The Petersen Automotive Museum’s new “World’s Fastest” exhibit opens to the public on Saturday, July 18. It examines each vehicle to hold the title of world’s fastest production car since 1949, when the Jaguar XK120 was named for its top speed of 120 miles per hour, through the current record holder, the SSC Tuatara, which achieved an astonishing top speed of 282 miles per hour.
In the years after World War II, sports cars became more accessible and performance was easier for someone to put in their driveway. As consumers’ desire for more capable vehicles grew, numerous ideas emerged for benchmarking high performance. Top speed became the metric consumers could judge, automakers could market and the automotive media could bestow bragging rights for.
The vehicles in the “World’s Fastest” exhibition represent the cutting edge of performance, aerodynamics, style and prestige of their respective eras, including the 1954 Mercedes-Benz 300 SL, which was the first to achieve a top speed over 150 miles per hour, and the 1987 RUF CTR “Yellowbird,” which was the first to break a top speed of over 200 miles per hour.
The exhibition will include 11 of the most notable vehicles to have claimed the title of the world’s fastest production car, including:
- Jaguar XK120
- Mercedes-Benz 300 SL
- Iso Grifo
- AC/Shelby Cobra 427
- Lamborghini Miura P400
- McLaren F1
“We have always been captivated by how fast cars can move us,” said Terry L. Karges, executive director of the Petersen Automotive Museum. “Our new ‘World’s Fastest’ exhibit celebrates the most iconic and fastest production vehicles ever made. Visitors will be able to see a direct line from the Bugatti Veyron Super Sport, a car that can reach 267 miles per hour, back 60 years to the Jaguar XK120. These are not just the world’s fastest cars, they are some of the most desirable, as well.”
“World’s Fastest” will be located on the second floor of the Petersen Museum and will be on display through Aug. 22, 2027. Tickets and additional information are available at Petersen.org/exhibits.
