Life is art, and the whether the art is Leonardo Da Vinci’s Mona Lisa or his flying machine that broke all the barriers of modern innovative science at the time, the automobile is most definitely art in its most rich and pure form. When most of us think of art, we think of famous historical paintings such as Vincent Van Gogh’s self portrait or maybe The Scream, painted by Edward Munch. Be assured that Michelangelo’s sculpture of David and Botticelli’s The Birth of Venus are amazing works of art, but if you’ve ever picked up a flipped through a DuPont Registry Catalogue, you’ll understand when I say that the automobile holds an entirely different type of beauty all its own.

It all started in 1672, when a member of a Jesuit mission in China named Ferdinand Verbiest created the first steam-powered vehicle which was of small scale and originally designed as a toy for the Chinese Emperor that wasn’t able to carry a driver or passenger. In 1769, a man by the name of Nicholas-Joseph Cugnot built a self-propelled mechanical vehicle by adapting an existing three-wheeled horse-drawn vehicle. In 1885 a man named Karl Benz (as in Mercedes Benz) built the first four-stroke cycle gasoline engine powered automobile at his home in Mannheim, Germany. Last but certainly not least, in 1914 a brilliant man named Henry Ford expanded the business of automobiles by building the first affordable American automobile as we know it today and utilized the new innovation of the assembly line to generate beautiful vehicles like the Model T and distribute them to the entire nation for their enjoyment. Since before the free world was even formed, the automobile has been with us as a symbol of class and respect.

The very first blue print of the very first automobile ever can very well be considered the first automobile art ever composed. Yes, it was created by inventors and scientists and maybe jotted down on a napkin or some random piece of scratch paper they had lying around the workshop. Yet, to these people who put their minds together to bring into the world this masterpiece, it was probably the most beautiful thing they’d ever seen. Inventors like Da Vinci and Michelangelo had a keen eye for all things of wonder, and I believe that if they saw a simple photograph of even the most basic of cars today, they would burst into tears and weep with utter joy. There is no doubt that many of us in all walks of life take many things for granted, but then, there are those who know a great thing when they see it. Automobile fans all over the world have taken great pride in the classics as well as the cutting edge technology of the business, and the art world is exactly the same in many respects. If a Jackson Pollock painting is found in an old dusty attic one of these days, it will be treated as though it were solid gold by anyone who would recognize what it truly was, and at the same time if a 1930 Rolls Royce Phantom II was suddenly discovered in an old barn, well, you get the idea.

Since the beginning Automobile art has been the pride of modern engineering, and actually still is. With all the world rotating around their affordable family vehicle to carry out their daily activities from ferrying their children to obtain education to carrying themselves to their career of choice to keep the economy in our society moving in a positive direction. The world is depending on these same types of inventors who gave the modern car to them, to solve the energy problems that we are facing. To build a vehicle that operates by burning gasoline is one thing, but now to run on an energy cell or rechargeable battery, or even free energy personal transportation all together will be the new technology that changes the world and lifts us all into the next phase of planetary evolution. Automobile art will always be there for the ride, pardon the pun. Since the beginning of the free market and advertising, the art of selling the automobile has directly utilized the art of a beautifully crafted and innovative machine of machines.

Even today, whether its ads in magazines or television commercials the subject on people’s mind and in their thoughts seems to always be the latest technology placed in the latest cars futuristic cars, or maybe the older classic cars that have been converted into a new classic looking variation of the old version with the technologically new twist. The automobile has also become a necessity within our militaries and our medical response units, and the basic transportation of all things, nationally and internationally. The automobiles were in many ways the first working United Nations, with many different vehicles being credited to many different countries such as the beautiful works of Germany and their Mercedes Benz or the Italian Ferrari’s or maybe the fuel efficient and economical Japanese Honda’s and Toyota’s, or my personal favorite, the American muscle that is the Ford Mustang.

These days, Automobile art can be found anywhere and everywhere, all you have to do is turn on the television to any channel or flip on the radio to any station and even to pick up and open any magazine would present you with an advertisement with a beautiful vehicle being shown to you in the hopes or making you salivate and want this work of art with every fiber of your being. Where do these multi-billion dollar automobile manufacturers get these wonderful works of art? Well you can get automobile art at any art gallery having already been placed in a frame and ready to take home and mount on the wall of your new recreational room just above your pool table next to the one with the dogs playing poker. Yet, if you’d like to really find quality and discover what true automobile art really is, there are places that will accommodate you.

Automotive art can come in almost any form such as car memorabilia that can cover all different types of racing including NASCAR, Formula 1, Rally Cross, and many more. Mural sized photographs and paintings can be a stunning presentation that can add beauty and style to anyone’s home, business, or office environment. Most artists will deal with specific commissioned, commercial and editorial automotive art as well, hence the advertising niche they have developed for themselves. There are many different types of automobile art, and you can generally find them in any art gallery and exhibition or more predominantly you may find them online through many websites that have upgraded and expanded their audience to circumference the entire planet from Washington to Warsaw.

Michael Goettner became a professional automotive artist after retiring from the United States Air Force as an F16 fighter pilot. He has composed works of art for famous names such as Carroll Shelby and the Lamborghini Family, and his work can range in prices from $15.00 to $2,250.00 (US) and incorporate still life paintings as well as art that depicts the high speed motion and pursuit of the competitive races. While the artwork is quite exceptional, there are no downsides, only points of perspective as to what exactly you’re searching for. The art work of Goettner Illustrations encompasses more of a classic style and lacks a certain new age charisma. In other words, the pieces being commissioned and generated from this gallery probably won’t excel when visually describing modern Japanese or the technologically advanced automotives of today, but more so has a certain Norman Rockwell feel to it, but that once again is of personal preference. Whatever you’re in the mood for, be assured that you’ll find genius with Goettner Illustrations.

Goettner Location: 4810 Parklands - Sylvania, Ohio, USA 43560

Phone: (419) 885-2461

Fax: (419) 882-1784

Website: www.goettner.com

E-Mail: art@goettner.com 

If you’re looking for automobile memorabilia more so than paintings and photographs themselves then the place to visit would most definitely be ArteAuto, which is more of a catalogue/online auction warehouse and more of an eBay of sorts. It’s actually self proclaimed as the largest online auction and online shopping site for Automobile art. You’ll find all kinds of remarkable items for purchase such as vintage photographs, paintings, posters, sculptures, mascots, models, and literature dating back to the 17^th century and enveloping over 3 centuries of all different types of automotive art. It’s certainly a wonderful place to check out for yourself, and even a slight glimpse of what they have to offer you is highly recommended. They may not have state of the art equipment for sale but they will most absolutely have a wonderful stock of the classics that will make the hair on any true auto enthusiasts arm stand up with excitement.

Gallery Name: ArteAuto Location: 176 KC 433 - Harper, Texas, USA 78631

Phone: (830) 864-5040

Fax: (830) 864-5078&

Website: www.arteauto.com

E-Mail: info@arteauto.com    

The creation and ongoing production and development of automobiles is an art unto itself, they have always and will always be linked together as one mechanism. Without design, there can be no creation. Without art, there would be no automobile.

By Michael Weisenmiller

Michael is a freelance writer.