PETERSEN AUTOMOTIVE MUSEUM CELEBRATES THE 90TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE ICONIC 1932 FORD WITH A NEW NATIONAL HOLIDAY, EXHIBITED AT A STAR-STUDDED GALA
This brand-new exhibit with the most legendary 1932 Fords ever built, will host a special gala featuring a live performance by ZZ Top’s Billy F Gibbons, and a massive cruise-in will celebrate the renowned hot rods
90 TH ANNIVERSARY
The Petersen Automotive Museum will honor the 90th anniversary of the 1932 Ford with a new national holiday, Hot Rod Day on June 11. They will celebrate the special day with the new “Ford Fever: The Deuce Turns 90” exhibit in the Ross and Beth Myers Gallery. Opening to the public on June 11, the new exhibit includes a definitive collection of groundbreaking 1932 Fords. Including models such as Doane Spencer’s historic Highboy and the influential McGee Roadster.
Luminaries from the hot-rod world will gather for the special Deuce Gala. This includes ZZ Top frontman Billy F Gibbons and Henry Ford III. The opening evening will start with a live performance by Gibbons. There will be an award ceremony and a once-in-a-lifetime live auction. The museum’s annual Deuce Day Cruise-In will be hosted at the Petersen Automotive Museum on Sunday, June 12th, 2022. They will attempt to make it the largest gathering of 1932 Fords in Southern California.
1932 FORDS EXHIBIT
Stars of the new “Ford Fever: The Deuce Turns 90” exhibit will include the famous McGee 1932 Roadster. Originally owned and built by Bob McGee, it paved the way for hot rods by combining speed and beauty with its shaved door handles, welded decklid, louvers, and seamless look. McGee’s Roadster would later make appearances in a host of television shows and movies. This included the “Hot Rod Gang” and an episode of “Happy Days,” before being showcased on the National Mall in Washington, D.C.
Another icon on display is Doane Spencer’s 1932 Ford Highboy, which won several show awards in the 1940s. Bored with the show circuit, Spencer took his Highboy racing at El Mirage and extensively modified it for Mexico’s Carrera Panamericana road race. Other iconic 1932 Fords on display include the coupes of Doyle Gammell and Andy Kassa and the roadsters of Ermie Immerso and Ray Brown.
THE GALA
Held the same evening as the exhibit’s opening, the Deuce Gala is a mid-year celebration recognizing luminaries in the hot-rod world. The museum will present the Hot Rod Icon Award to legendary musician Billy F Gibbons. He is the frontman for the rock group ZZ Top and a renowned automotive enthusiast. Tickets are $250 and consist of a 45-minute performance from Gibbons. As well as access to a live auction, complimentary dinner, an open bar and admission to the annual Deuce Day Cruise-In taking place the following day.
Capping off the weekend is the Petersen’s annual Deuce Day Cruise-in. This is where many of the museum’s greatest hot rods, including several AMBR winners, will be involved in what is slated to be one of the largest gatherings of 1932 Fords in Southern California.
“The 1932 Fords are marquee vehicles synonymous with the origins of hot rodding and worthy of an extended celebration,” said Petersen Automotive Museum Executive Director Terry L. Karges. “The exhibit, gala, and cruise-in will pay tribute to the Fords’ legacy and how they continue to captivate automotive and hot-rodding enthusiasts 90 years after debuting on the market.”
For more information about the Petersen Automotive Museum, please visit www.Petersen.org.
