Automotive Fine Arts Society Member Barry Rowe Commissioned to Create Official Art For 2017 Pebble Beach Concours

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Category: Art, Museums, Galleries

Published on Thursday, 13 July 2017 08:01

Automotive Fine Arts Society (AFAS) member Barry Rowe, who was commissioned to create the official art for the 2017 Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance®, has featured the Ferrari 212 Export Touring Barchetta in his masterpiece.

His painting will be used for the Concours poster and program cover, while the original piece will be shown in the AFAS exhibit on the greens.  Sponsored by The Lincoln Motor Company, the AFAS show will take place on Sunday, August 20. 2017, at the edge of the 18th fairway of Pebble Beach Golf Links®.

"The 1951 Ferrari Export Touring Barchetta was the pinnacle for gentlemen racers as it offered spectacular capabilities on both the road and track," said Rowe. "The sports car has perfect proportions and clean lines, which made it a wonderful subject for a painting. It was an honor to be commissioned by the Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance to create such an important piece about this iconic automobile."

The 1951 Ferrari 212 Export Touring Barchetta illustrated in the art, (chassis 0102 E), will appear on the Concours competition field this year. The car's first owner, Pietro Palmieri, raced it in the Giro Delle Calabria and the Coppa Adriatica finishing first in class. Bobby Baird, later drove it to another class win at the RAC's famed Tourist Trophy race in Ireland.

This particular Barchetta is perhaps most-known for its appearance in the movie "The Racers," produced in 1955. It is said that the movie's producer was rebuffed by Enzo Ferrari for the loan of some cars for the movie. The studio then approached racer Phil Hill, who helped to broker the sale of three Ferraris including chassis 0102 E. To avoid giving Ferrari free publicity, the cars were modified and called "Buranos."

Chassis 0102 E was soon traded to Tom Carstens and then to various owners in the U.S. One owner from Carmel, California, Al Crundall, showed it at the 1966 Pebble Beach Concours.

A duplicate body was created for it at one point.The current owner, Tom Peck of California, united the original body with its original chassis, both of which were restored to their initial conditions.

This Ferrari will be on the field with several other historic competition Ferrari's. Not far from the Ferrari display, AFAS will hold its annual art show from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. In addition to this Ferrari piece, Rowe will debut several other new paintings.

"I always look forward to being part of the Pebble Beach Concours," said Rowe. "From the spectacular backdrop to the gorgeous cars, its simply the most marvelous place to be each August. The magic of Pebble Beach is simply undeniable."

An English native, Rowe studied graphic design at the Coventry School of Art and Design. From there, he worked as an art director in the advertising field before pursuing his passion for painting automotive artwork by becoming a freelance artist in 1966.

His career as a painter jump-started when he received the Sotheby's Art Award for his portrait of World Champion of Drivers, Juan Fangio. This led to commissions from Louis Vuitton of Paris, Royal Mail, Royal Doulton and Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines where his art lines the walls of their cruise ships. As well as his many poster commissions, Rowe has captured ten "Awards of Excellence" and the "Lincoln Award" in 2006 at the annual AFAS exhibit during the Pebble Beach Concours. He has been commissioned 20 times to create pieces of poster art for the Concoursor the related Pebble Beach Tour d'Elegance®.

In addition to being an artist, Rowe is an automotive enthusiast. One of his favorite childhood activities was to ride his bicycle to the Jaguar factory and watch "C" and "D-Type" racecars being built. As an avid F1 and vintage racing fan, Rowe travels to famous venues each year. While owning many interesting cars himself, his favorites are a 1931 supercharged Lagonda, a 1929 Riley Nine Tourer and a modern Morgan. He currently resides on the southwest coast of England in Devon County, known for its sandy shores and beautiful coastlines.

Original pieces from Rowe's distinguished career can also be enjoyed in the gold-medal, award-winning book, "Atmosphere and Light: The Paintings of Barry Rowe." More information about Barry Rowe and his artwork can be found at www.barryrowe.com.

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About the Automotive Fine Arts Society
AFAS was established in 1983 by a group of artists who are acknowledged by critics to be among the best in their field. Members work in many diverse mediums including oil, watercolors, acrylics, wood, gouache, pen & ink, clay and metal. AFAS and its members participate in select shows across the country including the Pebble Beach Concours d´Elegance. Information about AFAS is available at www.autoartgallery.com.

For more information contact Scott Black at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.