From Henry Ford’s 91.37 mph land-speed record in 1904 to the GT40’s 1-2-3 finish at the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1966, Ford Racing carries a rep for challenging convention in motorsports. So it’s only fitting that Ian Cook, the renowned English artist charged with commemorating the group’s 110th anniversary, also pushes popular practice aside—by painting with radio-controlled cars. But why would an established artist park his paintbrush in favor of a more automotive approach?

“I’ve always been a car and racing enthusiast,” Cook says. “Then I got a radio-controlled car for Christmas and was told ‘not to take it into the studio’ and ‘not to get paint on it.’?” Of course, Cook didn’t follow those directions and immediately steered his new toy and his career onto a new track.

Over the next few years, Cook built up a cult following of art and automotive enthusiasts by racing his radio-controlled car through paint to create one-of-a-kind renditions of his all-time favorite whips. Meanwhile, his passion for faster cars and the itch to expose Americans to his artistic perspective continued to build.

“I’ve always wanted my art to be seen in the States,” Cook confesses. “The whole idea of Pop Bang Colour [Cook’s production company] comes from pop art—American artists who used well-known everyday imagery to create iconic artwork. That’s what I like to play on, while adding the element of using a commercial product to create my own art.”

The opportunity he was waiting for finally came at last year’s Autosport International, one of the U.K.’s largest motorsport shows. “I was creating art there, and [Ford Racing business manager] George Goddu came up to me and said, ‘Would you like to participate in our 110th anniversary by creating artwork of some iconic cars?’ It was the best of both worlds.”

In the time since, Cook has reinterpreted vintage images of Jim Clark’s Lotus, a 1966 GT40 cruising to victory at the Le Mans raceway, and produced his personal favorite, Parnelli Jones’s 1970 Boss 302. Prints of each are available for purchase on fordimages.com, and several more paintings, which have yet to be selected, are on the way. When it comes to illustrating more Fords, Cook is ready to start his engine.

“Ford has cars that are statement pieces,” he says. “Take the Mustang. It’s that type of American muscle car. And now you’ve got Ken Block with his Fiesta doing WRC. They’re iconic cars that you’d want to be involved with. Getting to be involved in this special anniversary—it’s great.”

Follow Ford Racing’s 110th anniversary at fordracing110.com.

Click here to watch Ian re-create a classic Mustang Boss 302.