<description>&lt;p&gt;Join hosts Mickey, Ben, Dave, and Tim as they chat with &lt;strong&gt;Autumn&lt;/strong&gt;, Associate Curator at the &lt;a href="https://www.petersen.org/" rel="nofollow"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Peterson Automotive Museum&lt;/strong&gt; in Los Angeles&lt;/a&gt;. Discover what makes the Peterson one of the world’s most respected car museums, from its legendary lowrider exhibits to the hidden treasures in its vault. Autumn shares behind-the-scenes insights on how exhibits are chosen, the intersection of cars and culture, and why even non-car enthusiasts will find something to love. Plus, don’t miss the trivia showdown: &lt;em&gt;Which car was briefly sold at Sears?&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Key Topics Discussed:&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt; &lt;ul&gt; &lt;li&gt;The Peterson’s three-floor layout: &lt;strong&gt;history, industry, and artistry&lt;/strong&gt; (including the famed lowrider exhibit).&lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt;Behind the scenes: How exhibits are curated (spoiler: it’s not just about cars—it’s about storytelling).&lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt;The &lt;strong&gt;Vault&lt;/strong&gt;: A secret trove of 300+ cars, including presidential limos and race cars.&lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt;Why cars are cultural artifacts: Autumn’s journey from anthropology to automotive curation.&lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt;Funding the museum: Sponsorships, tire companies, and keeping corporate influence at bay.&lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Trivia Time&lt;/strong&gt;: Was it the Allstate, the Subaru 360, or the Nash Metropolitan sold at Sears? (Answer revealed in-episode!)&lt;/li&gt; &lt;/ul&gt; &lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Fun Moments:&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt; &lt;ul&gt; &lt;li&gt;Dave’s obsession with driving gloves (and Ben’s hack for buying them cheap).&lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt;The museum’s unexpected bestsellers: &lt;strong&gt;Peterson-branded socks&lt;/strong&gt; (yes, really).&lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt;Mickey’s dream of a &lt;em&gt;Thing About Cars&lt;/em&gt; road trip to LA—with a &lt;em&gt;Home Alone&lt;/em&gt; twist.&lt;/li&gt; &lt;/ul&gt; &lt;p&gt;We welcome your support via &lt;a href="https://www.patreon.com/TheThingAboutCars" rel="nofollow"&gt;Patreon&lt;/a&gt; and your questions and feedback via our &lt;a href="http://thethingaboutcars.com/" rel="nofollow"&gt;website&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;</description>

The Thing About Cars

Mickey Desai

Curating Car Culture: Inside the Peterson Automotive Museum with Autumn

JUL 8, 202535 MIN
The Thing About Cars

Curating Car Culture: Inside the Peterson Automotive Museum with Autumn

JUL 8, 202535 MIN

Description

<p>Join hosts Mickey, Ben, Dave, and Tim as they chat with <strong>Autumn</strong>, Associate Curator at the <a href="https://www.petersen.org/" rel="nofollow"><strong>Peterson Automotive Museum</strong> in Los Angeles</a>. Discover what makes the Peterson one of the world’s most respected car museums, from its legendary lowrider exhibits to the hidden treasures in its vault. Autumn shares behind-the-scenes insights on how exhibits are chosen, the intersection of cars and culture, and why even non-car enthusiasts will find something to love. Plus, don’t miss the trivia showdown: <em>Which car was briefly sold at Sears?</em></p> <p><strong>Key Topics Discussed:</strong></p> <ul> <li>The Peterson’s three-floor layout: <strong>history, industry, and artistry</strong> (including the famed lowrider exhibit).</li> <li>Behind the scenes: How exhibits are curated (spoiler: it’s not just about cars—it’s about storytelling).</li> <li>The <strong>Vault</strong>: A secret trove of 300+ cars, including presidential limos and race cars.</li> <li>Why cars are cultural artifacts: Autumn’s journey from anthropology to automotive curation.</li> <li>Funding the museum: Sponsorships, tire companies, and keeping corporate influence at bay.</li> <li><strong>Trivia Time</strong>: Was it the Allstate, the Subaru 360, or the Nash Metropolitan sold at Sears? (Answer revealed in-episode!)</li> </ul> <p><strong>Fun Moments:</strong></p> <ul> <li>Dave’s obsession with driving gloves (and Ben’s hack for buying them cheap).</li> <li>The museum’s unexpected bestsellers: <strong>Peterson-branded socks</strong> (yes, really).</li> <li>Mickey’s dream of a <em>Thing About Cars</em> road trip to LA—with a <em>Home Alone</em> twist.</li> </ul> <p>We welcome your support via <a href="https://www.patreon.com/TheThingAboutCars" rel="nofollow">Patreon</a> and your questions and feedback via our <a href="http://thethingaboutcars.com/" rel="nofollow">website</a>.</p>