Silly Saturday: Chickenmobile

The Chicken Mobile delivers!!!

Seriously, who would want their dinner delivered in a yellow Cadillac with a chicken's head and tail sticking out the top and back? Maybe the kids would like it or someone enjoying a drug-induced euphoria. As for me, one instance of having the Chickenmobile park in front of my place would certainly encourage me to forevermore pick up my takeout orders. ;-)

Check out this post from LA Weekly on another chicken car, "El Gallo." Fun stuff!!!

Yeah, this is another "Image of the Day" post, but with a twist. If I'm going to do easy photo blogging, then I might as well follow some weekly themes. And, therefore, I've initiated "Silly Saturday" with the intention to provide my dear readers with a goofy treat to start the weekend right.

Now, comedy isn't my thing. This feature may totally fall flat. But experimentation is the key to successful long term blogging and writing. It keeps things from getting stale, develops underutilized narrative talents, and creates a diverse portfolio within a blogger's body of work.

So, this is our first installation. Let's look at what happens next week. . .

And a few vids over the jump.

Sculpture in Motion

1956 Alfa Romeo 1900 SSZ, body by Zagato, designed in the "Double Bubble" style

It had been a while since I last visited the Petersen Automotive Museum. Since today marked the birth dates of both Nicola Romeo (b.1876) and Ferruccio Lamborghini (b.1916), I figured it was about time to drop on by and check out the newest exhibit, "Sculpture in Motion: Masterpieces of Italian Design".

There were three gorgeous Alfa Romeo autos in this show, the 1956 1900 SSZ, the 1949 6C 2500 Villa d'Este, and the 2008 8C Competizione. They set the gallery aglow with awesome. ;-)

There were other fine vehicles on display, including a 1970 Bertone-designed Lancia Stratos HF Zero and a lovely 1959 Pinin Farina body Ferrari 400 Superamerica, but we'll focus on the Alfa Romeo beauties in this post. Hopefully, I'll get back to the museum sometime soon and fully document the show for you all.

Sideview of the 2008 Alfa Romeo 8C Competizione

Yeah, I might be a dedicated Ferrari man, but I'd be willing to settle. ;-)

Frontview of the 2008 Alfa Romeo 8C Competizione

Fortunately, this show is going on for a good, long time. It's scheduled to run until February 2013. But don't procrastinate. If you love elegant automobiles, this is a show to appreciate over and over again.

Size Doesn't Always Matter

"Scooters: Size Doesn't Always Matter" is on exhibit at the Petersen until May 28, 2012

It's been a while since I posted about automobiles or similar matters. So, let's take a look at some scooters!

The Petersen Automotive Museum currently has an awesome exhibit going on, showcasing scooters from their earliest days to the modern era. Normally, I'm not the kind of person who would get excited by scooters, but the breadth and depth of the display won me over. The developmental history of both the technology and style made for a fascinating show.

And, of course, it reminded me of undeniable coolness of the Vespa. ;-)

1951 Vespa 125

It's always exciting when you go into an exhibition with low expectations, but come out of it enthusiastic and inspired.

Quick, Robin! To the Batmobile!

The Bat-Signal

Here's a whimsical post to start the weekend. ;-)

I recently visited the Petersen Automotive Museum to check out their Hot Wheels collection. My interest in toy cars has recently been revived by Chris Burden's Metropolis II exhibit at LACMA. I strolled over to the neighboring exhibit on Hollywood vehicles and decided to snap some photos of the Batmobile from the 1989 Batman movie.

I used to be a serious comic book geek, so visiting the Batmobile is always a thrill.

Costume from Batman (1989), designed by Bob Ringwood

Side view of the Batmobile from Batman (1989)

You can't really get a feel for the overwhelming size of the Batmobile in the movies or photos. It's over twenty feet long and the reflective black paint makes it seem even bigger. The Hollywood gallery is filled with attention-grabbing vehicles, but the Batmobile just dominates the view.

Twelve Hundred Toy Cars

Metropolis II by Chris Burden


You can always count of Chris Burden to come up with an interesting concept and a distinct manner in which to express it. His newest work, Metropolis II, which goes on display at LACMA on January 14, is part kinetic sculpture and part performance piece.

Essentially, it is a huge toy car track set within a toy cityscape, wherein the buildings are made of Lego pieces, wooden blocks, and assorted other play pieces. Likewise, there are toy trains that run throughout the setting. Being quite familiar with the efforts involved in designing toy environments, I totally believe reports that it took over four years to construct. It is a massive and complex effort.

There are eighteen railroads in this design. There are twelve hundred custom-built toy cars. Over the course of an hour, one hundred thousand cars make their way over the course of Metropolis II's roadways.

Metropolis II by Chris Burden with cars in motion

It is an awesome sight to behold.

