What are Art Cars?
Written by Nat Redd
Art cars are vehicles that have been decorated in a creative way, influenced by both the
artists’ creative sensibilities and the culture surrounding them. These vehicles can be displayed in parades, museums, and car shows, or they can be used for work and painted or personalized. It is less common to see the more elaborate ones (such as Dekotora or Texas parade cars) on the road due to roadway restrictions. On the other hand, painted transportation vehicles (such as Danfos or Jeepneys) are commonly seen on the road in their respective cities. There is a wide variety of vehicles that can be described as art cars and trucks, and there is a vast array of styles and materials used to decorate them.
Dekotora (Japan)
Dekotora is a Japanese subculture centered around elaborately decorating trucks. Some
common design elements include lights, signs, and paintings on the outside of the truck, as well as plush seats and even chandeliers in the cab. These trucks are known for their elaborate and eye-catching designs, and the artists dedicate significant time and resources to modify and design these vehicles.
Dekotora became more widespread in the 70s due to the release of the Torakku Yarō
movie series (commonly translated to ‘Truck Guys’), which were comedy films where the two main characters drove highly decorated trucks. These films brought Dekotora culture more into the Japanese mainstream, and thus it was at its height during the 70s and 80s.
Danfo art (Nigeria/West Africa)
Danfos are yellow buses used for public transportation in Nigeria. Yellow Danfos are
such a common sight in Lagos, Nigeria, that they have become a prominent icon of the city, similar to New York's yellow taxi cabs. Danfo art is characterized by text and geometric icons often seen on Danfo buses.
Multiple artists commemorate Danfos and their impact through their work.
One abstract artist who commemorates the history and cultural impact of Danfos is Michael Umodit. He turned an old Danfo into a beautiful piece of artwork, decorated with abstract designs and sayings telling the ‘Danfo story.’ Another artist, Seidougha Linus Eyimiegha, is inspired by the shapes and symbols of classic Danfo art and incorporates them into his own art. His paintings are dynamic, geometric, and bold.
Nigerian artist Seidougha Linus Eyimiegha, known as 'Mr Danfo,' in his Lagos studio
Art car parades (Texas/Southern US)
Some car artists display their work in popular yearly parades in Houston, Texas.
Houston’s first art car event was a show in 1984 that was curated by Ann Harithas, featuring cars by artist Larry Fuente. One of the most famous cars during the earlier parades in Houston was the ‘Fruitmobile’ by Jackie Harris, a colorful car decked out with plastic fruit and flames painted on the sides. The first official art car parade featured about 60 cars, whereas today there are closer to 300.
Decorated Trucks (India and Pakistan)
Highly decorated trucks are a fairly common sight in India and Pakistan, as the exteriors of work trucks are often used as a canvas for murals and designs. Many of these murals were influenced by traditional designs, movie posters and billboard art in India and Pakistan at the time, and some western psychedelic and Pop art that was popular in the 60s and 70s. These trucks also commonly feature the catchphrase ‘Horn Please’ on the back, encouraging people to honk before passing these trucks because of their large blind spots. Unlike Japan's Dekotora, there are minimal government restrictions on the extent to which these vehicles can be decorated, and because of this, there are more decorated trucks seen on the streets in India and Pakistan. However, similarly to Dekotora, the culture around decorated trucks like these is beginning to die out, especially since it’s becoming more difficult to find affordable decorations.
El Vochol (Mexico)
‘El Vochol’ is a 1990s VW Beetle that was decorated by eight artists over a span of 9,000
hours. It is intricately decorated with millions of colorful beads depicting Huichol mythological figures and traditional abstract designs. The artists who worked on this piece are Huichol artisans from two main families, the Bautistas and the Ortiz. These artists used traditional Huichol beadwork in this design to depict sacred animals such as the deer or a sacred cactus called the peyote.
Jeepney art (Philippines)
Jeepneys are taxi buses that are frequently decorated and painted, usually with pop
culture characters. Similar to the Danfo, Jeepneys are a common sight on the streets in cities in the Philippines such as Manila. Overall, there are around 250,000 Jeepneys in the Philippines. Jeepney art has a variety of designs, but some common subjects are cartoon characters, religious figures, and superheroes.
Citations:
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“Dekotora Art Exhibition 2025.” Moving Art “Dekotora,” Oya History Museum,
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Adeniran, Adeyosola. “The DANFO Story: On Lagos’ Enduring Cultural Icon.” The Culture
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Accessed 15 July 2026.
“The Evolution of Seidougha Linus Eyimiegha, Danfo Artist | Kurating - Creatives Hub, Nigeria.” Kurating, 15 July 2021, kurating.com/the-evolution-of-linus-seidougha-danfo-artist/.
“Nigerian Artists Draw Inspiration from Chaotic Transport System.” Africanews, Reuters, 13
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“The Orange Show’s Houston Art Car Parade & Festival.” The Houston Art Car Parade, Orange Show Center for Visionary Art, 2026, www.thehoustonartcarparade.com/.
Lopez, Danielle. “The Houston Art Car Parade Is a Carnival of Weird.” Texas Highways, 3 Apr. 2026, texashighways.com/culture/the-houston-art-car-parade-is-a-carnival-of-weird/.
“Trucks and Tuks: Decorated Vehicles of South Asia – in Pictures.” The Guardian, Guardian
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