1932 Fords are celebrating their 90th year anniversary this year and to honor this impressive feat, the Petersen Automotive will honor them with a new national “holiday”. June 11 has been declared as Hot Rod Day and they will celebrate the special day with a new exhibit, “Ford Fever: The Deuce Turns 90” which will be located in the Ross and Beth Myers Gallery.
On the same day, June 11, the new exhibit will be open to the public and it will house a definitive collection of groundbreaking 1932 Fords like the Doane Spencer’s historic Highboy and the influential McGee Roadster.
Renowned names in the hot-rod world including ZZ Top front man Billy F Gibbons and Henry Ford III will be attending the special Deuce Gala happening on June 11. In the evening of the opening day, Gibbons will be performing live, there will be an award ceremony as well as a once-in-a-lifetime live auction.
The next day, June 12, Sunday, the museum will hold their annual Deuce Day Cruise-In which will be held at the Petersen Automotive Museum where they will try to gather the most number of 1932 Fords in Southern California.
Highlights of the new “Ford Fever: The Deuce Turns 90” exhibit include the renowned McGee 1932 Roadster. Bob McGee built and owned the Roadster and it opened the doors for hot rods by combining beauty and speed. It demanded attention with its shaved door handles, welded decklid, louvers, and its seamless look.
It wasn’t long before the McGee Roadster would make appearances in different television shows and movies like the “Hot Rod Gang” and an episode of “Happy Days”. Eventually, it was showcased in the National Mall in Washington, D.C.
Doane Spencer’s 1932 Ford Highboy will also be on display. This iconic automobile won several show awards in the 1940s. It wasn’t long before Spencer got bored with the show circuit, so he took the Highboy and raced it at El Mirage. He also did some extensive modification on the unit to get it ready for Mexico’s Carrera Panamericana road race.
Doyle Gammell and Andy Kassa’s coupes will also be on display, as well as the roadsters of Ermie Immerso and Ray Brown.
Held as a mid-year celebration that honors luminaries in the hot-rod world, the Deuce Gala will be held on the same evening as the opening of the exhibit. They will also be presenting the Hot Rod Icon Award to legendary musician Billy F Gibbons, rock group ZZ Top’s front man and more importantly, a well-known automotive enthusiast.
Tickets to the event are $250 and guests will be treated to a 45-minute performance from Gibbons, complimentary dinner, access to a live auction, an open bar, and admission to the annual Deuce Day Cruise-In that will happen on the following day.
Petersen’s annual Deuce Day Cruise-In is an event where the greatest hot rod in the museum, as well as from several AMBR winners will be part of the biggest gatherings of 1932 Fords in Southern California.
Petersen Automotive Museum Executive Director Terry L. Karges stated, “The 1932 Fords are marquee vehicles synonymous with the origins of hot rodding and worthy of an extended celebration. The exhibit, gala and cruise-in will pay tribute to the Fords’ legacy and how they continue to captivate automotive and hot-rodding enthusiasts 90 years after debuting on the market.”
Ticket prices are $12 for children 4 to 17 years of age, $15 for seniors, and $17 for general admission. Personal care attendants, active military with ID, and children below 4 years old get free admission.
To know more about the Petersen Automotive Museum, please visit their website.
Deuce Gala Listing Information
Date: June 11th
Time: 5:30 – 10:00pm
Price: $250 for the General Public ($175 for Petersen Museum Members), which includes:
• A live performance from ZZ Top frontman, Billy F Gibbons
• A buffet dinner and open bar
• Access to a once-in-a-life-time live auction
• Admission to June 12 Deuce Day Cruise-In
Deuce Day Cruise-In Listing Information
Date: June 12th
Time: 9:00 – 1:00pm
Price: $35 for 1 Vehicle and 1 Spectator; $20 for Spectator-Only, which includes:
• Access to Deuce Day, along with admission to the Petersen Automotive Museum
• Complimentary parking, food & beverages
Ford1932 Flathead Roadster from Iron Man (2008) and Iron Man 2 (2010)