Three Views of a Porsche

Front view of a 1964 Porsche 901 Coupe on view at the Petersen Automotive Museum


I haven't shared any automobile photos for a while. Since I was visiting LACMA yesterday, I strolled across the street to visit the Petersen Automotive Museum to remedy this situation.

The car that caught my eye on this viewing was a lovely 1964 Porsche 901.

ENVY!!!!!!!!!

Side view of a 1964 Porsche 901 Coupe

Here's a view of the placard:

Museum data placard for 1964 Porsche 901 Coupe


Mighty cool. So, how does one go about getting one of these beauties? ;-)

Concours d'Elegance

Exhibit at the Petersen Automotive Museum celebrating the life and career of Phil Hill

Although the stereotype of American automotive racers is that of brash and impatient "alpha" males, the first great American-born international champion, Phil Hill, was a reflective and quiet man.

Not only did he excel on the race course, back in the days of motor mayhem and high driver fatalities, but he also dedicated himself to restoring classic cars, preserving the material history of automotive culture. Long after his Grand Prix championship was in the rear view mirror, Hill continued to promote vintage vehicles.

In fact, his influence as a "car man" may be more lasting in his work with classic cars than in racing for Ferrari or Ford. Certainly, the Pebble Beach Concourse d'Elegance, one of the most important events for antique auto enthusiasts, would be far less prominent, if not for the high profile support that Hill provided over the years.

In celebration of the fifty year anniversary since Phil Hill won the Formula One World Championship, the Petersen Automotive Museum is hosting an exhibition, showcasing both sides of his contribution to the automotive world: the cars in which he raced and the vintage treasures that he restored.

1962 Ferrari 250 GTO; debuted at 12 Hours of Sebring in 1962

The cars were so awesome, I felt significantly cooler just standing next to them. ;-)

Cavallino Rampante

Ferrari's Prancing Horse

Last week, I had the opportunity to see a Ferrari Club exhibition up in Palos Verde. It was quite a thrill. I'm not a "car person" but I can appreciate fine design and craftsmanship. The autos were awesome!!!

After my "incident" earlier this week, I'm going to be needing a new car. Sadly, these beauties are out of my price range. But I have an active imagination and great proficiency at dreaming. ;-)

Of the various elite luxury brand race car manufacturers, Ferrari is the one that captures my interest. Certainly, there are other fine cars that I admire, such as Bugatti, Jaguar, or Porsche. But the story behind Ferrari makes it stand out. From the origin of the "Prancing Horse" to the "quirkiness" of il Commendatore, Enzo Ferrari, to the thrilling races at Le Mans or on the Formula One circuit, the Ferrari story is a compelling narrative.



Ferrari 308 GTSI


Yeah, as an American, it's appropriate to belittle the "Pride of Italy", but, love them or hate them, you can't deny their fascinating history and their amazing automotive design.

Streetscapes and Supercars

1959 Cadillac Eldorado Biarritz Convertible "Elvis II" customized by John D'Agostino

I recently visited the Petersen Automotive Museum. I'm not much of a car enthusiast, but I can certainly appreciate a fine bit of design and engineering. Additionally, I enjoy looking at things from a historical perspective, and the Petersen does a good job of displaying their collection within a historic context.

Their "Streetscape" exhibit is specifically geared towards examining the development of automotive culture over the course of the 20th century. Vintage cars are displayed within dioramas representing the appropriate era. This is further enhanced with educational placards providing information on the era, auto, or display. Although designed for accessibility to a young audience, there is sufficient material to capture an adult's interest.

Here are a few photos from the "Streetscape" exhibit:


1903 Cadillac Model A Runabout; top speed: 30mph



1935 Ford Phaeton & 1939 Pontiac Station Wagon



1994 Bugatti EB110; top speed: 210mph

 Of course, one of the highlights of visiting the Petersen is the "Hollywood Gallery" wherein cars from movies and television are on display. My favorite was:

Although the movie was horrible, I was still charmed to see the Mach 5.

On the other hand, when I saw Herbie, I got fairly excited but then I noticed that it was from that abominable Lindsay Lohan movie from 2005. Bummer.

I also enjoyed looking at the Hot Wheels gallery. I used to be an avid collector when I was child. Somewhere, my parents still have it packed away. Ah, the memories. . .

But the best exhibit was "Supercars: When Too Much Is Almost Enough." Merely walking into the gallery made my testosterone level increase. Normally, I don't get "car envy" but these aren't normal cars. My favorites were:


1963 Ferrarii 400 Superamerica; top speed: 164mph



1969 Lamborghini Miura 5; top speed 173mph



1992 Jaguar XJ220; top speed: 213mph

 Yeah. Most excellent display of automotive greatness. I want!!! ;-)

Here's a vid from the Petersen in promotion of the Supercar exhibit:

Here's a link to the Petersen Automotive Museum.

Enjoy!!!