise difference between a model car and a toy car, yet the word 'model' implies either assembly required or the accurate rendering of an actual vehicle at smaller scale. The kit building hobby became popular through the 1950s, while the collecting of miniatures by adults started to pick up momentum around 1970. Precision-detailed miniatures made specifically for adults are a significant part of the market since the mid-1980s.
Miniature models of automobiles first appeared in Europe around the time real automobiles did. Then, shortly after, they appeared in the United States. These were toys and replicas often made of lead and brass). Later models made in the early twentieth century were slush cast plaster or iron. Tin and pressed steel cars, trucks, and military vehicles, like those made by Bing of Germany, were introduced in the 1920's through the 1940's, but period models rarely copied actual vehicles, likely because of the crudeness of early casting and metal shaping techniques. Casting vehicles in various alloys, usually zinc (called zamac or mazac), became popular in the late 1930s and remained prominent after World War II.
Post-war, pressed tin and die-cast zinc were the most popular materials used in Europe and Japan. Mass-produced diecast metal toys appeared in America as well, but unlike those in Europe, they were often cruder and less detailed. Meanwhile, the use of plastics surged and became popular by the mid-1950's. During the 1950's and 1960's, tin and pressed steel were seen broadly Japan, which dominantly used die-cast into the 1970's. By 2000, China and other countries of Southeast Asia became the main producers of die-cast metal companies headquartered in Europe, the United States and Japan. Generally, as of 2015, only specialty models for collectors are still made in Europe or the United States. Model Cars and related brands and people have been inducted in the Model Car Hall of Fame since 2009.
This model is our 1967 Ford GT40 Mk IV is a 1/12 scale GMP model, 14" long. This Ford ran at Le Mans and finished 4th O.A., driven by Mark Donohue and Bruce McLaren after losing the tail during the race.
"Bruce returned to Le Mans with Ford in 1967, this time paired with Donohue in a Mk4 run by Shelby American, alongside the sister car of Gurney and AJ Foyt. The latter was making his European debut having just scored his third Indy 500 win, while Gurney would go on to win the Belgian GP in his own Eagle the following week.As ever Bruce proved adept at setting the car up and honing it through practice.Despite an early puncture McLaren and Donohue were in contention in the early going, running second in the 10th hour. Then just after halfway Andretti had a heavy crash at the Esses after suffering brake failure, triggering a costly incident that also took out the Fords of Roger McCluskey and Jo Schlesser.
Bruce managed to thread his way through the wreckage, but he picked up a puncture, and had a long slog back to the pits. Later he had problems with the clutch in the pit-lane, and he also lost the engine cover. All of this saw the car slip down to an eventual fourth, while Gurney and Foyt went on to score a famous win – with McLaren’s set-up, of course – and that famous racing tradition of spraying champagne was enacted for the very first time."
The detail is really specific to the distress the vehicle suffered during the race.
This model was highly modified by Dennis Koleber to its configuration after the race, in a very distressed condition.
Die-cast metal with extensive details to the engine, cockpit and chassis. Comes with original box.
Mr. Dennis Koleber's detailed work reinforces the idea that these items are not mere "toys," but can become a unique historical artifact.
The word "diorama" can either refer to a 19th-century mobile theatre device, or, in modern usage, a three-dimensional full-size or miniature model, sometimes enclosed in a glass showcase for a museum. Dioramas are often built by hobbyists as part of related hobbies such as military vehicle modeling, miniature figure modeling, or aircraft modeling.
The word "diorama" originated in 1823 as a type of picture-viewing device, from the French in 1822. The word literally means "through that which is seen", from the Greek di- "through" + orama "that which is seen, a sight". The diorama was invented by Louis Daguerre and Charles Marie Bouton, first exhibited in Paris in July 1822 and in London on September 29, 1823.
Here the BAM company offers 1/43 scale models with Two Lancia Beta Monte Carlo Turbo models racing on a curved diorama. Two Lancia Beta Monte Carlo Turbo models by BAM, France, 1/43rd scale, red and white #19 car, replica of the R. Patrese/W. Rohrl car that won Brands Hatch in 1980; blue “Fruit of the Loom” #51 car is a replica of the C. Facetti/M. Finotto Jolly Club entry that ran at Silverstone in 1980, cars come with ceramic, race track curve diorama display, both 4.25" long, A- cond., lot of 3.
Based on a MG + kit, 1/12 scale, (13” long), with many modifications and additions. It represents the car that won the Carrera Panamericana in 1953, driven by Juan Manuel Fangio, with full engine and cockpit details, resin & metal construction, A+ cond.
The 1953 Carrera Panamericana was the fourth running of the Carrera Panamericana Mexican sports car racing event, and the first edition as a part of the World Sportscar Championship. The race took place from 19–23 November, and was run from Tuxtla Gutiérrez, Chiapas, to Ciudad Juárez, Chihuahua, over 8 stages and 3,077 kilometres (1,912 mi). 182 cars started the race, and 60 finished all 8 stages.
Based on a MG + kit, 1/12 scale, (13.5” long), with added details and modifications. It represents the winner of the 24 hours of Le Mans in 1957 driven by Ron Flockart and Ivor Bueb, with cockpit details, resin & metal construction, A+ cond.
"The winning car covered 4397 Km, an average speed of 183kmh, a record which remained unbroken for four years.
D Types also finished in second, third, fourth and sixth places, an unparalleled result to that time. Ninian Sanderson and John Lawrence were second, Jean Lucas/ Jean-Marie Brussin third, Paul Frere/’Freddy’ Rouselle fourth and Mike Hawthorn/Masten Gregory sixth. Flockhart also won the race in 1956 partnered with Ninian Sanderson."
