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If you live anywhere on the West Coast, or for that matter any town that has a significant contingent of Wacky People, you’ve probably seen them driving around: art cars. It just so happens that my brand new town, Santa Monica, has a rather large contingent of these cars. They tend to be older vehicles — you don’t see a lot of late-model Mercedes art cars — painted just about any way you can imagine, often with foreign objects adhered to them in some thematically-consistent way. Since I have a habit of posting about strange things that go on in my neighborhood, I thought I’d share these shots of two vehicles I see, and marvel at, on a daily basis.
On the back of this car, a small inscription reads “hand-painted.” Ha ha.
If you look closely, you can tell: this car has no passenger-side windows.
I wonder if Matt Groening did a commission on this one? Nah … 
Houston has a surprising number of art cars, and I once saw…wait for it…an art car Ferrari.
posted by megaera on 5-4-2007 at 3:16 pm
My bro just finished his art car - a VW bug turned pirate ship. “The Black Pearl”, to be precise. It’s for sale, too! Check out the website.
posted by sincityspuds on 5-4-2007 at 4:46 pm
One of my favorites was in Denton, TX (a quirky town with a couple of art cars driving about). It was a Grand Am painted in a lovely tartan plaid. The paint job was very professional looking with completely straight lines and good color.
posted by Cynthia on 5-4-2007 at 8:13 pm
We live in La Antigua Guatemala where an elderly friends of ours had her car stolen. Surprisingly, the police found it parked in another neighborhood and returned it to her. Being an artist, she decided to paint flowers all along the sides of the car, explaining: “no self-respecting car thief will touch it now.” They didn’t either. She passed away at the age of 89, left her beloved car to her gardener who not only cares for the car, he loves her painted flowers too.
posted by Terry KB on 5-5-2007 at 12:09 pm
Wait… No photo of the “Chicken” car over near 7th and Montana?! It’s awesome!
posted by Gera on 5-5-2007 at 7:55 pm
I’m from Houston, and yes, Houston has an Annual Art Car Parade and some of the cars get kinda crazy. Not only do people paint their cars, but they also add crazy stuff to them, like fur, wings, you name it. I remember seeing one once that was covered in old Coke bottles.
posted by Mallory on 5-5-2007 at 10:47 pm
When I lived in Savannah, GA, there was a Mitsubishi Diamante there that was covered in leopard print cloth. Also, many years ago, I saw a van covered in astroturf. That was interesting…
posted by Anthony on 5-7-2007 at 10:38 am
Not exactly painted up, but in my town there is a truck (late 90s, early 00s) that is the bubble truck. It’s painted red, yellow, and blue and blows bubbles as it drives along. You can check it out at bubbletruck.com
posted by Aimee on 5-9-2007 at 9:31 pm
If you are looking for a 1981 Mercedes Benz Art Car called the mercedes pens go to the pen guy’s site for more pictures and event info. Its covered in over 5000 pens and counting:)
posted by Costas Schuler on 5-14-2007 at 3:28 pm
I also live in Houston, and the art car parade was a few weeks ago, they were much more exciting than this.
They had one that had girls with rocket dildos on and a man with a bush mask holding oil and had his hand soaked in blood. They are also the people that came and protested at Halliburton while I was working, but it made it all the better.
posted by Michael on 5-20-2008 at 1:26 pm
How’d you miss the car with the giant rooster on it? That’s in santa monica too.
posted by CBD on 5-20-2008 at 4:07 pm
There are art cars in Minneapolis. In fact, they say art car on them. A couple lives in my friends condo complex and one of the cars is a truck with a topper completely covered in wine corks in a cool pattern. Every year there is an art car parade. My favorite is the one covered in the mini beanie babies that came from kids meals at mc donalds a few years back.
posted by Heather on 5-21-2008 at 7:20 pm