![]() ![]() The 1946 Mercury, owned by Agnes Moorehead, customized to form a separate compartment for the chauffeur. They have the Aga Khan car, which he gave to Rita Hayworth, and the Dick Van Dyke Avanti. There was a rare full scale 1929 Austin 7, though it looked like a miniature car. He showed us the Elvis Lincoln, one of many owned by the famous singer. Kendall pointed out the differences between the English, German, Italian, French and American coachbuilders. ![]() Also on display were elegant touring cars, French Marques with smooth and soft lines, from the master coach builders of the 1930’s. In the early 1960’s, men such as Arfon’s, Craig Breedlove and others, set and reset the land speed record in a dizzying race against the clock and the elements. Outside, and a bit too big to bring inside the museum is Art Arfon’s Green Monster Bonneville record setting jet-powered car. The Pierson Brothers land speed racing coupe is a showstopper. Some of the cars that Kendall pointed out to us included well-known sports and racecars. But Robert and Margie Petersen never lost their love of automobiles and the collection that they have assembled is varied and impressive, and their gift to us is this grand museum. The Petersen Publishing Company expanded to other areas, and was eventually sold. Returning servicemen liked the magazine and it has become an icon for hot rodders and racers ever since. Robert “Pete” Petersen founded Hot Rod Magazine just after World War II. The Petersen, as it is called, is the result of the efforts of Margie and Robert Petersen, and their friends and supporters. ![]() The Petersen has over 160 cars in their impressive collection, some on loan and others owned by the Foundation that oversees the Museum. There is a large group of members who support the museum and raise funds to keep the Petersen going. Kendall explained that the Petersen is a 501.c3 Foundation and all donations are tax deductible. Southern California has many great auto and car racing museums, and the Petersen is one of the best. At one time the Petersen was part of the Los Angeles County system of museums, but has since become a separate foundation. It is very hard to see everything in just one day. The displays, backgrounds and thought that went into the museum is amazing. Kendall is an expert on the history and restoration of these cars. The Robert and Margie Petersen car collection contains around 90 vintage and custom automobiles, including race cars, from the very earliest dates to the present. Leslie Kendall, the Museum’s curator, gave us a tour of the Foose exhibit and the museum, including the cars in storage, waiting to be displayed. He also led a grand tour and his knowledge of the cars was astounding. Kendall created the very interesting show cards for the exhibits, which gives a great deal of information concerning the cars. Another Foose car that appeared on the Jerry Titus TV show is the 1932 Ford Coupe named The Little Foose Coupe, owned by Chuck Svatos. It is powered by a ’96 Chevy LT-4 Grand Sport Corvette engine. This car is driven to car shows, but looks every bit as grand as the show cars that are trailered and never driven on the streets. Foose also designed and built the 1935 Chevrolet Grand Master, owned by Bob and Wes Rydell. The Ridler is the coveted award sought after by customizers and designers in the hot rodding community. The Ridler Award is a very prestigious honor named after Don Ridler, the promoter of the Detroit Autorama Show. It is modeled on a Mercury designed marque even though the brand wasn’t in existence in that year. Foose won the 2003 Ridler Award for his 1934 Mercury Stallion. This 1932 Ford Roadster won the 2000 AMBR Award. Other Foose inspirations included the 0032 Roadster, seen on the Jerry Titus TV show. The 2006 Grand National Roadster Show’s AMBR (America’s Most Beautiful Roadster) car was on tour at the time that we visited, but will be returning soon. The address is 6060 Wilshire Boulevard, at the corner of Fairfax Avenue, in Los Angeles, California. The Petersen is one of the Premier auto museums in the United States, and occupies an entire city block. Foose is the hottest custom car builder in the country right now, and the Petersen has set aside an entire gallery to display his award winning cars and designs. The Chip Foose Special Exhibit is on display from March until November 12, 2006, at the Petersen Automotive Museum, in Los Angeles, California. Story by Richard Parks, Photographs by Roger Rohrdanz ![]()
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