Picasso fan's car
 

Picasso fan converts his car into work of art on wheels
Last updated at 20:04pm on 21st June 2007


If Pablo Picasso had gone in for car design, the result would have been something like this.

Or so Andy Saunders says. The 44-year-old mechanic spent six months turning an aged Citroen 2CV into a cubist work of art inspired by Picasso's Portrait of Dora Maar.

Inspiration: Picasso's Portrait of Dora Maar, with its misplaced features, gave Andy Saunders the idea for this cubist version of a Citroen 2CV
Picasso's Portrait of Dora Maar

"I decided to blur the line between car design and art by using Picasso as inspiration-said Mr Saunders, from Poole, Dorset.

"I studied Picasso and noticed that he used mainly primary colours and I've stuck with that for the car.

"I named it Picasso's Citroen and I think it is much better than the Citroen Picasso, which is a boring people carrier.

"I think I know which one Pablo would have preferred."

Mr Saunders is to launch his creation publicly at this weekend's Goodwood Festival of Speed.

He says it is legally roadworthy for daytime use only, meaning it does not need traditional headlights or indicators because signals can be made with the hands.

He added: "I made all the new parts and have distorted the whole car so the more you look at it the more peculiar it becomes.

"It hasn't lost any of its speed - it can still reach 65mph. Eventually I hope to sell it and maybe it will be bought by the Tate Gallery or the Pompidou Centre in Paris.


"It's hard to put a value on it now, but as it's a work of art I reckon it might sell for about a million pounds.

"However, if museums or art collectors won't buy it, I think I might have to stick it in Auto Trader."

Since I never liked Citroens anyhow, I'd have to say this is an improvement. It is interesting to look at at any rate.

It would be hard to make a car uglier than the 2CV. Or one more beloved by its owners. That said....

I am one of those philistines who thinks the Pompidou Center looks like an oil refinery, but if he can flog that thing off to them, more power to him.