The New Horizon

1969 E3 2500 US A

ART: THE NEW HORIZON

ENGINE 2494CC M30B25 INLINE SIX-CYLINDER

TRANSMISSION 3-SPEED AUTOMATIC

ORIGINAL COST 15,485 DM

#215 0605

ORIGINAL PRODUCTION DATE JULY 1, 1969

COLOR CHAMONIX

OWNER CHRISTIAN ZSCHOCKE, FRANKFURT, GERMANY

The “New Horizon” is a work of art with a message. The car and its design invite you to think about change and challenges… about new horizons.

The BMW E3 model was a milestone for BMW when introduced in 1968. It set the template for the contemporary BMW saloon: driver focused, twin round headlamps, straight six engine (the “Big Six” which remained in production until the ‘90s), Hofmeister kink. In many ways, the E3 came to define BMW, and revolutionized our expectations of large, luxurious, and sporty saloons. It therefore constitutes an automotive symbol of change.

The E3 was introduced at a time of upheaval, as the ‘60s were ending. This model dates from 1969, and its artwork celebrates the spirit of the time, the peak of the counterculture movement. The Age of Aquarius dates from 1969 as does, yes, the Pink Panther TV show. 1969 was also the year of the first moon landing. The artist Heiner Meyer’s design places the New Horizon in its original context.

After a painstaking restoration of this fully functional car, the paintwork was applied by German aerosol artist and car racer, Walter Mauer, who has painted many of the BMW Art Cars. Walter Maurer has collaborated with artists such as Andy Warhol and Roy Lichtenstein, and recently with contemporary Chinese artist, Cao Fei. The New Horizon innovates the BMW Art Car paradigm, by using for the first time a historical car as a canvas to celebrate our future.

Walter Mauer applied numerous layers of paint and clear coat to the car.

It takes a week to allow the car to fully dry. This was followed by extensive polishing. After 350 working hours and three months in Maurer’s workshop, the New Horizon is finished.