[Closed] Auto Art

These were very famous.. one person did the cars and the other the background..two sets of initials

I wonder if it helped the sale of used Citroen trucks.

Interesting. I didn't know that. The drawings are elegant.

The artists were Van Kaufman and Art Fitzpatrick. Art passed away just a couple of years ago, and up until his death he attended auto shows and signed his prints. I have three of the original prints, signed, which I purchased from Art's website a few years back. Van did the backgrounds and Art did the cars. Their real fame came with Pontiac ads, but they also did Buick ads in the mid-'50s and they are gorgeous. Their ads are the only ones Pontiac's ad agency permitted the artists to add their initials to.

I have, I believe, all of the Pontiac ads and most of the Buick ones, which ran in the large magazines (Look, Life, etc.) back in the day. My original ads are protected in plastic bags with cardboard backing boards. It's fun occasionally to pull them out and look at them---they really are works of art.

"Collectible Automobile" magazine did a feature on the two men a number of years ago (April 2004), and many of their ads were featured in the article.

Link to an album of AF/VK art for Buick, 1954 - 1957:

https://www.flickr.com/photos/76938221@N05/albums/72157650183870140

(Copy into your browser window)

Link to an album of AF/VK art for Pontiac, 1959 - 1963 https://www.flickr.com/photos/76938221@N05/albums/72157660854235707

Copy and paste into your browser window.

Eventually, I hope to ad examples of their 1964 - 1971 Pontiac art to this album.

Thanks, Brian. Yes, they did great ads for Firebirds, late GTOs, etc., as well.

I talked to Art on the phone once: I had ordered three of his and Van's Pontiac prints to be autographed by Art, and he sent two of the ones I'd ordered but the third one was not one which I had requested. I offered to mail it back to him and ask for a replacement for the one I did want, but he wouldn't hear of it. He told me, firmly, to keep the one he'd sent by mistake and he sent the one I had wanted but would not accept payment for it. Incredible guy.

I assume you have the Collectible Automobile magazine featuring their work?

Absolutely. I am a very long-term fan of their work.

Thanks for posting these, John. I didn't realize I'd sent you the GP ad twice.

And my error regarding the Firebird ad...their initials are on the left, in front of the helicopter.

I love these ads Rick. I certainly recall them.

ART

Interesting..BUT..way out of proportion.

Rick and John, thanks for sharing htese works of art. Being a teenager in the fifties I fully remember these ads. What an exciting time to grow up and the cars that were being produced.

Love the ads. Most cars appear longer and lower.