Video from museum's website.
Photos from the museum's website.
What has happened to me? Have I abandoned my blue collar roots to embrace this upper crust icon?
What next? Can you expect a posting about Magnus Walker? Maybe.
It's pronounced "Pour Schaah"
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| 1958 356A 1600 Super Speedster |
The early 356 based Speedsters started Porsche on their performance trajectory in America.
Although early models were not especially fast they were fantastic (?) handling machines. That is once the driver mastered their tricky and "unorthodox" characteristics. I have a 1958 sports car magazine that has a roadtest of one of these fabled vehicles. Top speed was barely 100 miles an hour. How was that the start of a legend?
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| 1955 Continental Cabriolet |
These are really very simple, unadorned, designs. I'll admit that I used to dismiss them as funny little bathtubs! Now there is something that is just so appealing in their austerity. Maybe it appeals to my innate sense of elegance. That's something that I didn't know that I had.
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| 1955 550/1520 RS Spyder |
I'm not an expert but I think that this is kind of like the car that James Dean met his demise in. Dean named his "The little bastard." These were mid engine designs, not rear engine like the street models.
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| 1979 Porsche 911 Turbo Now that's more like it. |
Growing up in the 1970s these were the dream cars of most teenage boys, at least those that weren't totally hung up on Corvettes. Up until the time these Turbos came out, the Corvette had always maintained a slight edge in straight line acceleration.
Early 911s have enormously increased in value. They are not now something that the average enthusiast can afford. There have been many Porsche models introduced over the years that still remain within reach. Besides the front engine designs such as the 924, 944, and 928 and their variants, 911s from around the Millenium are fairly affordable. Of course the most accessible Porsches are now the early Boxsters.
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| 917 Le Mans Racer in Gulf Oil livery |
Porsche has a remarkable achievement in motorsports. The 917 racer is so iconic and that even I recognize it.
I remember watching the 1971 Steve McQueen movie, "Le Mans. " I am not a competition fan but there are several racers currently on display. These machines are amazingly impressive when you examine them up close. Jeez, a flat twelve air cooled motor!
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| 1979 Porsche 953 K3 |
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| 1983 Porsche 956 chassis 113 |
There was a period when "Porsche Design" was a licensed label that marketed apparel, eyewear, motorcycle helmets, watches and other consumer items. They even tried their hand at motorcycle design.
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| 1979 Porsche Motorcycle concept |
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Motorcycles have always been considered to be a blue collar guy's past time. Especially modifying them into customs and choppers. These activities continue, but now their builders are often lauded as artists.
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| "Black" 1952 Vincent Black Shadow |
The Vincent was displayed hanging in the air right at eye level. There was subtle illumination focused on it. The simplicity and purity of the design was breathtaking, at least in my eyes. It's design embodies all the qualities of adventure, romance and beauty that made me love motorcycles.
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| This is what the original motorcycle looked like. Not quite as clean. |
The engine of the side valve Indian motorcycle was very distinctive looking. It easily made it recognizable in comparison to the Harley Davidson. It's very telling that Polaris designed their modern Indian Chief engine to pay homage to this great design.
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| "Suavecito"1940 Indian Scout |
The elegant, sparse design of the board track racer is the embodiment of pure motorcycle. The racers themselves had no utility off the track and these customs really have no utility as a street ridden cycle. They are ridiculously loud, hard riding, uncomfortable as well as unsafe. They are designed to move the soul of the viewer, not to move their butt down the road.
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| "Sleeper" 1914 Excelsior Twin |
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| 1970s Ducati V Twin cafe racer, |
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| Porsche Gmund coupe. |
I was hoping that this Porsche Gmund coupe would be on disply. It is one of Porsche's earliest competition cars. There is a great episode of Jay Leno's Garage dealing with this remarkable machine.
This was also not the optimum time for me to visit the museum, as I had to drive home that evening and go to work the next morning. I was in Southern California for personal business and did not have any extra days for the trip. Altogether over 400 miles were driven this day. I arrived home at 10:30 that night. So why did I bother?
I guess that I just needed to have my batteries recharged. Plodding along, progress had been slow with the Mark. Just recently, some serious problems with the hydraulic components have developed. The project is stalling out and it was going to be time to move on to one of my other cars. When you become frustrated like this it's easy to ask, "Why am I bothering with this crap?"
Looking at the cars on display reminds me that others also consider cars to be special and worth the efforts to maintain and preserve them. Looking at these beautiful custom motorcycles reminds me that I love the basic mechanical elements of these bikes. The "machineness" of the components. The beauty of the cast iron and aluminum castings, The delicate lacing of the wire spoke wheels. The way the design of motorcycles imply that their only purpose is to move.
Even just driving my truck on the long drive home, alone, was a recharge.
How can you romanticize driving hundreds of miles on Interstate 5 in a humdrum Ford F150?
Driving the bumper to bumper traffic of Downtown LA is like visit to the old neighborhood. I worked there for several years back in the early 1980's I am confident navigating the freeway system. It may be frustrating and slow, but it is familiar. I might not feel the same if I had to do it everyday!
The monotony of driving on I-5 in the dark can't be minimized. But it's a great opportunity for introspection, and listening to the CDs that my Wife doesn't "appreciate." The enjoyment comes from falling into the rhythm of the traffic flow. With only two lanes it can be maddening to try to make time when the road is choked with truck traffic and harried speeding drivers and tailgaters. Luckily traffic was fairly light, weather was clear, and the big headlights of truck made the way clear to my tired eyes.
I choose a speed that allows me to pass the slow truck traffic to my right and stay in front of most auto traffic coming up behind me. I always yield to faster traffic that is overtaking me, and I keep a close eye out for rigs that are up ahead about to change lanes to pass, slowing gradually as I reach them. I will flash my high beams so the truck driver knows that I'm yielding the way for him to make his pass. I'll just drop my speed and trail along behind. When it's clear I'll just accelerate quickly past the little convey. I try to make it a harmonious, symbiotic experience. It also helps that I wasn't on a tight schedule. I'd get home when I get home. This makes the trip so much less stressful.
Even a prosaic trip like this is about the process, and I rolled into my driveway feeling quite at peace.
One final comment about the Petersen Museum. Go. If you are in Southern California make the effort to go. You will not be disappointed. And, the LaBrea Tar pits are just down then street!
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