Crazy Triple Decker Bike

Sometimes you have to break with tradition and build that crazy triple decker bike that will take you places, fast and tall.

Mercedes Pens Art Car at Maker Faire 08

Pen Guy with pen covered hard hat and reflective safety jacket photo by thaths

I figured now would be a good time to include my very own Mercedes Pens Art Car covered inside and out in close to 7,000 pens of all kinds. Since I just went to Maker Faire 08 in San Mateo, I found a fresh batch of really nice photos of the pen car and my self The Pen Guy on Flick.

Below is a nice shot of the inside of the car with dashboard covered in pens using velcro so I can take them off and rearrange them. As you can see no car is complete with out a pair of fuzzy dice from the rear view mirror and a ton of lanyard pens that now completely block my view in certain spots.


Inside the Mercedes Pens photo by ralichte


Crowd with Pen Car photo by Pargon

4x4 Mercedes

Photo from Dark Roasted Blend World's Strangest Vehicles

The only reason this Wacky 4x4 Mercedes car is on here is because It's so darn funny, and because its my blog and I have always thought it would be crazy to do that to a Mercedes. So here it is.

Tesla Coil - Art Car Theft Protection

The truth is that art car folks deal with vandalism and theft all the time, because there is nothing that says "take me" than a car covered in God knows what. So the folks over at Tesla Downunder have come up with an ingenious idea that is both artistic and practical that will keep those grubby hands off our art cars. The world will be a better place when every art car is installed with this amazing and very effective anti art car theft devise. As you will see in the video there marketing strategy is very effective and will produce many sales.

Fur Art Cars

I know its probably past the season for fur as we are in the middle of spring on to summer but I found a bunch of art cars covered in what appears to "fake" fur.

This photo looks like a police chase filmed from a helicopter. "Just robbed a pet store and seen driving down HWY...."

"...it was a just a big misunderstanding officer we were just running away from the "Fur is Dead" folks."


Here is the black fur creature tagged with the number 58, an endangered species.


Leopard on the night prowl looking for nightclubs, San Fansisco Ca


And fur as it is found in its natural color, Bright Pink.

Corrugated Iron Art Car

This Corrugated Art Car is a 91 HQ Holden Station wagon, created by artist Jeff Thomson from New Zealand. Apparently he works a lot in corrugated Iron so it was a matter of time before he did a car as well. In a land where it probably rains plenty, a car like this is both artistic and functional at the same time.

Crazy Car stuck in Reverse

When I found this video I had to post it, watching this crazy car zip through traffic is a real heart stopper. It's real close to being an "art car" but who cares, Enjoy:)

Party Bar Von Tiki Art Car

The Von Tiki is made from an 1987 Toyota Van by Jake Goldstein, Captain and John Merlie, Co captain. I met these two for the first time at Art Car Fest 05 and since then they have continued to add and improve on this amazing bar on wheels which is also available for party rentals. The Von Tiki features:

Dual walk-up bars: one mahogany, one teak
Walnut floor
Thatched roof
Real bamboo exterior
Tequila shots from the windshield wipers
Custom sea-shell and sand spinners
Flower-lined ceiling
AstroTurf in the cab
Hand-carved tiki mask taillights

additional photos can be seen in the Von Tiki scapbook

Poor Man's Sequin Art Car

I know not everyone wants to drive around in a "real" art car and maybe its not in you budget to maintain it. But the folks over at evil mad scientist came up with the poor man's mini art car for the masses. Its a great way to explore ideas for the real deal or collect more than one. You don't spend all that time and money gluing thousands of pieces of "what ever" to the exterior of your one an only car. What if you don't like your idea, or it makes life just too complicated answering all those questions. Thanks you solving one of lives riddles, the world is a better place.

Chocolate Covered Beetle Art Car

A chocolate-coated car was placed in front of a supermarket in Qingdao, Shandong Province, China, on Valentine's Day. This eye catching car was the work of seven employees from a local car company. The car was wrapped in a plastic wrap before being painted with melted chocolate. A total of 200 kg of chocolate was used in its making.

Article from Spluch

Car Flipping Art Cars

April in UK means that the British Rollover Championships is going on full "tilt". This video is hilarious and when I saw it I knew it would make the art car central "hall of hillarity" (and I am not talking about any presidential candidate in particular) The cars are painted somewhat artistically therefore I think they be included here.

