The Petersen Automotive Museum recently unveiled its reimagined James H. Frank Family Vault, presented by Hagerty. It now features more than 300 vehicles and two new galleries: the Phil Hill Legends Room and the Icons Gallery. The expanded Vault offers guests access to hundreds of rare and historic vehicles beyond the museum’s main galleries.
The newly enhanced Vault spans over 70,000 square feet, guiding visitors through a curated journey of automotive innovation, motorsports, design and cultural significance. The redesigned Vault features “The Ultimate Racing Machine,” a display celebrating 50 years of the BMW 3 Series, an updated Formula 1 exhibit and dozens of iconic supercars. The layout of the Vault also allows visitors to get closer to cars than in other areas of the museum, offering unprecedented access to some of the museum’s most iconic vehicles.
The Vault’s new AI-powered tour experience, “Lens to the Past,” allows visitors to simply snap a picture of any vehicle with their phone and instantly use AI to identify the artifact in real-time, matching it to a vast database of cultural, historical and artistic information. In addition to basic information, including the vehicle’s name, origin, specifications and history, a curated audio narration begins to play, recounting the story behind the piece. The tour also adapts to the visitor’s interests, empowering a richer, more personal museum experience.
“The Vault has always been one of the museum’s most popular elements and we’re excited to introduce an entirely new experience,” said Terry L. Karges, executive director of the Petersen Automotive Museum. “Our first-of-its-kind AI-powered tour will provide a new level of insight and education for our guests as they explore this incredible collection.”
Highlighted vehicles include:
- – 1978 BMW 320i Group 5
- – 2001 BMW M3 GTR Straßenversion
- – 1990 BMW M3 Group A DTM
- – 2011 BMW M3 GT
- – 2024 BMW M4 GT4
- – 2008 Koenigsegg CCXR
- – 1960 Porsche RS60 Spyder
- – 1965 Bizzarrini 5300 GT Corsa
- – 1915 Stutz Bearcat
- – 1941 Willys Jeep “Slat Grille”
- – 1956 Corvette SR “The Real McCoy”
The museum will host a special guided tour on Father’s Day weekend, offering a select number of guests the opportunity to tour the new space and view the museum’s auto workshop. To purchase tickets or for more information about the Petersen Automotive Museum, please visit Petersen.org/exhibits.
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Above content © 2025 Petersen Automotive Museum, reviewed and edited by Rex McAfee
