Petersen Museum Hosts Porsche Exhibit For Automaker’s 75th Anniversary

The Petersen Automotive Museum, one of the most comprehensive venues of automobile history, is hosting Porsche, one of the most iconic car brands, for the automaker’s 75th anniversary. The exhibit opens on April 16 and is held in collaboration with Porsche Cars North America. Entitled “We Are Porsche,” it focuses on how influential figures in the U.S. helped transform Porsche from a builder of niche sports cars to a cultural phenomenon.

The exhibit spans the Petersen Automotive Museum’s first and second floors and features 40 unique vehicles, including: 

• The 550 Spyder raced by Betty Shutes and Ken Miles
• Dean Jeffries’ original “Outlaw Porsche,” custom 1957 356 Carrera
• Dan Gurney’s 1962 Porsche 804 Formula One car
• Mark Donohue’s 1973 917/30 Can-Am Spyder
• Steve McQueen’s 1976 911 Turbo

39 Photos

The exhibit also includes Porsches featured in movies including “Top Gun: Maverick” and “Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery.” Additionally, it highlights the stories of people who contributed to Porsche’s racing heritage, like Dan Gurney, Ken Miles, Hurley Haywood, and Patrick Long. There’s a section on “The Spyder Women,” a group of race car drivers who drove the 550 Spyder, including Betty Shutes, Ruth Levy, and Denise McCluggage. Finally, it includes celebrities, drivers, and artists like Patrick Dempsey, Steve McQueen, Rod Emory, and Daniel Arsham. 

“As a Porsche lover, I’m particularly excited that the Petersen gets to play such a significant role in celebrating the 75th anniversary of these incredible machines,” said Terry L. Karges, executive director of the Petersen Automotive Museum. “Porsche’s history on and off the track speaks for itself, and we are honored to help them commemorate this milestone.”

“We Are Porsche” runs through April 2024. It will feature a rotation of vehicles during the exhibition and a variety of events and activities at the museum. Previously the Petersen Museum showcased an exhibition of Hollywood TV and Film Cars, including the Batmobile used in the Michael Keaton movies and the Delorean time machine from “Back to the Future.” It also maintains a vault of at least 250 vehicles and provided a video tour of the facility on its YouTube channel.