A famous silkscreen of a Mercedes Benz, made by And Warhol in 1986, is expected to sell for as much as $16 million when it’s auctioned Nov. 12 by Christie’s in New York.
“Mercedes-Benz W 196 R Grand Prix Car (Streamlined Version, 1954)” is being offered by the Daimler art collection. The collection was established 30 years ago by Daimler-Benz, the German luxury manufacturer.
The 14-foot-high work shows the automobile repeated 12 times on the canvas. It was created for the centennial of the modern automobile. Warhol did numerous Mercedes Benz renditions.
The model was the Mercedes Benz Formula One entry in the 1954 and 1955 Formula One seasons.
The auction house says the sale proceeds will be used to secure the Daimler art collection’s long-term future.
Warhol’s cars series was one of his last works before his death in 1987.
Article Last Updated: October 14, 2013.