The Psychedelically Painted Cars of Binder & Edwards

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Following the Light VW bus (click here), these psychedelically painted cars should not be missed. They were the work of British artists Douglas Binder and Dudley Edwards. A Buick Electra convertible was the first car they worked on as a duo. They had previously painted the walls of shops and homes in London, but soon moved on to furniture and increasingly large objects. Inspired by fairgrounds and comic books, they used flowing forms, bright colours, and sharp edges. Edwards later said: “I think the effect of our dissonant colour combinations is somewhat reminiscent of the chords played by Thelonious Monk.” They used white acrylic paint, which they sanded repeatedly until the base layer was perfectly smooth. They then applied the bright colours using enamel paint.

The Buick caught the attention of pop group The Kinks, and a photoshoot was arranged. All four band members appeared in the Electra convertible on the cover of their record Sunny Afternoon—a major hit in 1966. What became of the Buick—registration LLO 2D at the time—is unknown, although it seems unlikely that it survived.

A British AC 289—perhaps better known as a AC Cobra 427—followed shortly afterwards, though this example was not built in America. It was Tara Browne, the then 20-year-old heir to the Guinness fortune, who commissioned Binder and Edwards to paint the car. Browne’s AC was exhibited in a gallery in Mayfair shortly after completion and featured in Paris Match and American Look magazine. The BBC described it as: “This is not a car but a painting. The art world is playing a new game with synthetic and brightly coloured paints, combining the style of the 1930s with pop art. This is art on wheels.”

Tara Browne was not able to enjoy his AC for long. In 1966, he died instantly when he crashed at high speed in London—not in the AC, but at the wheel of a Lotus Elan. The Beatles immortalised him in the lyrics of A Day in the Life: “He blew his mind out in a car. He didn’t notice that the lights had changed…” The AC (‘KPK 392C’) does survive, although now finished in a rather flamboyant purple inside and out; the wild 1960s livery has, unfortunately, been lost.

Words: Jeroen Booij
Pictures: various sources

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