Petersen Museum’s New Exhibit Has All The Uncommon ’80s And ’90s Automobiles And Ideas Your Childhood Self Would’ve Killed To See

I am a giant fan of The Petersen Automotive Museum; the fantastic Ken Block exhibit that is nonetheless on show helped me grieve the passing of a childhood hero, and the brand new “Completely Superior! Automobiles and Tradition of the ’80s and ’90s” exhibit is one other instance of why this place is so particular. In case it’s essential persuade a much less car-obsessed buddy or vital different that paying a go to to a automobile museum goes to be an pleasurable a part of a day in Los Angeles, this newest exhibit is car-centric, nevertheless it additionally showcases completely superior and period-correct vogue developments, applied sciences, playable classic arcade video games, and different enjoyable nostalgia-inducing issues from the rad period. And in the event you’re a automobile individual hoping to see some autos you have by no means seen in individual earlier than, you then’re in for a deal with.

From iconic idea automobiles that remind you of the zany approach we assumed the long run would look again within the ’80s and ’90s, to iconic film automobiles and the earliest and most uncommon examples of luxurious off-roaders, this exhibit is stuffed with automobiles you will not discover anyplace else. The exhibit is housed within the Mullin Grand Salon on the primary flooring of the museum straight throughout the corridor from the Meyers Manx Cafe, and it is on show now by way of April 2026.

As you enter the exhibit, you are greeted by my favourite car on show, a 1984 Cadillac Seville By Gucci. To the shock of nobody, the gaudy masterpiece that’s the Gucci Seville was pioneered by way of a collaboration between a Miami Cadillac dealership and Aldo Gucci. It is unknown precisely what number of have been ever made however this explicit automobile, which was gained by a limousine driver on an episode of “Wheel Of Fortune” in 1984 that may be seen taking part in on a tiny period-correct tv set displayed behind the Seville, is believed to be one in every of 10 remaining Gucci Sevilles in existence at the moment.

It’s completely flawless. From its Gucci-monogrammed vinyl roof to its gold Gucci hood decoration to its white leather-based seats tufted with Gucci buttons, it is a prime instance of America’s feeble makes an attempt to spruce up its wretched Malaise-Period turds and compete with the high-quality imported autos. Subsequent to the little tv set taking part in “Wheel Of Fortune,” curators have staged two mannequins sporting the best in mid-’80s vogue by Gucci and Bernard Perris to finish the journey again in time.

As soon as I peeled myself away from the fantastic Gucci Seville, I seen the ’80s and ’90s music taking part in over the audio system, and was met by a handful of ’80s and ’90s idea automobiles that I had solely seen in books earlier than visiting the museum, just like the 1989 Pontiac Stinger and 1997 Chrysler Copperhead. Proceed strolling across the exhibit and there is one other extraordinarily uncommon automobile, a beastly 1996 Nissan GT-R Nismo 400R that is a reminder of how superior different nations’ automobiles have been. There is a wall of notable bikes from the period, subsequent to the earliest examples of luxury-oriented off-roaders, together with the visible nightmare that’s the first ever Mercedes G-Wagen to be modified by AMG and a supremely uncommon GMC Syclone tempo automobile with arguably probably the most early-’90s paint job I’ve ever seen.

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There may be additionally, in fact, the prerequisite show of supercars from the period, however not those you are more likely to see at even the nicest automobiles and occasional. Sure, there is a McLaren F1, however this is among the uncommon moments the place it is not probably the most thrilling supercar on show. There’s a 1988 Cizeta V16T with its 4 pop-up headlights popped up, parked subsequent to a gorgeous purple Vector M12 and the primary street-legal automobile to provide 1,000 horsepower, the hanging one-off 1995 Lotec C1000.

I’ve been informed that not everybody on the planet will get enthusiastic about going to a museum to see automobiles. Whereas I’ve a tough time believing it, I ought to point out that there are another cool ’80s and ’90s issues to see within the “Completely Superior” exhibit. Past the questionable early-’80s vogue on show subsequent to the Gucci Seville, there are a number of different, a lot cooler examples of what was trending within the high-fashion world on the time sprinkled all through the gallery.

Video video games and flicks have been a giant a part of the zeitgeist within the ’80s and ’90s, and “Completely Superior” would not ignore their affect. There is a part of the exhibit that is meant to imitate a retro arcade, with a lot of up to date arcade video games positioned atop a period-correct carpet coated in neon coloured scribbles and squiggles, and so they’re all purposeful and free to play. There’s even a sculpture comprised of a number of classic tv units all taking part in the then-popular idea of “Music Tv,” or MTV, to not point out the ’80s and ’90s jams which might be taking part in over the audio system within the gallery.

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All in all, “Completely Superior: Automobiles And Tradition Of The ’80s And ’90s” is a enjoyable museum exhibit that showcases a number of extraordinarily uncommon, extraordinarily cool items of automotive historical past, in addition to a smattering of different notable pop-culture phenomena from these wacky, zany, and sure, completely superior a long time. In the event you reside close to Los Angeles and also you’re on the lookout for a enjoyable strategy to spend a day, take a look at The Petersen Automotive Museum web site for tickets.

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