Splendor & Speed: Treasures of the Petersen Collection

OPEN MAY 28, 2023 - JUNE 2, 2024
IN THE MEYER FAMILY GALLERY


 

Founded in 1994 by Robert E. Petersen and Margie Petersen, the Petersen Automotive Museum houses one of the most diverse and world-renowned collections of important vehicles ever assembled. Aligning with the Museum’s mission to explore and present the history of the automobile and its impact on global life and culture using Los Angeles as the prime example, the vehicles in the Petersen collection highlight key technological developments, important styling innovations, and iconic cultural moments in automotive history. With vehicles drawn from domestic and international manufacturers alike, as well as an extensive collection of archival materials, artwork, and automotive ephemera, the Petersen’s permanent holdings offer a uniquely comprehensive portrait of the automotive world. 

This exhibition brings together a sampling of the most spectacular and evocative vehicles in the Petersen’s permanent collection. Stretching from the Brass Era to the modern day, these lovingly preserved masterpieces rank at the apex of desirability in the collector car world. A combination of outstanding craftsmanship, excellent performance, boldly attractive styling, and extreme rarity has earned these archetypes of automotive excellence high esteem among automotive aficionados and non-enthusiasts alike. Presented here as a cohesive collection, these exclusive vehicles offer a unique glimpse into the many facets of our rich automotive heritage. 


1939 Bugatti Type 57C “Shah”

Cabriolet by Vanvooren

Powered by an advanced 3.3-liter twin-cam straight-eight engine, the Type 57 Bugatti was a fast, comfortable touring car.  The 160-horsepower supercharged version, known as the Type 57C, was introduced in 1937 and built for two years.  Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, the Prince of Persia and future Shah of Iran, received this striking example as a gift from the French government on the occasion of his first wedding.  The dramatic body was constructed by Vanvooren of Paris in the style of Figoni et Falaschi, one of the most progressive coachbuilders of the day.  Advanced features include fully skirted fenders, a top that conceals beneath a metal panel when down, and a windshield that can be lowered into the cowl by means of a hand crank mounted under the dashboard.  In 1959 the Bugatti was sold out of the Shah’s Imperial Garage for a sum equivalent to approximately $275.  It was subsequently owned by a succession of Bugatti enthusiasts, but never publicly shown until after receiving a complete restoration in 1983.

The Margie and Robert E. Petersen Collection


1925 Rolls-Royce Phantom I

Aerodynamic Coupe by Jonckheere

The exotic “Round Door” Rolls-Royce was delivered new in 1925 with a Hooper Cabriolet body to its first owner, a Mrs. Hugh Dillman of Detroit.  It appears never to have left England and was re-sold when still virtually new to the Raja of Nanpara.  In about 1934 a subsequent owner sent the car to Jonckheere of Belgium to be fitted with fashionably aerodynamic coachwork complete with twin sunroofs, round doors, a large fin, and a sloping radiator shell.  Once thought to have been owned by the Duke of Windsor, the concours-winning car then passed through the hands of several other owners before being discovered in New Jersey in the early-1950s in near derelict condition.  Max Obie later acquired the unusual Rolls-Royce, had it painted gold, and charged curious individuals one dollar to enter a special enclosure to look at the car.  The Phantom I then spent time on the East Coast of the United States and in Japan before coming into the possession of the Petersen Automotive Museum in the spring of 2001.  

The Margie and Robert E. Petersen Collection


1956 JAGUAR XKSS

Formerly Owned by Steve McQueen

Actor and performance-car aficionado Steve McQueen purchased this rare Jaguar from its second owner. He enjoyed driving it fast and is reported to have received so many tickets that his driver’s license was almost suspended twice during his first year of ownership. McQueen sold it in the early 1970s to famed collector Bill Harrah. He later reacquired the XKSS, keeping it until his untimely death from cancer in 1980.  

The Margie and Robert E. Petersen Collection