The Gallery 2025 had its official press launch at the British Motor Museum on 3rd April 2025, with thanks to Rupert Whyte of Historic Car Art who helped curate the exhibition with British Motor Museum staff including curator Cat Boxall and Stephen Laing the museums Head of Collections and Engagement.
Rupert Whyte, Historic Car Art Gallery owner, commented “It’s been fantastic to have the opportunity to work with the British Motor Museum again for this exhibition. There are so many talented artists working in the automotive art scene today, and it’s a privilege for Historic Car Art to be able to bring our work to a wider audience through this partnership. We hope visitors enjoy perusing this collection - no matter what kind of car fan they are, they’re bound to find a piece that will capture their imagination.”
Stephen Laing, Head of Collections & Engagement at the British Motor Museum, added: "We're delighted to collaborate with Historic Car Art to showcase the work of some of Britain's most talented artists. The community of artists in Britain taking inspiration from the automobile and motorsport has arguably never been stronger. There is such a wide array of styles and media, capturing the motor car in almost every era and situation”.
The exhibition, which runs until Thursday 26th June, showcases both local and national artists with both painting and 3d models. From time to time during the run of the exhibition, ‘live art’ will be taking place where the artists continue their artwork at the Museum for visitors to see.
At the front of the exhibition is a half scale Porsche 917 (which won the Le Mans 24-hour race in 1971) created by Leamington Spa artist and sculpture Jonny Ambrose. Since 1994, artist Jonny Ambrose has been creating elegant, contemporary automobile sculptures and 3D models. His artworks “celebrate automotive artistry with graceful abstraction”, inspired by aerodynamic forms, imagined airflow and angular shape patterns. The half scale chassis is portrayed by aluminium tubes, not welded, but uniquely connected by bespoke ‘3d printed’ joints, all individually designed and constructed by Jonny. With a carbon fibre ‘body’ also connected by 3d printed joints.
Other 3D artworks include a bronze of W.O. Bentley and a resin model of a Bentley Continental GT3 car by artist Tim Potts. Another Porsche, this time the iconic 911 in orange wire by artist Chris Twitchell and a scale model of a Porsche 550 by Paul Cameron created in CAD and CNC machined in wood. He also had aluminium models of iconic cars such as Ferrari F40, Jaguar E-Type and Porsche 911.
There were a great selection or artists painting, drawings including Neil Collins who was in residence creating a new artwork of a period 1960s racing artwork, who also was displaying examples of 1930s, 50s & 60s race artwork.
Multi Relief layered prints by Steve Goodwin with his selection of iconic cars such as the original Fiat 500 and an Austin A35, and racing examples with a Lotus 72 and McLaren M23 printed in multi relief print layers on Japanese HoSho paper.
A different take on automotive artwork were an Audi Quatro and a 1907 Rolls-Royce both oil on canvas, with the artist first creating a 3d model and create the correct lighting, particularly for the Rolls Royce, with both having a front on shot in the background with a distinct side on show in the front.
Other artists at the show included Kevin McNicholas with his painting of Jenson Button and Lewis Hamilton with a version of McLaren driver Oscar Piastri in preparation. These works take up to 1500 hours to create. Roy Putt was showing his variety with a Land Rover 110, 1960s Lotus F1 car and Marilyn Munroe’s American dream car, and Brian James was showcasing his paintings of a 1970s Lotus F1 car, a recent McLaren F1 car with Lando Norris at the wheel and a 1950s Auto Union Type D.
Other works of note included detailed pencil and tinted charcoal drawings of 1960s racing shots and a classic mini by Oliver Ray, and Emma Capener with her evocative piece called Timekeepers, coloured pencil on mount board, from the 1960s wife drivers wives and girlfriends on the stop watch timing laps.
Striking examples included artist John Ketchells 1950s & 60s racing shots and Chris Wainwright’s vivid paintings of Lando Norris, Lewis Hamilton & 1960s Scottish F1 driver Jim Clark.
Artist Kate Alger (who with John Ketchell is selecting the winners of the Young Artist competion) was showcasing her embossed screen prints of a Porsche 356, an Aston Martin DB5 and a 1960s racing around the banking at Monza circuit.
Other artists included Red Dams with his Jaguar E-Type on aluminium, Peter Hearsey with his classic Austin Healey and 1960s Lotus F1 car at Monaco all on gouache on paper. Gary Smith with his lost-wax bronze casting of a Jaguar XK120, Keith Woodcock with his mixed media renditions of a Aston Martin DB1 and Moss & Fangio battling at Monza, Adam Gompertz with his coloured pencil and pastel on paper creations of a 1960s Aston Martin racecar, a classic Bentley 41/2 litre racecar and Niki Lauda’s Ferrari F1 car from the 1970s.
Andy Shaw with his watercolour on paper renditions of a Land Rover 90, a MGB-GT and Jaguar XK120 and Graham Bosworth’s Oil on canvas board creations of a 1960s LeMans Jaguar and Stirling Moss at the Monaco Grand Prix in 1955.
