A museum's close-up look at classic race cars through the past century

Showcasing 100 years of motorsports history in one fell swoop is a mighty challenge for any established museum, even a museum as tied to the automobile as the Petersen Automotive in Los Angeles.

But there will be one stunning example of that display, starting September 7 and titled “Driven to Win: The Automobile in Competition.” It’s designed to celebrate the spectacle and drama of racing, featuring cars dating back to 1913 and some as recent as 2010 and 2018.

In all, “Driven to Win” presents 11 race vehicles that represent a variety of competitive disciplines and some of the technologies that create winners on the track, examining improvements in safety, reliability, efficiency, and performance. 

Here’s a closer look at a few of the classics on show in Los Angeles, with notes from the exhibit’s curators:

1957 Chevrolet 150 Two Door Utility Sedan “Black Widow” by SEDCO Gallery
Having withdrawn from official involvement in motorsport following a tragic crash at the 1955 24 Hours of Le Mans, General Motors formed SEDCO (Southern Engineering Development Company) to support NASCAR and drag racing in the late 1950s. SEDCO provided instructions detailing how customers could turn a 1957 Chevrolet 150 Utility Sedan into a race-ready “Black Widow.” The car on display, known as “Ram Jester,” was one of just six cars produced by SEDCO themselves.

1966 Lola T70 MkII
Powered by a 5.5 liter motor, the T70’s lightweight, robust chassis and powerful Chevrolet V-8 engine made it a favorite of drivers and fans alike. In 1966, drivers John Surtees, Dan Gurney, and Mark Donohue won five out of six Can-Am races in T70 MkIIs. After its dissolution in 2012, Lola was acquired in 2022 and expects to return to international motorsport as an electric powertrain manufacturer in the Formula E World Championship in 2025.

2018 McLaren MCL33
A lovely example of a Formula 1 racer that competed (not very successfully) in the 2018 season, driven by Fernando Alonso and Stoffel Vandoorne, and powered by a Renault engine.

Other vehicles to be shown include a 1957 Teverbaugh & Kirkland Bonneville Special, land speed racer that was the first car equipped with a parachute; 1969 Dodge Charger Daytona raced by Buddy Baker in 1969 and 1970 when he became the first driver to achieve 200 mph on a closed course; and a 1986 Porsche 962, which competed in 22 IMSA races, achieving seven wins