America’s best car museum reopens after a year on hiatus and a near $100 Million reinvention.
photography by me, and courtesy the Petersen Automotive Museum
Los Angeles California’s Petersen Automotive Museum had been closed to the public for a little over a year, but not at all out of business. It’s been to the spa for a more than full body makeover. Opened in 1994, it was long the apple of the eyes of American specialty publishing doyens and world class car collectors Margie and Robert E. Petersen. A decade earlier, the Petersens purchased an abandoned department store building on Wilshire Blvd. at the West end of L.A.’s museum district. The property was remodeled into a proper museum with education, and the preservation of Los Angeles car culture and transportation history being its prime themes.
Board Chairman Peter Mullin (the tall handsome gent with the big scissor) said he wants museum attendees to come and come again and again, and to have “an experience not just a visit.” I’d say done!
The Petersens have both since passed away, leaving a highly qualified group of West Coast business and automotive experts in charge. The museum remained viable as a prime attraction, but the physical plant was becoming dated.
Building architecture, museum design and exhibitcraft have evolved manifold since the mid-1990s. So the board of directors and the museum’s considerable support group decided the property and concept needed a complete reboot into something that would really dazzle and excite. A team of architects, designers, curators, researchers, contractors and project managers was assembled to reconceive the museum in every way possible, remaining within the footprint of the current building. The old floors were gutted, for the creation of more open, modern, dramatic gallery space inside.
Photo by David Zaitz.
Architectural firms were engaged to create an exterior that would literally and figuratively stop traffic, in the way other dramatic “architectural statement” properties do. The teams devised an Avant garde exterior look comprised of red painted panels, and an intricate web of girders and beams mounting sweeping and cascading stainless steel ribbons creating an utterly unique visage.
The board undertook a fundraising effort of just over $100 Million, for the design and construction plus endowment reserves. The results are successful beyond words from the moment you approach the property until you’ve seen and done it all.
The elegant new galleries are presented topically; via spaces encompassing history, hot rodding, technology, motorsports, design, art, and significant star cars.
Bruce Meyer’s Ferrari Testa Rossa hot rod and David Sydorick’s Fiat 8V Supersonic.
Among our favorites is the “Precious Metal” gallery, containing only prime filet machines that are painted silver.
Lest you worry about being subjected to an overpriced museum cafeteria with lousy food and sticky tables and chairs. Instead, the Drago Group is soon opening an upscale Italian Ristorante on the Museum’s ground floor. The Drago brothers hail from Sicily, owning a fleet of first class Italian restaurants in Southern California, and are also known for catering many LA area A-List parties and affairs.
The New Petersen Automotive Museum is a superlative place to visit and revisit. You will be educated and entertained, with all senses satisfied.
Lots more photos below.
The Petersen Automotive Museum
6060 Wilshire Blvd.
Los Angeles, California, 90036 USA
1-323/930-2277 Open daily; 10am – 6pm
www.petersen.org
The art of the automobile — OMG!!!!!!!!!!
Juan Manuel Fangio’s race winning W196 Grand Prix — one very silvery arrow.
You can’t address Cars as Art without mention or display of BMW’s famous Art Cars, and the new Petersen has them.
Lots of TV, movie and star cars on hand. Here Elvis’ Pantera leads from left.
Every museum needs a great gift shop, and this one is fabulous.
Fabulous Ford Le Mans display with 67 Ford GT40 MkIII and new Ford GT
Motorcycle enthusiasts are not left out and won’t be disappointed.
The new Grand Staircase is just that.
Hollywood high rise through the red ribbons visible from the rooftop dining room.
Kids of all ages will enjoy the Pixar sponsored hands-on gallery featuring lots of great stuff from the movie CARS.
Mega collector Charles Nearburg has sponsored the motorsports gallery, and at the moment is populating it with some of his Le Mans Porsches.
Among the Very Silveriest, the original Corvette Super Sport Concept car from the late 1950s. In case you ever wonder where some of the later Sting Ray design themes came from…
From SPECTRE: James Bond’s newest toys, the already sold out Aston Martin DB10 and a stunt car based on Jaguar’s recent CX75 exotic concept car.
3X All time hot rodding Icons: Doane Spencer’s seminal ’32 Ford Hi Boy Roadster, Boyd Codding’s Cadzilla, and the Barris Brothers’ Hirohata Merc sled.