Kith and BMW Are Auctioning an Electric Car via Sotheby’s — and There Will Be an Apparel and Accessory Release
Kith and BMW have partnered once again, and this time the two are bringing in Sotheby’s.
For the second partnership, the two are working with Sotheby’s to auction the new 2022 BMW i4 M50 by Kith, which was designed by the retailer and apparel brand’s founder, Ronnie Fieg. Kith confirmed that just seven of these cars will be produced for the public but only one will be auctioned, and it is only vehicle within this collaboration that is being auctioned to a global public audience.
The auction, according to Kith, will open via Sothebys.com/KithforBMW on Oct. 7 at 11 a.m. ET with a starting bid of $1, and will end at 2 p.m. ET on Oct. 14.
People will be able to bid globally, Kith said in a statement, although some countries are excluded due to shipping and manufacturing restrictions. Also, Kith confirmed that 10% of the proceeds from the auction will be donated to the Maasai Wilderness Conservation Trust, which aims to protect the ecosystems and biodiversity of East Africa through conservation to benefit local Maasai communities.
In addition to the BMW i4 M50 by Kith in 2023, winners will receive one of each item from the Kith for BMW 2022 collection. This range features 51 styles of apparel and accessories, with sized items coming in medium. There will also be an assortment of 1-of-1 products — such as a surfboard, snowboard and a collaborative Wilson Pro Staff 97 Racquet — that will never be sold publicly and have been made exclusively for the auction to commemorate this partnership.
The auctioned items will be offered with an estimate of $100,000 to $200,000, according to Kith, but will be sold without reserve.
Kith explained via statement that BMW celebrated the Olympic Games in Munich in 1972 by converting two 1602s into electric cars, which was the company’s first foray into electromobility. Fifty years later, Kith said it is celebrating this milestone not only with the aforementioned 2022 BMW i4 M50 by Kith, but also a complete rebuild and redesign of Fieg’s personal 1602, which includes its conversion to a fully electric vehicle.
Aesthetic details of Fieg’s personal 1602, according to Kith, include a collaborative rendition of the BMW roundel that replaces “BMW” with “Kith.” It can be seen on the hood, rear decklid and rims. Also, the interior is now a Caramel-colored full-grain merino leather with an embossed, all-over Kith monogram pattern. And the paint color is a custom green, dubbed “Vitality Green by Kith,” which was developed for this partnership.
The hue, according to Kith, will never be offered again.
As for the 2022 BMW i4 M50 by Kith, the retailer explained that it is the first fully electric BMW M model and comes equipped with a powertrain fed by two BMW M eDrive motors that can hit 544 hp in Sport Boost mode, which goes 0 to 60 mph in 3.9 seconds. Also, Kith said it is locally emission-free and has a reach of up to 323 miles according to the Worldwide Harmonized Light Vehicle Test.
Aesthetically, the Kith version sees modifications that are a continuation of the design language seen on the 1602 by Fieg. For instance, the exterior is painted in the Vitality Green hue, and the hood roundel includes an added outer tri-tone green ring that lists the partnership, model, year and a nod to the fact that it is an electric car. Also, the rear decklid features the Kith Motorsport logo in black, which is a nod to the BMW M logo, much of the interior is a Caramel-colored full grain merino leather and a debossed Kith monogram pattern is seen on the front seat headrests and front center armrest. Lastly, the lid of the cup holder is laser-engraved with a collaborative logo and “Elektro-Auto” wordmark, and “Kith Exclusive Edition” is on the trim of the glove box.
What’s more, Kith has created apparel and accessories with a similar design approach seen on the cars — specifically the green and caramel brown color palette that is used for the 51-piece assortment.
The apparel, Kith said, combines its “staple silhouettes and custom-milled fabrics with updated interpretations of BMW’s classic iconography.” This includes Italian leather and Manteco wool outerwear, double-weave coaches jackets and pants, various styles of knitwear, heavyweight fleece sweatsuits, and graphic hoodies and T-shirts. The accessories include car-related things such as leather keychains, microfiber towels, car plates and canteens, as well several lifestyle and home goods items including umbrellas, sunglasses, leather duffle bags, headwear, table trays, rugs, pins, pillows, glasses, snowboards and a candle created with D.S. & Durga.
The Kith for BMW Chapter 2 collection will first release exclusively at Kith Paris on Sept. 30, and a global launch will take place Oct. 7 at all Kith shops. Also, the online drop will take place Oct. 7 at 11 a.m. ET via Kith.com and 11 a.m. CET on EU.Kith.com.
Kith’s partnership with BMW was revealed to the world in October 2020. That month, the brand announced it would release the Kith for BMW Collection, which included 94 styles of apparel and accessories. At the time, it was Kith’s largest offering to date.
