Touring LA’s Multi-Million Dollar Automotive Archive: Inside The Petersen Museum | Cars & Bikes

The Petersen Automotive Museum in Los Angeles, California has successfully transitioned from a specialized local collection into a world-class authority, managing an archive of approximately 250 superlative vehicles. Through high-stakes rotating exhibitions—such as the 100-year history of Aston Martin—the museum explores the critical intersection of precision engineering and heritage record-keeping. By granting public access to historically significant vehicles that are rarely seen outside private vaults, the Petersen serves as a vital guardian of the global automotive legacy and a primary driver of Los Angeles car culture.

Beyond high-end luxury, the Petersen has featured rotating exhibits like the "Totally Awesome" era of the 1980s and '90s, where the dawn of the digital age fundamentally altered vehicle design. From the radical "wedge" movement led by Italian masters like Marcello Gandini to the iconic pop-culture presence of the Back to the Future DeLorean, these exhibits demonstrate how automobiles evolved from mere transport into symbols of rebellion, retro-futurism, and nostalgia. This deep dive into automotive storytelling proves that the most successful vehicles are those that drive the plot of history, capturing the imagination of collectors and the next generation of enthusiasts alike.

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It’s a unique problem for the wealthy class: what to do with extensive collections of rare and valuable things gathered and curated over the years? For car collectors the challenge can pose a whole new venture: collecting, restoring, showing and auctioning them off exclusive events like Monterey Car Week and Goodwood.

But for Robert E. “Pete” Petersen, the publisher of Motor Trend, Hot Rod and other magazines during the industry’s heyday, the answer was a bit more populist: he shared his collection with the public by founding a museum. With an initial $40 million investment and later a $125 million renovation, the Petersen Automotive Museum showcases Petersen’s cars, the museums own collection and hosts rotating exhibits, all with the mission of telling the story of the automotive industry through design, culture and of course, cars.

Thirty-two years after its founding, the Petersen Automotive Museum, with its distinct steel ribbon facade and place on Los Angeles’ Museum Row, is not just a place to see rare cars, such as the 1925 Round Door Rolls-Royce, a 1948 Tucker or a 1939 Bugatti Type 57C Atalante. Exhibits also showcase exclusives like an original Lamborghini Countach, allow guests to stand beside James Bond’s Aston Martin and to take in the 1982 DMC DeLorean seen in Back to the Future.