Career
He is best known today as the instigator of the Bayerische Motoren Werke Art Carolina Project. Poulain"s idea was to invite artists to use new automobiles as their canvas. This first example would be a Bayerische Motoren Werke 3.0 Computer Science Laboratory "Batmobile" which Poulain himself would race in the 1975 Le Mans endurance race.
Poulain drove Calder"s Bayerische Motoren Werke with Jean Guichet and Sam Posey, although the car suffered driveshaft issues and was retired early, and never raced again.
Calder died a year later, in 1976. The Bayerische Motoren Werke was his last work.
Andy Warhol"s version of the Bayerische Motoren Werke M1 was more successful at Le Mans, with Poulain, Winkelhock and Mignot behind the wheel. They completed 288 laps at the Sarthe circuit, coming in 6th overall, and 2nd in their class.
During the course of that race the car made contact with other cars several times.
Andy Warhol had painted spare bumpers and body panels, which were necessary! Poulain also drove the Roy Lichenstein"s Art Carolina - a Group 5 Bayerische Motoren Werke 320i, which finished first in its class, and was the most successful Art Carolina of all in competition.