LOTUS E20 F1 RACING CAR OFFERED BY BONHAMS AT SINGAPORE AUCTION

 

 

 

 

PRESS RELEASE

 

For immediate release

10 September 2015

 

 

LOTUS E20 F1 RACING CAR OFFERED BY

BONHAMS AT SINGAPORE AUCTION

 

• Bonhams selected to auction the Lotus E20 F1 racing car on behalf of charity Peace One Day
• The car will be transformed into a modern artwork by renowned Brazilian artist Romero Britto, and unveiled by Lotus F1 Team drivers Romain Grosjean and Pastor Maldonado at Singapore’s Museum of Art & Design at 15:00 on Saturday 19 September
• It will then be auctioned by Bonhams International Auctioneers at 16:30
• The sale will be the first time Bonhams conducts a motoring auction in Asia

 

Bonhams international auction house has been selected to auction the Lotus E20 F1 racing car on behalf of charity, Peace One Day. The unique sale will take place Saturday 19 September at the Museum of Art & Design, Singapore.

 

The Lotus F1 Team donated the car to charity, Peace One Day, a not-for-profit organization which campaigns for global recognition of the International Day of Peace (21 September).

 

The charity has invited celebrated Brazilian artist, Romero Britto, to transform the car into a ‘Vision for Peace’. Britto, an internationally renowned pop artist, uses vibrant colours and bold patterns as a visual language of hope and happiness, reflecting his optimism in the world around him.

 

Before it is auctioned by Bonhams, the newly transformed car will be publicly unveiled by Lotus F1 Team drivers Romain Grosjean and Pastor Maldonado,

 

Malcolm Barber, Bonhams Co-Chairman and auctioneer, said: “We’re delighted to have been selected to auction this incredible motor car, with proceeds to go to Peace One Day and their honourable cause. The E20 model was driven by World Champion racing driver Kimi Raikkonen and Romain Grosjean and Jerome D’Ambrosio during the 2012 FIA F1 racing season including a race win at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix event. The particular chassis offered is the launch car which was unveiled to the media on February 5th 2012. It is the sister car to racing greats. Retained within the Lotus F1 factory for Research & Development purposes, it is an excellent example of race car design. With such great provenance, and the cars beautiful new design, we expect some spirited bidding at the sale.” 

 

Ralph Taylor, Senior Director of Bonhams Post-War & Contemporary Art Department, said: “Following the stunning success of our previous collaboration with Peace One Day in January of this year, Bonhams is delighted to continue our association with the auction of the Lotus E20 F1 racing car.

 

"Opportunities to engage with such talented artists occur so infrequently in the auction world, so it gives us extra pleasure to be able to combine Bonhams global presence in motorcars with a glorious work of contemporary art by the acclaimed artist Romero Britto."

 

Peace One Day founder Jeremy Gilley said: “We are tremendously excited to see Romero’s vision for peace set out on the graceful curves of this beautiful F1 racing car. It is wonderful that on opposite sides of the globe, we are able to celebrate Peace Day through very different events in Singapore and Kigali where our team is staging the Peace One Day Youth Celebration.”

 

Lotus F1 Team CEO Mathew Carter added: “We are tremendously proud to be able to support Jeremy Gilley and the Peace One Day organisation in this exciting initiative. Jeremy’s enthusiasm and energy for this project has ensured that an array of world-class partners has been assembled to support it and we believe that the Peace One Day Art Car should have great appeal to collectors of unique art pieces and to racing car collectors alike.”

 

Peace One Day’s objective is to institutionalise the International Day of Peace, 21 September, making it a day that is self-sustaining, an annual day of global unity, and a day of intercultural cooperation on a scale that humanity has never known. Peace One Day utilises different tools to raise awareness, advocate for Peace Day and engage the global community.

 

Bonhams is the largest international auction house to hold dedicated auctions of classic motor cars, motorcycles and related memorabilia. The auctions are held globally at some of the most premier locations in conjunction with internationally renowned motoring events.

 

The sale of the Lotus E20 F1 racing car will be the first motoring auction conducted by Bonhams in Asia.

 

ABOUT THE LOTUS E20 F1 RACING CAR

The Lotus E20 chassis was designed under a team led by James Allison and was driven by Kimi Raikkonen, Romain Grosjean and Jerome D’Ambrosio during the course of the 2012 racing season. The E20 design recorded one win (Abu Dhabi Grand Prix with Kimi Raikkonen) and nine further podium positions. The particular chassis that is to be auctioned was the launch car which was unveiled to the media on February 5th 2012 but has never raced having been retained within the Lotus F1 factory for Research & Development purposes. 

 

ABOUT PEACE ONE DAY

Founded in 1999 by filmmaker Jeremy Gilley, the non-profit organisation Peace One Day drove the initiative that led to the unanimous adoption by the United Nations member states of an annual day of global ceasefire and non-violence on 21 September – Peace Day. In 2007, Jeremy Gilley and Peace One Day Ambassador Jude Law travelled to Afghanistan to help develop and document preparations for life-saving activities across the country for Peace Day. As a result of this work since 2007, Peace Day agreements in the region have resulted in the immunisation against polio of 4.5 million children.

 

With the day well-established, Peace One Day’s objective is to institutionalise Peace Day around the world, making it self-sustaining. A 2014 report supported by McKinsey & Company estimated that over 1 billion people have been exposed to the Peace Day message. Further to this, 610 million people are now aware of the day, with around 10 million behaving more peacefully as a result of being involved in activities on the day. Peace One Day's target for 2016 is to share the message of Peace Day with 3 billion people.

 

ABOUT ROMERO BRITTO

With an iconic style described by The New York Times, “[exuding] warmth, optimism and love,” pop artist, Romero Britto’s vibrant colours, playful themes and hard-edged compositions, combined with his unique talent, unshakable resolve and belief in his art, have granted him a significant presence in the United States, Europe, South America and Asia. The artist’s pop sensibility has lent itself to collaborations with far-reaching brands such as Audi, Bentley, Coca-Cola, Disney, Evian, Hublot, Mattel, and Technomarine, to name a few. Britto’s work evokes happiness and hope using a visual language all its own and is, simply, relatable to all.

 

 

Event timeline:

 

15:00               Media guests invited to arrive at the MAD Museum of Art & Design, 10 Tanglin Road, Singapore 247908

15:45               Car unveiled

16:30               Auction commences