"Tapigami" Masking Tape Cityscape by Artist Danny Scheible

Danny Scheible is the amazing "Tapigami" artist who created an entire city scape using regular masking and painter's tape. I met Danny at Art Car Fest 06 in Berkeley CA, where he came to visit all the cars and was gracious enough to make and give out small versions of what he does. We talked for a while and during that time he created a small city scape that I have in an old 100 CD plastic container to protect it from dust. There is not a lot of mention of him on the net but since we drive art cars through cities, I figured it would be OK to write about him on art car central. Maybe he can do a city scape inside a car!!! Danny you rock and you have inspired me with your art.

from this..

To this!!!!!





and the video

John Lennon and His Rolls-Royce Art Car

John Lennon's Art Car was manufactured in 1965 by the Rolls-Royce Motor Cars Limited, Crewe, Cheshire. This Phantom V was then delivered to John Lennon on June 3, 1965 that was 19 feet long and weighed three tons.

In 1966, the car had the rear seat modified to convert to a double bed. A custom interior/exterior sound system was installed along with a "loud hailer." Other features that John Lennon had installed at this time were: Sony television; telephone and a portable refrigerator.

Originally the car was painted matt black overall but John got tired of it and in April of 1967, visited J.P. Fallon Limited, a coachworks company located in Chertsey, Surrey. They then commissioned "The Fool" - a Dutch team of gypsy artists, to paint the car "psychedelic" at a cost of £2,000 (or about $4,200 Cdn).

John’s newly painted psychedelic car drew some public outrage when a old woman, in London’s downtown, attacked the car using her umbrella and yelling: "You swine, you swine! How dare you do this to a Rolls-Royce." Obviously, the Rolls-Royce is passionately regarded in England as one of the many symbols of British dignity!

This is one car we won't be seeing in any of the parades, and by far the most expensive and famous art cars that was bought for $2,299,000 in 1985 by Mr. Jim Pattison’s Ripley International Inc. for exhibition at Ripley’s "Believe It Or Not" museum.

John Lennon's car is featured in more detail in this tribute youtube video of him and his Rolls-Royce, with the "Lucy in the sky with diamonds" sound track

Kelly Lyles "Leopard Bernstein" and her Art House

Kelly Lyle's house was featured on HGTV and in is one of the most fun and inspired houses I have seen in a long time. Since this is Art Car Central we do have her art car covered in the wild kingdom of wild cats.


Photo by Bagel!

Leopard Bernstein is a 1989 Subaru DL wagon. We've travelled to art car events and parades all over the U.S. My vehicle is quite modest compared to the other spectacular sculptured, glued, welded, transformed autos you'll see on these links and in my paintings.

Bernie is covered with hundreds of big cats -- lions, tigers, leopards, and cheetahs. He has welded ears and a tail. Driving an art car is a definite ice-breaker at cocktail parties and a definite deterrant to road rage.

My best comment came from a child - "Look mom, it's a party!"

Copy taken from kelly spot

sorry i was a bit lazy on this on!

Strange and Weird Cars By Top Gear

Jeremy Clarkson from Top Gear presents a segment about some really strange cars and compares the pros and cons of each. Ultimately one question remains to be answered in this piece, which one is the fastest on the track. Take a look as a motorized couch, dumpster, shed, and on-road powerboat are put to the test.

Salvation Mountain - Art Truck

Leonard Knight has the spent the last fourteen years working on a project called Salvation Mountain. Its a three story multicolored monument made out of mud, old paint and adobe and surrounded by an encampment of brightly painted vehicles. The theme of his project is the message of the gospel: Gods love for mankind and salvation through His Son, Jesus Christ.

The mountain and the message are now renowned and visitors from around the world come to see Knight daily. His work is now on display in the Visionary Folk Art Museum in Baltimore, Maryland and has gained much respect from the folk art community.

Art Trucks

Not to be left out, but art trucks are pretty amazing also, brought to you by PingMag

Wood Gas Car

This Swedish car that runs on wood gas is simply a must see video. The engineering is superb and even the artistic qualities are on the rustic side of things. You could probably take this thing camping and cook food right on the trunk and on those cold nights, stick in another log. I love it and well done guys.

Ketchup Art Car

Have you ever been caught without Ketchup or Hot Sauce? This guy will never eat another plain burger or nasty old leftovers from a week ago. This guy took a stand, right on!!!!!!


Photo by groovehouse

Lego Art Car - Happy 50th

Thank you lego for all the joy you have brought to so many of us over the past years. May we never grow up and always remain childlike the rest of our lives.






Photos by Paula Wirth