California: Car Scene (*)

Since the end of World War I, everything in Southern California has been directly influenced by the advent of the automobile and serving the motorist.  Car culture is deeply rooted here, there is a deep connection between the people and their cars. The automobile is a necessary part of living in Southern California.

That being said, several tourist attractions and numerous annual events in the Los Angeles area are centered on the love affair between Californians and their vehicles.  Here, I am presenting just a small sampling to give you a flavor of Southern California living.

Petersen Automotive Museum
6060 Wilshire Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA. 90036

http://www.petersen.org

The Petersen Automotive Museum located along Museum Row in the Miracle Mile neighborhood of Los Angeles was founded in 1994 by magazine publisher Robert E. Petersen.

The $40 million museum is one of the world's largest automotive museums dedicated to the exploration and presentation of the automobile and its impact on American life and culture. It encompasses more than 300,000 square feet and its exhibits and lifelike dioramas feature more than 150 rare and classic cars, trucks and motorcycles. The remaining half of the collection is kept in a vault located on the basement level of the building. 



1988 Mana La Solar Vehicle



 



1940 Cadillac







1939 Packard

 

1917 Detroit Electric

 





1930 Nash

 

2013 BMW i8 used in Mission Impossible- Ghost Protocol

2001 Honda used in 2Fast 2 Furious

1965 Hannibal used in The Great Race

The Batcycle, a 1966 Yamaha

Speed Racer's Mach 5

 

1939 Lincoln Zephyr Custom

1994 Bugatti EB110 GT



 

 

 

 



The LA Auto Show
1201 S. Figueroa St.
Los Angeles, CA  90015

http://laautoshow.com/

The LA Auto Show is an annual car show held at the Los Angeles Convention Center in late November/ early December for a period of ten days.  With its inauguration back in 1907, the LA Auto Show has grown to become one of the biggest new car shows in the country surpassing the North American International Auto Show held in Detroit.

The new car exhibits fill 760,000 square feet of convention space and the show draws approximately 900,000 spectators a year.



 

 

 

 



All Toyotafest
The Queen Mary
1126 Queens Highway
Long Beach, CA  90802

All Toyotafest is an annual car show held at the Queen Mary in Long Beach showcasing both the classic and the latest Toyota automobiles.  The event also features customized Toyota, Lexus and Scion vehicles!

The one day event draws throngs of Toyota enthusiasts.



For more information of Southern California car related events, please visit:
http://www.socalcarculture.com/events.html