- A customized pink Audi A1 sold for $523,347 at Elton John's annual AIDS charity auction.
- The Audi was painted by British artist Damien Hirst.
- The buyer was not identified.
WINDSOR, England — A pink Audi A1 hatchback, elevated to high art at the hand of a British master, commanded the U.S. equivalent of $523,347 at a Thursday auction to benefit the Elton John AIDS Foundation. In a statement on Friday, Audi's U.K. arm described the amount as "staggering." The buyer was not identified.
The Audi A1 was customized by artist Damien Hirst with a primarily pink color scheme highlighted by other pastel shades. It was described as "fully drivable and road legal" before it hit the auction block. The car was offered with a canvas "spin painting" by Hirst that may prove to be more valuable than the hardware.
The car was auctioned during John's annual White Tie & Tiara Ball, which drew 700 VIP guests to the rock star's home here.
Hirst, who is known for creating art from pickled animals and stubbed-out cigarettes, is described by Wikipedia as the "richest living artist."
Inside Line says: A jaw-dropping amount for the A1 — regardless of how it's decorated. — Anita Lienert, Correspondent
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joemccar says:
06:26 PM, 06/27/2010
Well it was definitely for a good cause but the poor car is rather ugly. I wish the A1 was coming to the U.S.
jb68902 says:
07:27 PM, 06/26/2010
Well obviously the 500k has nothing to do with the car. It's not like the person bought it for the car. It was a charity event and that's what you do-you give to charity.
brownstone4 says:
11:54 AM, 06/26/2010
Please, this is just like the skull. Damien is more than svay enough to maintain his own prices. I'm sure he bought the car himself or did it through one of his many holding companies.
crispalicious says:
01:36 AM, 06/26/2010
...at least it was for a good cause.
sharpend says:
01:28 AM, 06/26/2010
Did I say Annie? Oops, sorry Anita.
sharpend says:
01:27 AM, 06/26/2010
Annie, a better way to think of it is that someone made a half-million dollar donation to an AIDS charity and got an art car. Kind of like when you make a contribution to PBS and get a coffee mug. But on a bigger scale.
Most people who donate that much money don't get anything in return at all except their name on some wall.