Re: “Car Show Opening in One Week” 

There will be no shortage of legendary attractions on Saturday when the 13th annual Cruisin’ Back to Culver City Car Show unfolds and spreads out across Downtown streets.

Officially, the Exchange Club-sponsored event begin at 9 a.m. and concludes at 3.

But there will be plenty of active before and after those hours for car buffs and their families.

Last week we talked about Herbie, Grease Lightning and a 1927 Phantom Rolls Royce Town Car once owned by the elegant Fred Astaire.

They will be among the 500 cars on display.

Here are some participating cars from the notable Petersen Automotive Museum:
1961 Volkswagen
Beetle
Herbie: Fully Loaded
In Walt Disney Pictures’ Herbie: Fully Loaded (2005), the endearing Volkswagen that debuted in the 1969 movie The Love Bug returns, transformed into a NASCAR contender. One of several built for the film, this Herbie is equipped with a 200 horsepower engine that can propel it to a remarkable 138 miles per hour, and was the car driven by Lindsay Lohan as Maggie Peyton in the racing sequences. Like previous Herbies, this Volkswagen has been endowed with thought, emotion, and a strong will, qualities that the main characters find useful in their quest for love and adventure.
Collection of the Petersen Automotive Museum
1946 Ford
Convertible customized by George Barris
Already well known for creating the original Batmobile and Munster Coach, the late Hollywood car customizer George Barris was called upon by producers to modify a 1946 Ford for the movie Grease (1978), one of the highest grossing films of all time. It featured free-standing headlights, a Plexiglas hood and 30-inch fins, a feature dictated by the lyrics of the song “Grease Lightning,” whi performed by the fictional students of Rydell High School in the film. This car, which built for a stage show and promotional tour featuring Olivia Newton John, was virtually identical to the on-screen vehicle.
The Margie and Robert E. Petersen Collection
1999 MACH 5
Prototype
As depicted in the animated television series Speed Racer and the movie Speed Racer (2008)
The Mach 5 has been described as the most famous race car in the world because of the continuing popularity of the 1967 Speed Racer cartoon series, which has an estimated fan base of 50 million people. In 2000, this hand-built, mid-engine interpretation of the cartoon Mach 5 completed a nationwide automotive safety tour sponsored by the Child Safety Network. The Speed Racer Motors organization then unveiled plans to build a series of 100 road-ready replicas based on front-engine Corvette platforms, but few were made. The most recent popular appearance of the Mach 5 was in the 2008 Speed Racer movie, for which no running vehicles (only prototypes) were constructed because all action was digitally produced.
The Margie and Robert E. Petersen Collection
1927 Rolls Royce
Phantom I Town Car by Hooper
Previously owned by Fred Astaire
As the name implies, town cars were intended for city use on formal occasions. The design was a holdover from the horse-and-carriage era when the driver sat in the open regardless of the weather while the passengers sat comfortably inside. This ultra formal vehicle has a sumptuously appointed rear compartment complete with green brocade upholstery, silver plated fittings, his and hers English Silver vanity sets, silver bud vases, and two walking sticks, one fitted with a telescope, the other with opera glasses. Passengers could communicate with the chauffeur through a speaking tube. Fred Astaire owned this car until 1950 and used it in London, New York, and Los Angeles.
The Margie and Robert E. Petersen Collection
1941 Cadillac
Series 62 Coupe Custom by Don Lee
Originally owned by Clark Gable and Carole Lombard
Renowned Hollywood actor Clark Gable ordered this coupe through local dealer Hillcrest Cadillac, then sent it to California Cadillac distributor Don Lee to be modified in ways that were ultimately adopted by postwar customizers. Its roof was lowered (“chopped”), the rear quarter windows were filled in (“blanked”), and a portion of the side chrome trim was removed (“shaved”). The windshield was also raked and a padded top covering fitted. Upon taking delivery, Gable gave it to screen star Carole Lombard, who he married in 1939. After Lombard was killed in a plane crash in 1942, the Cadillac was sold to movie director Roy Del Ruth who gave it to his son soon after.

Learn more about the Culver City racing scene from the Culver City Historial Society by clicking here.
Mr. Cohn may be contacted at john@thejungle.biz or at 310.402.3263.