25,000 Artworks, 90 Designs and 25 Official Licensing Partners: Automobilist built Pandemic year on “Meaningful Partnerships”
In a year plagued by Covid-19 and multiple challenges affecting global businesses, Automobilist has posted a successful 2020 built on deep automotive and motorsport partnerships, strong sales and growth – both internally and the business, as a whole. The firm, operating out of multiple European cities, renowned for its automotive and motorsport artworks, sold approximately 25,000 artworks in official licensing agreements with manufacturers, motorsports and well-known personalities.
Through the period, the company registered a 100% growth in net revenue generated via sale of its artworks
“2020 proved to be a challenging year, with ours being a hybrid business of both online and offline sales, and with a major focus on fans ‘interacting’ with the products,” explains Pavel Turek, CEO Automobilist. But it is under heat and immense pressure that a diamond is carved, and Automobilist has had a gem of 2020 on growth yardsticks.
Key Collaborations in 2020
The company launched an official collaboration with Formula 1 to mark the 70th Anniversary of the motorsport via a series of artworks. The first in a series of artworks – 700 hot-foil golden emboss Collector’s Edition – was sold out within 100 hours of its launch. At the close of the F1 season, a Vintage Box comprising 8 specially produced artworks was crafted in cooperation with F1 Liberty Media and gifted to the F1 President (past and present), Chase Carey and Stefano Domenicalli along with FIA President Jean Todt and all Team Principals.
Key partnerships were also forged or extended with Mercedes-AMG Petronas F1 Team via a Winners’ Series, DS Techeetah and Porsche for Formula E, McLaren and ACO towards the F1 GTR Le Mans-winning series. In September at an all-star Maserati event, Automobilist were corporate partners for the freshly unveiled MC20.
In addition to its successfully running, officially licensed F1 Print Store, Automobilist also launched the WRC Print Store in December 2020. This was part of a series of collaborations in a run-up to the 50th Anniversary of rally in 2022 including a 47tg anniversary edition poster, and a series of artworks centred around Hyundai Motorsport’s back-to-back Manufacturers’ titles with their sterling drivers.
An Image that went Viral
Over 150 million people across the world saw an image of Lewis Hamilton amidst a purple backdrop punching his fist after his record-breaking 92nd win in Portugal. The source of that image is Automobilist, with a design formally supported by both Mercedes-AMG Petronas F1 Team and Lewis Hamilton.
Adding Soul to Sales
As businesses were challenged and companies innovated outside their comfort zone, Automobilist built a year upon, “deep and meaningful partnerships,” says Turek. Parts of contractual obligations were set aside and the company worked with its clients and partners to build long-term equations and commitments. “What I have always believed in is to build meaningful partnerships, not clients or contracts, and 2020 has proven exactly that.”
Looking Ahead: 2021
New Businesses
The target for 2021 is a 120% growth in the sale of its artworks through commercially, partnership-driven and customer-centric business opportunities, expansion – of both teams and business, and setting up complementary business-streams building upon the skill and passion of driving automotive and motorsport enthusiasts to Automobilist
Starting the year in the fast lane, Automobilist will be launching an interactive, App-based magazine in Q1 and will follow it up with an offline store at Motorworld in Munich once the pandemic situation begins to ease up. Stores in tourist-friendly Prague and London are also in the offing, at the conceptual stage for now.
Led by Creative Director Jan Rambousek and his creative team, called the soul of Automobilist, the company aims at focussing on more bespoke products for 2021, including 5 Fine Arts which are each roughly 4000-hours of work per piece.
Diverse Array of Artworks
Whilst Automobilist is not at liberty to discuss all of its upcoming launches, the company is excited about the soon-to-be-launched series of artworks in collaboration with Motorsport Network and F1 technical illustrator, Giorgio Piola.
A new series celebrating the F2002 and Michael Schumacher is also coming up shortly, in official licensing agreement with both Ferrari and Michael’s Keep Fighting Foundation.
Business with a Conscience
“We cannot go back to our old ways of existing and working, and through 2021, we will ensure that we give back to both motorsport and society, the affection and support shown to us,” adds Turek.
Starting the new year with a sincere promise, a percentage of proceeds from the sale of certain special collections will be donated to Paris Brain Institute as part of a cooperation with the FIA. Previously, at the peak of the pandemic, Automobilist had offered a bespoke Fine Art towards raising funds for #RaceAgainstCovid and will continue to develop unique offerings for charitable auction purposes.
