IF THIS IS GOODBYE . . .

AS THE PETROL-ENGINED SUPERCAR APPROACHES ITS TWILIGHT YEARS, LA’S PETERSEN MUSEUM ASSEMBLED SOMETHING OF AN IMMACULATE COLLECTION. IT’S BEEN A BLAST...

- BEN BARRY

SUPERCARS INSPIRED US as schoolkids, they've pushed automotive technology to new heights and they've raised the bar in motorsport. The Petersen Automotive Museum in Los Angeles curated an exhibition to tell that story in its (suitably avant-garde) building on Wilshire Boulevard.

Supercars: a Century of Spectacle and Speed assembled the highlights from mostly the last 60 years the Petersen says that while supercars were popularised then, the term has been in use for more than 100 years, allowing for some elasticity in its interpretation.

There were more than 30 pivotal supercars to admire, ranging from the American Mercer Raceabout of 1913 (naturally, it'd be remiss not to mention the US contribution given the Californian location), to the advent of hypercars in more recent years, including the Bugatti Veyron, via more familiar expressions of supercar excess from Ferrari, McLaren and Lamborghini.

The exhibition ran throughout 2021, but with travel restrictions and the Pacific Ocean between us, it wasn't the easiest to get to. So, here's your guided tour. Plus first-hand recollections and inside stories from those who worked on some of these landmark machines. It's a truly incredible collection of cars.

WHAT, NO F50?

288 GTO, F40, Enzo - Ferrari's sporadic limited-run supercars are perfection. The 288 hid innovation including a 2.8-litre turbo V8 and composite panels in a 308style body. The Enzo channelled F 1 with its carbon tub, and introduced the F140 V12 engine family still used in today's 812.

MC GLAMOUR