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Damien Hirst 'Art Car'

Unique Audi A1 By Hirst Fetches Impressive £350,000

This year’s White Tie and Tiara Ball, which took place on Thursday 24 June and was held – as always - at the home of Sir Elton John and his partner David Furnish, featured an extraordinarily special auction item. Audi, which has been one of the Ball’s key supporters over many years, donated an A1 car that has been made into a work of art by Britain’s foremost contemporary artist, Damien Hirst.

The unique Audi A1 has been spin painted by the artist in his studio in Gloucestershire, and is fully driveable and road legal.

The A1 is so new it will not be seen on UK roads until November 2010, and this special artwork has been created even in advance of the car’s mainland European launch dates.  The uniquely finished example of the premium compact hatchback was produced in close collaboration with Audi AG in Germany, which has been engineering the production for more than six months.

“We are enormously proud to support Sir Elton John’s remarkable fundraising ball for the eighth year in succession with the donation of a priceless and unrepeatable work of art for auction” commented Audi UK Director Jeremy Hicks.