Modified Movie Cars at the Petersen Museum

Some of Hollywood’s most memorable on-screen, on-the-go co-stars are stealing the spotlight at the world-renowned Petersen Automotive Museum. Iconic modified vehicles from blockbuster movies like “Cobra,” “Back to the Future” and “Die Another Day” take you for a trip down memory lane. And like our Stephanie Hart, seeing them, you just can’t help but smile.

STEPHANIE HART: LA’s Wilshire Boulevard is the appropriate address for the Petersen Museum and its latest movie car showcase, “Modified for the Movies!”

This is the most popular car in the exhibit. This 1981 DeLorean was driven in all of the “Back to the Future” movies. Its gull-wing doors look alien-like and that’s why it was cast as the time machine. The time machine is one of a dozen vehicles that are staring at the Petersen. All of the vehicles here were customized to make them more compelling on the big screen.

Of course, everyone including me is mesmerized by the famous flux capacitor that allows the DeLorean to travel through time.

AUTUMN NYIRI: Since the advent of the motion picture, vehicles have been featured prominently on-screen not just to transport the actors from place to place, but also to serve as important plot devices or set the scene of the story where the action takes place.

STEPHANIE HART: You also have a 1976 Ford Gran Turino here that was driven in “Starsky & Hutch.”

AUTMUN NYIRI: Yes, we do. So, when they started they wanted a car that would be distinctive and new and stand out, so they selected the 1976 Ford Gran Turino from Ford Motor Company’s TV and Studio Car Loan program. They gave it its distinctive red paint color and the white stripe that everyone knows so well. Additionally, modifications were performed to help with stunts.

The car ended up being probably as much or more popular than the two title characters, and so people really remember that vehicle from their childhood.

STEPHANIE HART: And this one caught my eye. It’s from the 2005 movie “Herbie Fully Loaded.” The lovable 1966 Volkswagen Beetle that debuted in the 1968 movie “The Love Bug” returns, this time transformed into a NASCAR contender.

Thirty different vehicles were used in production with different looks to suit the scene.

I’m behind the wheel of the 2002 Jaguar XKR that was driven by the villains in “Die Another Day.” This vehicle may appear stock, but it’s actually heavily modified. One of the coolest modifications is this massive gun mounted behind the driver’s seat.

And that’s not all. Check out its front grille. Missiles fire out of here; and there are rocket launchers on the door.

However, the biggest modification to this Jaguar XKR is concealed. It was actually rebuilt on a shortened Ford Explorer four-wheel drive chassis so that it could handle better on the ice during this action-packed car chase scene.

This 1950 Mercury Monterey was also able to perform better in its movie role, thanks to customizations. This luxury car starred alongside Sylvester Stallone in the 1986 movie “Cobra.”

AUTUMN NYIRI: The roofline has been lowered and it has a double hood scoop to give it a tougher and more rugged look. It performs really fantastic stunts in the film. It does 180 degree turns. It drives backwards. It leaps off the second story of a parking garage. So, it really plays a pivotal role in the film.

STEPHANIE HART: Really exciting.

AUTUMN NYIRI: It’s very exciting.

STEPHANIE HART: This exhibition proves the cars are the stars by helping people understand how customizing a car impacts a movie’s plot, ultimately making it more enjoyable to watch.

Clearly, modified movie cars won’t be upstaged by the actors anytime soon.

“Hollywood Customs: Modified for the Movies” exhibit is on display at the Petersen Museum in Los Angeles, California until January 2025.