Petersen Museum Opens 42-Car Mercedes-Benz Exhibit for Brand's 100th Anniversary
Updated
Updated · Jalopnik · May 22
Petersen Museum Opens 42-Car Mercedes-Benz Exhibit for Brand's 100th Anniversary
2 articles · Updated · Jalopnik · May 22
42 vehicles spanning 140 years of history anchor Petersen Museum's "World-Class: 100 Years of Mercedes-Benz," which opens to the public on May 23 and runs through April 25, 2027.
The Los Angeles show marks 100 years since Daimler and Benz merged into Mercedes-Benz and 140 years since Carl Benz created the Patent-Motorwagen, aiming to broaden U.S. views of the brand beyond modern luxury cars.
Only 4 cars come directly from Mercedes, with most loans from private owners and major collectors, including rare models such as the one-off 1953 300SL "Hobel" prototype and the surviving 1938 540K Autobahnkurier.
The exhibit also mixes celebrity-owned and competition machinery—from Walt Disney's 1964 Pagoda SL to a 1938 W154 Formula 1 car and the canceled 1991 C112 concept, which reportedly drew nearly 700 orders.
How does the exhibit address Mercedes-Benz's controversial role during the Nazi era?
While celebrating its gas-powered past, what does this show about Mercedes' electric future?
How did the museum convince collectors to loan priceless cars for an entire year?