The “Custom Revolution” is the theme of what the Petersen Automotive Museum in Los Angeles says will be the “world’s first exhibit dedicated to the new generation of customized motorcycles,” a display scheduled to open April 14 featuring “avant-garde and influential machines from independent builders around the globe.”
The exhibit celebrates “the visionaries who are pushing the creative edges of motorcycle design,” the museum said in its announcement.
The exhibit, guest-curated by historian and author Paul d’Orleans, will include around 25 motorcycles.
“At the Petersen, it is our utmost goal to embrace and foster creativity — especially when it comes to automobiles,” Terry Karges, the museum’s executive director, is quoted in the news release. “Because we’ve built exhibits around the art of four-wheeled vehicles many times, we believe it’s the perfect time to recognize a global phenomenon in the form of the custom bike revolution.”
The exhibit opens with a preview event April 13 featuring a panel discussion with actor Keanu Reeves, collectors Jay Leno and Bruce Meyer, journalist Charles Fleming, Petersen board member Richard Varner and d’Orleans. For details, see the Petersen website.
Porsche ‘Outlaws’ showcased Sunday at the Petersen
The Petersen Automotive Museum offers a Porsche “Outlaw” panel discussion Sunday featuring builders and icons from the hot-rod Porsche world: Freeman Thomas, Bruce Meyer, Patrick Long, Rod Emory, Bruce Canepa, Betim Berisha, Marco Gerace, Dave Bouzaglu and moderator Spike Feresten. Topics to be explore included Southern California car culture and the German marque, from the early days of racing on Mulholland Drive to the formation of the R-Gruppe.
The presentation will be a sidebar to the museum’s ongoing “The Porsche Effect” exhibition celebrating the German sports car maker’s 70th anniversary.
“Instantly recognizable by their race and rally-inspired modifications, ‘Outlaw’ Porsche 356s first received their name from purists, who considered the cars’ heavily-altered bodies to be sacrilegious,” the museum said. “Since then, ‘Outlaw’ Porsches have become a popular facet of Porsche-dedicated Concours events and a desirable collector’s item amongst many enthusiasts.”
The program begins with a Porsche cruise-in starting at 8 a.m. on the fourth floor of the museum’s parking structure and with breakfast and coffee served at 10 a.m. in the museum’s penthouse with the panel presentation at 11 a.m.
Porsche celebrates 70 years with exhibit in Berlin
The Petersen isn’t the only place celebrating Porsche’s anniversary. The automaker has opened a special display that runs through May 31 at the Volkswagen Group Forum in Berlin.
The exhibit covers 10 topics focusing on the brand’s innovative spirit, from the company’s origin, its pioneering engineering, racing, product diversity and future.
Porsche also announced additional anniversary events scheduled June 16-17 in Stuttgart-Zuffenhausen, July 12-15 at the Goodwood circuit in England, September 27-30 in Monterey, California (Rennsport Reunion), and October 13 at the Porsche Arena in Stuttgart.
Corvette track offers Drive Toward a Cure Day
You may not have several days to do a Drive Toward a Cure road rally to help the battle against Parkinson’s disease, so the National Corvette Museum Motorsports Park in Bowling Green, Kentucky, is offering a one-day alternative: “Drive Toward a Cure Day” takes place Monday, April 2, when anyone can drive their vehicle — and it doesn’t have to be a Corvette — around the 3.2-mile course at “above-highway speeds.”
“We’ve been creating opportunities for car aficionados to enjoy their vehicles while raising awareness and funds for Parkinson’s since 2016,” Deb Pollack, founder of Drive Toward a Cure, said in a news release. “And while teaming with the NCM Motorsports Park allows drivers to go one step further in pushing their own enthusiasm to the limits on track, it also provides us an expanded audience whom we can inspire to help find a cure.”
“When non-profit Drive Toward a Cure reached out to car clubs and groups nationwide in support of April’s Parkinson’s Awareness Month, not only did NCM Motorsports Park raise its hand high to show that ‘driving has never meant more’ but chose Easter Monday for its own ‘Drive Toward a Cure Day’ track event as a kick-off to the meaningful month,” she added.
As part of the special day, drivers will be allowed on the track, including those with convertibles (usually not permitted) from 9 a.m. until 4 p.m. for “unlimited touring laps.”
The cost is $125 with $50 of that amount considered a tax-deductible contribution.
“Though we recognize that racers like Phil Hill, Sam Posey and David Love are examples of those in our industry that have indeed been challenged (by Parkinson’s), we’d be hard pressed to meet someone who doesn’t personally know their own unsung heroes fighting this debilitating disease every day,” said Matt Busby, NCM head of track operations. “If we can help in one small way and encourage further awareness of Parkinson’s Disease and finding a cure, we’ve taken a good step.”
For more information, visit the Drive Toward a Cure website.
Special events this weekend
The Owls Head Transportation Museum in Maine offers the third installment in its Pioneers, Innovators & Maine from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, along with a wine and beer tasting. See the museum’s website for details.
The AACA Museum in Hershey, Pennsylvania, hosts an Easter Egg Scavenger Hunt on Saturday from 11 a.m. until 1:30 p.m.
Photographer Susan Johnston will present “Running on Empty: Abandoned Gas Stations in America,” on Sunday afternoon as part of the winter lecture series at the Gilmore Car Museum in Hickory Corners, Michigan.
The California Automobile Museum in Sacramento offers “Savor, Sip, Road Trip!” from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. Saturday with more than a dozen restaurants at the museum with their various specialties paired with cars from the museum’s collection. See the museum’s website for ticket information.
Mark your calendar
If you need or want a heritage certificate from the British Motor Industry Heritage Trust for your classic car, you might want to order it before April 1, when prices are scheduled for a slight increase. The standard certificate, a certified copy of a factory record, currently costs £42 ($60) but will be an extra $1.50 beginning April 1. Also beginning April1, some optional extra will be increased by as much as $15. For details, visit the heritage trust website.
The Owls Head Transportation Museum will host April School Vacation Week activities for children aged 6-10 during the week of April 17-20. See the museum website for details.
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