Culture

Pedal-powered Buick lands artist in court

by kate | November 27, 2007 at 01:46 pm

1667 views | 16 Recommendations | 6 comments

Artist Michel de Broin, who has stripped the engine out of a Buick, turned it into a pedal-powered enigma, and is taking it through the streets as part of a solo exhibition at Mercer Union gallery in Toronto, has been pulled over and fined for operating an "unsafe vehicle".

I love this piece. Please bring Shared Propulsion Car to Vancouver next.

An artist whose pedal-powered Buick was pulled over by police on its maiden voyage through the streets of Toronto is taking his fight to court in the hopes of beating a traffic ticket issued for operating an unsafe vehicle.

The car, a 1986 Buick Regal, stripped of its engine, suspension and transmission, with votive candles for headlights, was pulled over on Oct. 25, nine blocks from the Mercer Union art gallery, where it is installed as part of a solo exhibition.

2 See all footage | View Slideshow

Share: email story | add to any | | facebook | stumbleupon

recommend This comment thread is now closed

optic

flagged this story as Good Stuff

at 14:01 on November 27th, 2007

It even has seatbelts! Definitely good stuff.

ryan

flagged this story as Good Stuff

at 15:49 on November 27th, 2007

kate, seems like a safer alternative to a bike...I wonder why they thought it was unsafe.

Jordan Yerman

flagged this story as Good Stuff

at 06:33 on November 28th, 2007

If it uses a car body but has no engine or electrics, is it still a car? Perhaps he got ticketed because other drivers would expect the vehicle to behave as a car, though in downtown traffic the issue would be moot, as second gear is nothing but a fantasy...