The Henry Ford (Museum of American Innovation)

[5566]

https://www.thehenryford.org/about/press-room/press-releases/general-motors-president-mark-reuss-named-board-chair-for-the-henry-ford/

[98SVT - was 06GT]

I hope they don't ruin it. The Petersen has lost some of it's American car SoCal Hot Rod vision when they added Peter Mullin to the board and some of his French 20s & 30s coachbuilt cars started showing up from his own museum. I always thought it was as an ad for his own rarely visited museum in Santa Barbara. 10 Years ago he moved it from the cramped warehouse to a new place https://mullinautomotivemuseum.com/home/
PS - the Vibrant Beach Community of Oxnard should read Gang Infested Oxnard. https://www.google.com/maps/d/u/0/viewer?mid=1lCs2LqX6NbTZ6rph7pWtf8VZyzI&hl=en_US&ll=34.18230938225983%2C-119.15751630288356&z=14

[Side-Oilers]

In reality, it's becoming "The Mullin/Meyer Museum --- with Petersen Foundation Funding."

Does the Average Joe auto museum attendee care about an entire hall of obscure pre-war French cars? 

The museum needs a larger area devoted to Petersen Publishing, and the man himself.  Old magazine covers and photos, Pete through the years. All the titles he started. All the other things he did. All the trends, people and things his magazines created excitement about.

He was the ultimate "influencer" of the car/truck/boat/gun/diving/etc., businesses.  And he certainly wasn't born into it.  He was the only child of a mechanic in Barstow, CA in the 1920s.

To grow and excel and see (and seize) opportunity like he did makes him a bonified American success story. It needs to be celebrated by more than a name on the outside of a fugly (IMO) building.

Carroll's publicity owed a lot to Pete and his publications. They were close friends. I've only heard one or two stories firsthand, from the great old days. That was before Pete was married (pre-1965.)  Once Pete was deemed (by some Hollywood publication) to be "the most eligible bachelor in Hollywood", I can imagine the conveyor belt of beautiful women arriving daily.  Of course, Carroll provided his own conveyor belt of beauties too.

[5566]

So far, so good I guess.

https://www.thehenryford.org/visit/henry-ford-museum/exhibits/driven-to-win-racing-in-america/

[98SVT - was 06GT]

In reality, it's becoming "The Mullin/Meyer Museum --- with Petersen Foundation Funding."

Does the Average Joe auto museum attendee care about an entire hall of obscure pre-war French cars? 

The museum needs an area devoted to Petersen Publishing, and the man himself.  Old magazine covers and photos, Pete through the years. All the titles he started. All the other things he did. All the trends, people and things his magazines created excitement about.

He was the ultimate "influencer" of the car/truck/boat/gun/diving/etc., businesses.  And he certainly wasn't born into it.  He was the only child of a mechanic in Barstow, CA in the 1920s.

To grow and excel and see (and seize) opportunity like he did makes him a bonified American success story. It needs to be celebrated by more than a name on the outside of a fugly (IMO) building.

Carroll's publicity owed a lot to Pete and his publications. They were close friends. I've only heard one or two stories firsthand, from the great old days. That was before Pete was married (pre-1965.)  Once Pete was deemed (by some Hollywood publication) to be "the most eligible bachelor in Hollywood", I can imagine the conveyor belt of beautiful women arriving daily.  Of course, Carroll provided his own conveyor belt of beauties too.

As usual 100% spot on. If I remember Bruce was one of the first Pete added to the board. Bruce does have a great "hot rod" collection - but also a lot of stuff of his is in there that does not fit the vision. I hesitate to call him a King maker but a favorable article in any of his publications was a sure ticket to getting people in your door to buy your product. It was always intimidating to get off the elevator at his office and be confronted by a 12'+ Polar Bear https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cVW8MpaAwK0   I think at one point he had well over 50 magazine titles from Teen to Skin Diver. He even had Plane & Pilot (?) until he and Margie's sons were killed in a small plane crash. You could also eat in his Hollywood restaurant or lease space in the over 20 buildings he owned.

I hadn't seen this interview before highlights a lot of his (and Margie's) accomplishments - https://www.motortrend.com/news/hrdp-1301-pete-and-margie-the-lost-interview/

Few also remember the first Petersen Auto Museum a few doors west of Grauman's Chinese theatre. I remember going there in the 70s to pick up one of Mike Shoen's Daytona Coupes to take to a COCOA meeting.

[Side-Oilers]

Thanks, Brett.  You and I remember a lot of stuff about the car mag business, and it always corroborates.

Scandia was the Petersen's fancy restaurant, on Sunset a block west of the office. It was formerly Dean Martin's "Dino's Place." 

Motor Trend held several lunch/dinner events there, over the years.  Margie ran it.  (I think it closed in the early '90s, but could be off by a couple of years.)  She also ran the Petersen Art Gallery and handled most of her & Pete's substantial charity work.

