100 years of super sports cars in the Petersen Museum

By Sylvester Simmonds 13 May, 2021 2 mins read 244 Views

The great high-performance cars of history are now on display at the Petersen Automotive Museum.

They are called supercars. They are the Greek gods of the automotive world, and they have been around practically as long as cars themselves.

The Petersen Automotive Museum in Los Angeles recently reopened after patiently waiting for the COVID-19 pandemic. An incredible new exhibition entitled “Supercars: A Century of Spectacle and Speed” was shown on the third floor. The Petersen identifies super sports cars through this combination of characteristics: “immensely powerful engines, minimal passenger capacity, adventurous mechanical specifications and an overwhelming presence.”

Each of the super sports cars on display in the Petersen is breathtaking on its own. Showing around 30 of them in one place increases interest by allowing visitors to see – practically at a glance – how radically and quickly our definition of “immensely powerful” has evolved. The 60 horsepower and 90 mph top speed of the Mercer Type 35-J Raceabout (considered by some to be the first supercar) was just as amazing to auto enthusiasts in 1913 as the 550 horsepower and 220 mph that the Saleen S7 would deliver 90 Years later.

The feature that has barely changed in a century is the “minimum passenger capacity”. Supercars do not compromise on practicality. Sure, Lamborghini and Maserati are now building SUVs (Ferrari is next), but the supercars that made these automakers famous don’t boast of cargo space or the creatures’ comforts – just high performance.

Of course, it’s their “imperious presence” that freezes most of us at the sight of one of those supercars. This characteristic does not fade with age, as evidenced by Petersen’s amazing collection. Supercars are constantly evolving, but they never lose their cool – so we have to wonder what the supercars of 2121 will be like.

The Petersen Automotive Museum is now open Wednesday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Health and safety guidelines apply. More information can be found on the Petersen Automotive Museum website.

1913 Mercer Type 35-J Raceabout

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1924 Mercedes 28/95 Targa Florio

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1933 Duesenberg SJ Cabrio Coupé by Walter M. Murphy Co.

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1938 Delahaye Type 145 Coupé by Henri Chapron

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1952 Ferrari 212/225 Inter Spyder Barchetta

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1955 Mercedes 300SL Coupé “Gullwing”