From Classics to Supercars
We arrived in Los Angeles for a long weekend of reunions with some old friends and of course, a visit to The Porsche Effect exhibit at The Petersen Museum. We made it to the museum just in time for a late lunch so we decided to check out the L.A. food truck scene.
Luckily there were several trucks lined up and down the street, cooking up a variety of cuisines. We decided on Heritage L.A.‘s grass-fed flat iron steak bowl with chimichurri sauce. All of the ingredients are organic and locally sourced – the steak bowl did not disappoint as it was packed with flavor.
Classics
Upon entering the museum we were immediately greeted by a 356 Roadster and 550 Spyder. We grabbed our tickets, checked in for ‘The Vault’ tour (which would occur later in the afternoon) and entered the exhibit hall.
First up was the black Type 64 with its blacked-out headlights. It’s amazing how much it resembles an early Volkswagen Beetle. Just behind the Type 64 was a pristine red 901 with houndstooth seats and a stunning ivory Gmund from Jeff Zwart’s collection.
In addition to these classics, were examples of an early 911 Turbo Carrera, a 356 Continental Cabriolet, a 911S Targa and Steve McQueen’s sharp looking black Speedster.
With approximately 50 cars on display, we selected a few of our favorite classics, racing icons or supercars below.
Racing Icons and Supercars
Further back on the main floor were fine examples of Porsche’s racing history beginning with an early silver 550 Spyder to winners of the 24 Hours of LeMans, 24 Hours of Daytona and 12 Hours of Sebring. We especially loved the iconic No. 2, 917 Gulf livery winner of the 1970 Rolex 24 Hours at Daytona and the 959 Rothman’s Paris-Dakar rally car which was still covered in dirt and showed signs of hard racing.
And how could you not stop and take in the ’79 Le Mans-winning No. 41 935 K3 Kremer and it’s massive tail? After circling the floor, we exited the hall to see a few supercars such as the 911 GT1, 904, 910 Carrera GTS and the powerful 1500hp ’73 917/30 Can-Am Spyder in blue and yellow Sunoco livery – what a wild racecar.
The Vault
We took a tour of ‘The Vault’ to view additional cars that are not included in the regular exhibit. We purchased our tickets in advance and we’re glad we did because all four showings of the day were sold out. The museum doesn’t allow photography during the tour but you won’t be disappointed with the cars you’ll see. Our personal favorite was the 1967 911R, chassis #001!
Just before the museum closed, we stopped by the gift shop to view the Porsche memorabilia on display. They have a great selection of die-cast models, books, apparel, and posters. We picked up a few items and were able to use our ‘Vault’ ticket to receive a 10% discount!
Note: Vault Tour tickets are in addition to General Admission tickets and tours are only available a few times a day so be sure to purchase your tickets in advance.
