Back to the Petersen

I think my own tradition is forming: when I visit Los Angeles I must visit the Petersen Museum. It was one of the places I was most excited to go on my short visit to the city (I spent most of my stay in Palm Springs which is a 2 hour drive away), so much so that I drove out of LAX at 8am and straight to it. My jetlagged self would be in complete agony later, but right then I was running off of pure excitement and a questionable airline breakfast.

Strict schedules and an otherwise case of bad timing meant that this would be my only car-related engagement this time around, but yet again the Petersen didn’t disappoint. I don’t consider myself a movie geek but there was a huge exhibition featuring cars and props from the silver screen, enough to satiate the most die-hard of Hollywood fans. And yes, there were of course cars from Back to the Future and Transformers. Upstairs were casual exhibitions of Japanese supercars and the collection of Bruce Meyers, who is a big museum sponsor and owns some very significant cars from the world over. I’d seen a few of them on my last visit not more than a year ago, but when you’re in the presence of machinery of this calibre there is no complaining.

There was barely enough time to pick my jaw up from the floor after I rounded a corner and saw the one-of-one Lancia Stratos Zero in front of me. I’ve spent the recent past mildly obsessed with wedge-shaped concept cars from the 60s, 70s & 80s but none more than the Dome Zero (also on display) and the Lancia. It was, until then, something I’d never thought I would be able to see without going to Italy and knowing some esteemed businessman. Such are the surprises you’ll find at the Petersen.

Where: Petersen Automotive Museum, 6060 Wilshire Boulevard, Los Angeles CA, 90036, United States