CART X Makes Its Historic Debut at Retromobile New York
Cart Department launches its first-ever cultural showcase, CART X, bringing together cars, art, and culture.
The automobile has long been more than a machine. It is a symbol of freedom, identity, innovation, and creative expression. Across generations, cars have inspired artists, musicians, and designers to reimagine what a vehicle can represent beyond the road.
This November, CART Department marks a defining milestone with the launch of CART X, its first-ever showcase and a new global platform exploring the intersection of cars, art, and culture.
Debuting at the inaugural Retromobile New York, taking place November 19–22, 2026, at the Javits Center, CART X brings together an extraordinary collection of art cars, iconic vehicles, and creative collaborations. The occasion also marks a historic partnership with Retromobile, the renowned French classic car salon, as it makes its first appearance in the United States.
The inaugural presentation features works by some of the world's most influential artists and cultural figures, including Keith Haring, Ai Weiwei, Jeff Koons, Damien Hirst, Barbara Kruger, Shepard Fairey, Kenny Scharf, Daniel Arsham, Olafur Eliasson, Richard Prince, Esther Mahlangu, and Zaha Hadid.
Among the highlights are Haring's 1983 Land Rover Defender, Hirst's colorful Spot Mini from 2000, and Ai Weiwei's LEGO Car from 2015. Extending beyond the traditional art world, CART X will also showcase the customized Maybach featured in JAY-Z and Ye's iconic 2011 music video for "Otis," a defining intersection of hip-hop, automotive design, and popular culture.
The launch represents the culmination of founder Larry Warsh's decades-long involvement in the art world and his fascination with automobiles as vehicles for creative expression. An early collector of Keith Haring and Jean-Michel Basquiat, Warsh has spent more than three decades cultivating relationships with artists and assembling a collection of over 70 one-of-a-kind art cars.
"Vehicles have become more than transportation, status symbols, or engineering marvels. They're canvases for art. CART X explores how cars are appreciated in a broader lifestyle context and absorbed into popular culture." — Larry Warsh, Founder of CART Department and CART X
More than an exhibition, CART X introduces a collaborative platform that extends into fashion, design, and cultural programming. For its inaugural presentation, CART Department has partnered with New York fashion label Public School New York, founded by Dao-Yi Chow and Maxwell Osborne, on custom uniforms inspired by vintage satin tour jackets, alongside a limited-edition long-sleeve T-shirt available exclusively during the event.
With presenting sponsorship from The Culture Shop, CART X will also introduce a series of conversations and special programming designed to bring artists, collectors, designers, and cultural leaders together, creating opportunities for dialogue and collaboration across disciplines.
The inaugural CART X showcase marks a significant new chapter for CART Department and its mission to explore the automobile as an artistic and social artifact. By bringing together historic artworks, culturally significant vehicles, and creative voices under one roof, CART X offers a new perspective on the relationship between cars and the world around them.
Its New York debut is only the beginning of a larger vision: a global platform where automobiles become a common language connecting cars, art, and culture.
CART X debuts at Retromobile New York, November 19–22, 2026, at the Javits Center. Tickets are available at retromobile.us.
.webp)