Enjoy these models and our other items at arteauto.com
Blake Arnold
staff member
l'art et l'automobile
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Michael Paul Smith has taken his collection of over 300 die cast models and used them to create ultra-realistic Scale Photos using forced perspective and real backgrounds to make his models appear as if they are full size. This is just truly amazing to us.
If you are interested in attempting to replicate Mr. Smith’s work or simply want to add an amazing model to your collection, e've got you covered. We have collected as many amazing artifacts and memorabilia as we could find and displayed in our gallery and made these rare and amazing pieces available to you. Feel free to check out the collection of several models of such quality and detail, that you could, with a bit of work and some trial and error, easily make dioramas or displays that Mr. Smith would heartily smile upon.
And as always, Like and Follow us on Facebook, Tweet us on Twitter, Share a Picture with us on Pinterest and catch up on the rest of the blog below.
Jacques Vaucher
Owner and Curator
l'art et l'automobile
Also all the pieces discussed in the article and many others are available in our collection, which can be toured here. Now its your turn to collect a piece of history, so feel free to peruse the galleries below at you leisure and possibly add a piece of art history to your collection.
POSTERS 1940 TO 1969
Jacques Vaucher
Owner and Curator
l'art et l'automobile
]]>These badges were created to ornate the front grill, license plates, or mounted on a bar to the front or rear bumpers, to the taste of the automobile owner. Some were even mounted on the dashboard.
The ones we are presenting here are from the beginning of the automobile era, before being replaced by decals and stickers in the 1980's.
Enjoy the collection here! If you decide to not put them on your car, you can also display them in your garage one by one or in a frame as they are very decorative, historic and well-designed. We also have collected numerous other badges and emblems you will not find on our website at the moment. If you are looking for something in particular contact us and we'll see if we have it.
Also don't miss our blog, where we are republishing an article from Marye Audet about finding, collecting and caring for Auto Badges. It is a great resource for collectors and enthusiasts. Read it Here.
]]>We here at l’art et l’automobile remember all the great heroes of the Track, in particular when we lose them, like we did this great champion. Jim Clark will live on in our hearts and minds.
In that vein of remembrance, we have gathered several Jim Clark artifacts as well as Formula 1 and 2 memorabilia into one place, and present them to you. Feel free to Peruse the collection here and take a piece of history home with you.
]]>We here at l'art et l'automobile are tenacious historians, especially when it comes to Racing Legends, and we also avidly collect and curate any pieces of racing history we can find. Thusly, we contribute a collection of Ford memorabilia to bolster the spirit of the hunt for this famous artifact, as well as a small sampling of our Trophy collection, that perhaps you can take home a piece that becomes a priceless heirloom to your family.
The collection can be found here, so feel free to tour the gallery at your leisure. Also make sure to go to our Blogger account and read a much more detailed article by Daniel Stroll about this amazing story.
]]>In honor of the Bullitt 50th anniversary, we present a collection of Steve McQueen posters and artifacts available in our collection. These Rare and Beautiful Pieces are the perfect addition to your Steve McQueen collection, just in time for the anniversary of this classic movie.
The Collection is available below here.
Also, If you've ever wondered what happened to that Famous Bullitt Mustang, be sure to check out an amazing article detailing the wild story on our Blog at www.arteautoblog.com
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This Year marks the both Anniversary of the Porsche Brand and l’art et l’automobile has decided to get in on the celebration. We have recently acquired a massive collection of over 100 Original Porsche Factory Posters, dating from the 1970's to the 90's.
Since 1951, after one of their first racing victories, the Porsche factory produced a poster as a way of publicizing their wins to their clients. These posters were distributed at Porsche Dealerships to display in the showroom. There was no plan on publishing more, but that changed quickly as Porsche kept winning. Below is a collection accumulated by a fervent Porsche collector and historian. It is now time to pass this collection on to you. Below is a link to the collection, which we happily invite you to tour at your leisure, and maybe you’ll find a piece the you simply must add to your collection.
Tour the Collection Here. Also be sure to check out our Informational Blog, featuring a very Informative article by the Porsche Factory Newsroom, detailing all the celebrations and new releases Porsche will unveil this year as part of their 70th Anniversary.
]]>We here at l'art et l'automobile are proud to help celebrate the 120th birthday of il commendatore, the illustrious Enzo Ferrari, as well as the 70th anniversary of the Ferrari Brand. I in fact had the pleasure of working with him and was even in the process of writing a book of Ferrari based artwork with him shortly before he died. Obviously, without his knowledge and vision, said book could not be continued, but the art which he so gracefully wrought, in the form of his amazing machines, continues to fascinate and excite to this day. I will always remember and cherish our time together, and will always curate his legacy.
Adieu Enzo.
Below is a link to our collection, the Ferrari Artwork and Memorabilia that Does exist. Feel free to explore the Gallery and possibly add one of these pieces of history to your collection.
Also, please check out our Blogger Post, for which we have shared an article by IOL Motoring detailing never before seen pictures of Enzo, celebrating his 120th birthday last month.
Jacques Vaucher
Owner and Curator
l'art et l'automobile
]]>Check out a fantastic article here, written by our owner and curator Jacque Vocher, detailing the life and achievements of his friend, John Fitch.
Also, below is a list of items in our new collection of artifacts sourced from John's own personal collection, please review them at your leisure: