Andy Warhol's 'Cars' Series Featured in the DaimlerChrysler Collection At the Detroit Institute of Arts

* 'Cars' the last series produced by Warhol before his death in 1987 * Robert Longo black and white Mercedes series included in the art collection

AUBURN HILLS, Mich., Oct. 21 -- Visitors to the Detroit Institute of Arts (DIA) will have the rare opportunity to see some of the final works of American Pop Art icon Andy Warhol when the new exhibition "On the Edge: Contemporary Art from the DaimlerChrysler Collection" opens on October 29. This will be the first time that Warhol's "Cars" series -- commissioned by DaimlerChrysler in 1986 -- has been on public view outside of Germany.

Warhol died in 1987 before completing the full series. Of the 80 pictures planned for the series, only 35 pictures and 12 large-format drawings of eight vehicles were finished. "Cars" tells the story of the motor car using 20 Mercedes vehicles, from the Benz patent motor car from 1886 to present day vehicles circa 1986.

The Warhol collection is a part of the On the Edge exhibition, which features 150 works by approximately 80 artists dating from the 1950s through today. The exhibition includes paintings, sculpture, photography, video and installation art.

Sponsored by the DaimlerChrysler Corporation Fund, the exhibition will be on display until January 2004.

"The DaimlerChrysler Collection is committed to adding to the cultural and educational richness of areas in which our customers and employees live and work," said Tom Sidlik, Member, Board of Management, DaimlerChrysler. "This is an extraordinary glimpse into the art of Andy Warhol and it combines two things we love -- great cars and great design. Our exhibition will help visitors understand, through various forms of art, the impact these artists have had on contemporary art and design."

The desire to build an international collection led to DaimlerChrysler's Warhol commission in 1986. Warhol's "Cars" series carries the distinction of being the first in a small number of commissioned works in the DaimlerChrysler Collection. Prior to the Warhol series, the Collection consisted of works almost exclusively by European artists.

Another automotive-themed commission in the Collection is from American artist Robert Longo. His series consists of five black-and-white portraits of Mercedes-Benz models. As with Warhol's works, Longo's contributions are consistent with the Pop Art movement, which is characterized by the explorations of images in popular culture.

Rounding out the automotive portion of the On the Edge exhibition are Simone Westwinter's watercolors of DaimlerChrysler people and products.

"Promoting art is part of our Company's cultural commitment," said Sidlik.

The DaimlerChrysler Collection, which started in 1977 and has grown continuously since, reflects some of the most important developments in abstract art from the 20th century. To date, the Collection contains approximately 1,200 works by almost 300 international artists and includes abstract-constructive, conceptual and minimalist artwork.

Artists from around the world, including Europe, North America, Asia, Africa and Australia are represented in the exhibition. The collection at the DIA will be the only U.S. stop. Following Detroit, the On the Edge exhibition will travel to locations in South Africa and Asia.

Support from the DaimlerChrysler Corporation Fund will allow guests to visit the exhibition at no additional cost with paid museum admission.

Now in its 50th year, the DaimlerChrysler Corporation Fund is the primary source of charitable grants made by DaimlerChrysler Corporation. The Fund annually supports hundreds of charitable organizations with an emphasis on community growth, arts and education, throughout the United States and increasingly throughout the world.