Better Beaters - Building Cars and Daily Drivers

Visiting the Peterson Museum. You do get your money's worth. Part One.

All photos sourced from the Peterson Museum website.
Yes, He was there!

I was having a bit of a problem on how I would approach this post. I wanted to cover some of the vehicle exhibits but I also wanted remark on how the museum brings people from all walks of life and levels of automotive interest together, in many ways just like the LA freeway system. I didn't want to cover every detail of the displays and exhibits but give you my reactions to them. I have my own feelings about visiting museums like this. I like the opportunity to study the cars closely, and at my leisure. I will spend a long time looking at the details.

Even though they have Lightning McQueen on display and an entire Cars themed exhibit, this is not the ideal place to take small children or most under the age of thirteen or fourteen. They will not enjoy themselves and will spoil your visit. Also do not take any adults that are not really interested in cars. They will quickly become bored at looking at one shiny car after another, that's fine, but they will want you to hurry up, move on, and let's get some lunch.

Do you see that fine little wire that is positioned about a foot or so off the floor? That is the only thing that separates you from these fabulous cars! You can lean over that wire and take a really good, close, look. At the interior, at the undercarriage , at anything that is exposed to view. I leaned over, bent down and knelt down then stood back at various angles to take in every possible perspective of the cars on display. You are free to take photographs of any of the cars on display, but you are never, ever, free to reach out and touch or handle any parts of the cars. Oh, you will want to, but please don't. The museum expects the public to respect the vehicles on display, there are many, many, many, vehicles that are on display there that are valued at multiples of millions of dollars. That is just for one car! I would hate it if the museum felt that they had to put up substantial barriers to keep the public away from them. I value the opportunity to really study these cars from inches away. And I take my time. It's best not to have someone waiting behind you, tapping their feet, bored out of their mind. So this is someplace that you might enjoy going to by yourself, I know I do. 

That said, there are quite a few different exhibits going on at the same time. I was aware that there was going to be an exhibit of Ferraris, and this was the first reason that I thought I would make a visit. I have been to the Museum three of four times before and besides the exterior remodel, the previous displays have been completely changed. I checked out the website to be sure that they were going to be open that day, and saw that besides the Ferarris, there was going to be a Lowrider exhibit, an exhibit on the art of the Bugatti,and a Harley versus Indian motorcycle display. That was good enough for me. 

Parking is now 12.00 for the entire day, The first half hour is free, but you will want to spend your afternoon, my visit was at least five hours. The museum has a bookstore and now a restaurant, that is open to the public. There is also a 

gallery that has several displays that are free. General admission for adults is 15.00. A bargain.

                                          This is the chassis of the last Bugatti. This body was designed as a tribute.

Gypsy Rose, recently featured in Octane magazine.

'39 Chevy Gangster Squad, a movie connection.

As you enter you will see the two pictured Lowriders, The '64 Impala Gypsy Rose and a '39 Chevy Gangster Squad. In an adjacent gallery there was a display of several other cars and a collection of artwork and photography on the walls. The El Rey is a '63 Impala that features a completely custom painted, chromed, undercarriage that featured engraved brake and drive train components. The amount of detailing of various components was very extensive. The quality of the bodywork, chrome and paint is impressive. Whether or not this type of automotive expression is to your taste, you would have to give the builder kudos for their attention to detail and  level of craftsmanship

                                 This is the El Rey, does chroming and engraving brake components raise it to art?

Displaying these Lowriders in the same gallery as the next exhibit is an interesting juxtaposition. While the Lowrider is a mass produced vehicle that has been elevated to an extraordinary level of finish, the Bugattis were produced as singular works of automotive art.

                                                       There were artists, sculptors, and writers in the family also.

                                                                             The pure essence of the automobile.

                                            These little blue cars have been immortalized as VW powered kit cars.

                                                           
                                                           The Buggati Royale, the Mag Opus of the marque.

                                                           It looks like a limo out of a Betty Boop cartoon!

Following the curvature of the gallery will lead you to the display of Bugattis. There were many models on display and these have always been considered some of the finest cars that were ever built. They were not produced in large numbers and they could be considered individually crafted. The marque did not weather the storm of the second World War and the line of true cars ended. The exhibit chronicles the history of the family. They were a creative bunch. Engineers, artist sculptors, writers. A Renaissance family if there ever was one!

Upstairs there was the Indian and Harley Davidson display was in the center area.

                                       1957 HD Sportster, 900cc, the first, and for so long the fastest thing on two wheels.
                                       (Well, except for the occasional Vincent Black Shadow!)

This Indian was displayed without the sidecar, in slightly different form.

This is the HD Sport Model, a fore and aft oriented, opposed flat twin motor of 350cc powered this popular, but now forgotten cycle. Note the enclosed chain. 

If I could only build a modern custom with this vibe!

The bikes were displayed in rows in the center of the room and along one wall. Plenty of room to get close and check out the details. My favorite bikes are the board track racers. These were brought to life in the recent History Channel special, "Harley and the Davidsons".

There was an exhibit of Dan Gurney Eagle racing machines. If you like racing cars you would be in heaven.

There is also a large display devoted to technology. It showcased the platform of a Tesla, and a naked Alfa. 

On the third floor was the display of the Cars replicas. I just kept on walking.

Besides the general admission to the museum there is an added tour of "The Vault" available for twenty bucks. This is a tour of the basement of the building where cars that are awaiting their display, or being in the process of rotation are stored. There is also a reconditioning shop area. This tour runs about an hour and is well worth it. I recommend it, you are probably not going to return to the museum that often.

Part Two coming up.