Mrs. Petersen was a truly classy lady.  Always looking fresh out of a fashion magazine layout, and delightfully charming in demeanor. 

She'd have made a great Presidential First Lady.  She was already the First Lady of Magazine Publishing.

RIP Mr. & Mrs. P.

[98SVT - was 06GT]

Scandia was the Petersen's fancy restaurant, on Sunset a block west of the office.

Yes - I remember there was an unwritten rule not to use your company credit card there - unless your name was at the top of the editor list and it was someone important. Of course not having a company card my wife and I ended up as famous people on a lot of expense accounts.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=39iOXvEcCtc

6:55 sure explains how I got to work there - If they had ever asked for a transcript that included my english, writing or spelling grades I'd never have been hired. The first article I did for Kit Car I wanted to be top notch so I used all the correct industry terms and definitions. It was written at a mid college level. McClurg put me in my place and basically said dumb it down, 6th-8th grade level they're reading it in the bathroom.

Scandia - https://la.eater.com/2015/1/29/7947511/scandia-sunset-strip-long-lost-restaurant  Looks like most of the buildings he had have been torn down and replaced with hotels or apartments.

[FL SAAC]

The good old days

[Harris Speedster]

My experience with the Henry Ford Museum/archives was very pleasurable.
I did have to pay/ contribute to gain a lot of information & pictures they have on Ben Harris.

One such photo is located in Pics of Shelby (herein) in his birdcage Maserati race car, with Ben Harris.
Petersen and don't forget Wally Parks, both knew Ben and invited him to the 2nd annual "Indy Show" in 1952 via a full page ad in Hot Rod Magazine. Ben won BTW.
Politics in California found its way into the magazine arena and racing organizations, long story about the National level of the SCCA.
There is an untold firestorm behind what went on, but Petersen & Parks were on the correct side.
I do applaud Mr. Petersen, his family, the museum and his contributions
Respectfully,
John

[Side-Oilers]

Petersen...not Peterson, please.

[Harris Speedster]

side -oilers,
Sorry, for the slip.
I corrected the above.
John

[98SVT - was 06GT]

One such photo is located in Pics of Shelby (herein) in his birdcage Maserati race car......
Petersen and don't forget Wally Parks,

Petersen basically supplied the ink to draw participants/buyers. Parks the organization for places to drag race and Shelby the toys to play with. All 3 were friends beyond the car biz. CS was the biggest purveyor of the toys. Most magazine ad buyers supplied parts not complete cars. Petersen had the "upscale" SCCA sporty car crowd covered in Sports Car Graphic and Motor Trend (but didn't like the club politics).

Now a little CS / Jerry Titus trivia. CS was in NY and his Birdcage was damaged. His wrench said it was a write off. Enter Bill Frick (yes the Studillac guy) who says my guy can fix it. Frick intros him to Jerry Titus and he gets CS back on the track. titus was a Juilliard trained big band trumpet player but went back into mechanic work. He also got his writing career started at Frick's where he wrote the ads.

[Side-Oilers]

No problem, Harris Speedster John.  Just doing my usual proofreading. 

I can't seem to resist proofreading anything printed. It's because of my decades as an editor. 

Did you know there's almost always at least one typo in a restaurant menu?  Not at McDonald's, but at most any sit-down place.

Thanks for making your corrections.
Van

[Side-Oilers]

One such photo is located in Pics of Shelby (herein) in his birdcage Maserati race car......
Petersen and don't forget Wally Parks,

Petersen basically supplied the ink to draw participants/buyers. Parks the organization for places to drag race and Shelby the toys to play with. All 3 were friends beyond the car biz. CS was the biggest purveyor of the toys. Most magazine ad buyers supplied parts not complete cars. Petersen had the "upscale" SCCA sporty car crowd covered in Sports Car Graphic and Motor Trend (but didn't like the club politics).

Now a little CS / Jerry Titus trivia. CS was in NY and his Birdcage was damaged. His wrench said it was a write off. Enter Bill Frick (yes the Studillac guy) who says my guy can fix it. Frick intros him to Jerry Titus and he gets CS back on the track. titus was a Juilliard trained big band trumpet player but went back into mechanic work. He also got his writing career started at Frick's where he wrote the ads.

Brett, nice trivia about Jerry Titus.   I'd heard the Maserati story, and that he played trumpet, but didn't know the Juilliard part. That's impressive.

[Harris Speedster]

98 SVT,
Your post above is probably unknown to most car guy historians. me included !
I touched upon the >> lets say problems >> with racing in California, in my original post here.
The California club politics were  horrible to say the least, I don't blame Shelby for avoiding the hassles.

Petersen, why I complimented the family in the same post. he was a champion for the SCCA, same as Kimberly and Ben.
It did come to an end when a California race had 4 sanction bodies trying to push the other organizations out, long story,
I do love historical facts you guys bring out about the numerous racing organizations early years
John