HEAVY METAL COLLECTION

With a bit of luck we might be able to fly to the US again by the end of the summer. If Los Angeles is on your itinerary, then make sure you include the Petersen Museum for a very special exhibition that’s been extended due to the pandemic. Keith Harman explains why…

- Keith Harman

We had already made plans back inJanuary 2020 to travel to California totake in the Grand National Roadster Show etc., when we received an email from our expat friend in Pomona, Tony Thacker, inviting us to a special reception evening at the Petersen Automotive Museum in Beverley Hills. Tony has been resident in California and involved in the hot rod scene there for more than 30 years, so usually has his finger on the pulse of anything cool going on there. The Petersen has had somewhat of a makeover in recent months, with dynamic new displays designed to broaden its appeal and keep things fresh.

The invitation was to a preview reception for a new exhibition opening in the museum, dedicated to showcasing the car collection of one of the biggest names in rock music today. It’s well known in California car circles that James Hetfield, the frontman of Metallica, one of the biggest rock bands in the world, is a major-league car guy and, as if you needed any proof, look no further than this jaw-dropping collection of automotive creativity. This was the first time that Hetfield’s collection of bespoke customs had been displayed all together for the public, the museum naming the event Reclaimed Rust: The James Hetfield Collection.