A fatal accident cast a shadow over the opening of Cars at the Capital on September 17th. While unloading a 1979 BMW Art Car—painted by Andy Warhol—a man was pinned beneath the vehicle after a winch failed. He was pronounced dead at the scene.
The exhibition, set in temporary pavilions on the National Mall between the USDA Building and the Smithsonian Museum of American History, was immediately cancelled by the Hagerty Drivers Foundation. The organisation extended condolences to the man’s family, citing respect for the deceased.
Warhol’s BMW, painted in saturated blocks of red, blue, yellow and green, was the fourth in the marque’s Art Car program. Raced at Le Mans in 1979 and now listed on the U.S. National Historic Vehicle Register, it stands as both artwork and artifact—its return to public view now halted by tragedy.
In a statement to Jalopnik, a spokesperson for BMW said:
“Our sincere and heartfelt condolences go out to the individual’s family. Out of respect for the deceased, we will not comment further at this time.”
