The Pete is Poppin’

If you love cars and car culture as much as I do, then you have to thank your lucky stars that the  Petersen Automotive Museum has not only survived the pandemic but is thriving. This place is a Disneyland for gearheads, a veritable national treasure. The Pete, like those in the know (ahem ahem) fondly call it, has ten exhibits on display plus the Vault – an exclusive tour that’s doubled in size. Here are a few of the new, exciting exhibits calling for your return.

Bond in Motion

Runs September 25th through October 22nd, 2021

Opening September 25th, the Petersen is launching its newest exhibit which celebrates the 60th anniversary of the world’s most debonair spy. Bond in Motion is the largest official gathering of Bond vehicles Stateside and features more than 30 iconic cars, motorcycles, boats, submarines, and helicopters. This is the largest official gathering of Bond vehicles Stateside.

Highlighted vehicles include my all-time favorite and the first transformer, the 1977 Lotus Esprit S1 Submarine from The Spy Who Loved Me (1977), as well as other classic Bond cars such as the 1985 Aston Martin V8 from The Living Daylights (1987), 1999 BMW Z8 from The World Is Not Enough (1999), and the 2019 Aston Martin DB10 from Spectre (2015).

Miss Moneypenny would approve.

Prototype Giants

Currently running through November 19th, 2021

Porsche racecars. I’m so tempted to leave it at that because what is cooler than a Porsche prototype that has dominated its class? Try seven. The Petersen partnered with the arbiters of Stuttgart taste, Luftgekühlt, to put on this exhibit. Prototype Giants focuses on the rich heritage and legacy of the legendary Porsche 956 and 962.

The exhibit features some of the most famous 956 and 962’s to have ever hit the checkered flag, including the Coca-Cola livered 962 driven by Bob Akin and Hans Stuck, the Copenhagen 962 campaigned by A.J. Foyt, the Miller High Life/BF Goodrich 962 that won the 1989 Rolex Daytona 24, a three-time race-winning, factory Rothmans 962C driven by Jacky Ickx and Jochen Mass, a Leyton House 962C built by Kremer and the 0123/Art 962C driven by Hurley Haywood.

When you get to the Petersen, don’t forget to check out their Porsche: Redefining Performance exhibit which features other famous Porsche racecars from the very first 356 to modern GT racecars.

Pole Position: The Juan Gonzalez Formula 1 Collection

Currently running through June 5, 2022

F1 fans in LA, rejoice! Petersen’s first-ever F1 exhibit is an immersive 360-degree experience featuring some of the greatest F1 cars as well as stations to fully geek out about aerodynamics, rubber compounds, and other sorcery which enabled these wonderful creations to wildly exceed the highway speed limit four times over.

The 10 cars on display tell the stories of some of the winningest drivers and manufacturers from three decades of racing. Vehicles on display include a 1987 Lotus 99T, a 1994 Williams FW15D, a 1995 McLaren MP4-10, a 1999 Ferrari F399, a 2005 McLaren F1 MP4-20, a 2008 McLaren F1 MP4-24, a 2011 McLaren F1 MP4-26, a 2013 Ferrari F138, a 2017 Scuderia Toro Rosso STR12, and Fernando Alonso's boldly colored 2018 McLaren MCL33. Each vehicle comes from the collection of Juan Gonzalez, Chairman of the Board of Mission Foods, a sponsor of the McLaren F1 team and the Arrow McLaren SP INDY team.

If you’re a Tifosi or a McFan (I just made that up, let’s see if it sticks), you simply must take a trip down to the Pete to see these cars in the flesh.