Petersen Museum | PR

Petersen Automotive Museum to Open All-New “World Tour” Vault Experience Featuring the Largest Guided Automotive Museum Tour in America

Los Angeles(May 21, 2018) – On June 1, 2018, the Petersen Automotive Museum will unveil a new vault experience as part of a 10-year partnership with Hagerty, the world’s leading collectible car insurer and largest membership organization for driving enthusiasts. Entitled “The World Tour Vault presented by Hagerty,” the revamped excursion through the museum’s underground treasury will offer guests a chance to choose the length of their experience, with longer tours representing a longer educational opportunity and a more exclusive view of the rarest vehicles from around the world.

The new vault will reopen to the public preceded by a multi-day media preview beginning on May 25. Guests who want first access will be able to pre-purchase tickets online and choose from two guided options—a 75-minute tour or a 120-minute extended tour.

“As the world’s preeminent automotive museum, we constantly strive to educate our guests about automotive history, technology and design and how it has impacted both local and global culture,” said Petersen Automotive Museum Executive Director Terry L. Karges. “The Vault presented by Hagerty will offer the public an opportunity to now select their tour experience and see compelling new content that has never been displayed before at the Petersen.”

Guests of the new vault will find rarely-seen vehicles such as the two-time Le Mans-winning 1966 “Gulf” GT40, a 2018 Heritage Ford GT, a 1929 Bugatti Type 46, a 1936 Delahaye, Steve McQueen’s 1956 Jaguar XKSS, a 2015 Mclaren P1, a 1947 Cisitalia and much more.

“Car fans are going to be blown away by the vault tour,” said McKeel Hagerty, CEO of Hagerty. “Most people haven’t had the opportunity to see a lot of these icons up close before, so we’re thrilled to give them that chance. Cars this special should be seen by everybody.”

Since its reopening in 2015, the Petersen has housed more than 120 years of automotive history in the vault, representing the only museum of its kind to offer a “behind the scenes” look of this size. The expanded tour will present more than 100 new cars and 40,000 square feet of additional display space, nearly tripling the size of the original vault. The docent-led tours will give visitors an even greater look at history’s most iconic Ferraris, Bugattis, Porsches, coach-built cars, hot rods, Hollywood cars, presidential cars, racecars and art cars.