The Petersen Automotive Museum in Los Angeles is the one of the world’s largest museums dedicated to the automobile. The museums mission statement is “To explore and present the history of the automobile and its impact on American life and culture using Los Angeles as a prime example.”
The museum opened in 1994 founded by magazine publisher Robert E Petersen and his wife Margie.
In 2015 the museum underwent an extensive $90 million renovation.
The Art of Bugatti, a comprehensive retrospective of the Bugatti family of artists is an exhibit about the artistic side of the Bugatti family. On display are some of Carlo Bugatti’s famous furniture pieces. Carlos son Ettore Arco Isidoro Bugatti was the founder of the Automobiles E. Bugatti company.
Carlo Bugatti (1856-1940) “Little is known about Carlo Bugatti’s early life. His father was a mason who tinkered with perpetual motion machines. A painter, a sculptor and a silversmith, Carlo had a broad range of artistic talents, but he is best remembered for his highly experimental decorative art pieces. His Snail Room furniture suite caused a sensation at the 1902 Exposition of Turin.” Petersen Automotive Museum
1981 Mana La is a solar wind hybrid. “The Mana La, meaning “power of the sun” in Hawaiian, is driven in part by electricity that is generated when light strikes the photovoltaic cells covering the vehicle’s surface. Under breezy conditions, the innovative vehicle was also partly propelled by wind that was captured by the arched structure over the tubular body, which was actually a rigid sail. These renewable energy features combined to make it a much admired competitor in the 1987 World Solar Challenge, a 1,980 mile race from Darwin to Adelaide, Australia.” Petersen Automotive Museum
70 Years of Ferrari
“Founded by Enzo Ferrari in 1947, Ferrari has long stood for innovation, engineering perfection, and top performance on and off the track. Since the debut of the 125 S, the first Ferrari-badged car, Ferrari has recorded over 5,000 victories in races around the world. …The firm’s deep-rooted association with the color red dates back more than a century to the time when Rosso Corsa (“racing red”)was chosen to be the official color for all Italian motorsports teams regardless of the manufacturer.” Petersen Automotive Museum
1947 Ferrari 125 S “After World War II, Enzo Ferrari rebuilt his Maranello workshop, which had been leveled by Allied bombs. Because obtaining financing was so difficult at the time, he was forced to sell personal items to fund the production of the first car to bear his name. Dubbed the 125 S, it was also the first vehicle he equipped with the now-legendary Ferrari V-12 engine. “ Petersen Automotive Museum
2006 Ferrari 248 F1 “In his last season, Michael Schumacher drove this 248 Formula One race car, which was designed by Aldo Costa and Rory Byrne, and named for its 2.4 liter, eight-cylinder engine. Schumacher retired from Formula One competition at the end of the 2006 season after a decade of racing for Scuderia Ferrari. The announcement came shortly after winning the 2006 Italian Grand Prix.” Petersen Automotive Museum
1886 Benz Patent Motorwagen (replica) “ Karl Benz’s Patent Motorwagen is regarded as the first practical self-propelled vehicle. It was powered by a petroleum-fueled four-stroke internal combustion engine and had three steel-spoke wheels with solid rubber tires. “ Petersen Automotive Museum
1992 Aluma Coupe by Boyd Coddington “ The Aluma Coupe is a one-of-a-kind custom vehicle built by Southern California car designer Boyd Coddington. It was one of the first modern vehicles to combine the style and feel of a 1950’s hot rod with the engineering, comfort and refinement of a modern car. This aluminum-bodied vehicle was built as a concept car for Mitsubishi to debut at the 1992 New York International Auto Show.” Petersen Automotive Museum
1988 Yamaha V-Max Camera Bike by Motocam “Used in the making of feature films, television shows and commercials, the MotoCam camera bike could be configured to use both forward and rear-facing cameras. ..This bike was used to film chase scenes in the Arnold Schwarzenegger movies Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991) and True Lies (1994).” Petersen Automotive Museum
1915 Ford Model T Runabout “Regarded as the car that “put America on wheels”, the Ford Model T was popular because it was affordable, durable and easier to operate and maintain than other cars of the day. “ Petersen Automotive Museum
1913 Mercer Type 35-J Raceabout “The Mercer Type 35-J is considered by enthusiast to be the most significant American sports car of its era because of its rakish good looks, raw performance and rarity. Believed to be the most original Type 35-J is existence, this car is considered special even among other Mercers. It has never been disassembled and retains its original fenders, spotlight and monocle windshield.” Petersen Automotive Museum
Gas Pumps on display include the 1929 Martin and Schwartz, 1930 Bennett, 1925 Clear Vision, 1920 Butler and 1924 Wayne.
Master of the Arts 1939 Chevrolet Master Deluxe Gangster Squad ’39 “Gangster Squad ’39 was the result of a partnership that combined the graphic art of tattoo and graffiti artist Mister Cartoon and the “film noir-style” of Gangster Squad (2013), a film directed by Ruben Fleisher. In its first custom iteration, the 1939 Chevrolet Master Deluxe was named Midnight Express and was exhibited at the Museum of Contemporary Art (MOCA) in Los Angeles and the Oceanside Museum of Art. As part of a collaboration with Warner Bros., the car was transformed with hand-painted murals inspired by the movie Gangster Squad which was released in theatres in 2013.” Petersen Automotive Museum
Petersen Automotive Museum
Open Everyday 10AM to 6PM
For lunch or dinner enjoy the delicious creations of Drago Ristorante located inside the Petersen Automotive Museum which is the newest addition to the famous Drago brand. Once again the Sicilian brothers Celestino, Calogero, Tanino and Giacomino Drago have established an authentically Italian high quality assortment of homemade pasta dishes such as Fusilli Vodka “Fusilli with prosciutto and vodka”, Culurgiones Sardi “black and white shrimps filled with pasta, lobster bell pepper sauce”, and Spaghetti Frutti di Mare”Shrimps, calamari, bay scallops, mussels, clams in a light tomato sauce. Salads such as Mele e Indivia with pink lady apply, bacon, candied walnut, with endive. And wood fired pizza such as Siciliana with eggplant, smoked mozzarella, basil and shaved ricotta.
The beautiful interior of the restaurant designed by Felderman Keatinge and Associates in a “streamlined modernism” style with a very appealing contemporary look. The big windows overlook some of the cars in the museum. “Drago Ristorante mixes swooping lines; hammered steel; a bright red, fuchsia, orange, black, and white custom mural by Stanley Felderman; minimalist white tables; and a long banquette for a modern feel. The open design allows diners to view the latest cars on display in the lobby.” http://www.fkastudio.com/portfolio_page/drago-ristorante-at-the-petersen-automotive-museum/
Drago specializes in the artisanal breads and pastries from Drago’s Dolce Forno bakery and locally grown produce from Drago Farms in Santa Ynez.
The servers are friendly and do a great job with the very busy lunch service.
What a wonderful way to spend the day – a fun museum and an incredible Italian lunch!