Mopars, Memories & Magic at the Petersen Automotive Museum

If you’re ever in the Los Angeles metro area, I highly recommend visiting the Petersen Automotive Museum. Recently, my family went on vacation to visit the mouse castle (Disneyland) in Anaheim. As part of that visit, we decided to go to several sightseeing locations, including the La Brea Tar Pits and the Petersen Automotive Museum.

The Petersen is very good at setting up exhibits that are specifically themed to either celebrate a person, a time period, or a form of engineering. First, there is normally a special exhibit on the first floor, followed by two more floors of vehicles, each separated into specific rooms based on exhibit themes. Then there is “The Vault,” but we’ll discuss that later. Let’s start with the main exhibit on the first floor.

Totally Awesome! Celebrating Cars and Culture of the ’80s and ’90s

We walked into the lobby, and while my wife was getting our tickets, I saw the first Mopar of the Totally Awesome! Exhibit:

• The 1982 Dodge Turbo Charger PPG Indy Car World Series Pace Car. Based on a heavily modified Dodge Omni Charger with a 2.2L Turbo III, this customized turbo Dodge has clearly been well taken care of. I had only seen pictures of this car, so it was cool to see all the details in person, including the lift-up doors, custom interior, and of course, all the extreme aerodynamic changes.

Once inside the exhibit room, we saw even more gems:

• Dodge Copperhead Concept Car – Debuted at the 1997 Detroit Auto Show, this concept was supposed to be a more affordable sports car to complement the Viper. It’s one of those ’90s concepts I wish they had built (my personal favorite still being the Pronto Spyder). Powered by a 2.7L V6, the Copperhead was nearly ready for production. In some ways, the Chrysler Crossfire filled the niche this car was aiming for, though it was also a profit play for Daimler.

• 1981 Jeep® J-10 Honcho Sportside Pickup – Much like the Wagoneers of its time, the Honcho was a luxury truck with standout styling. Fender flares, bold stripes, off-road tires—this wasn’t just a work truck. Inside, it had bucket seats, power windows, power steering, and a folding armrest. It’s the nicest Honcho I’ve seen in years and shows how American Motors Corporation (AMC) was trying to appeal to lifestyle buyers, much like Dodge and Ford were.

• 1986 Dodge M4S Turbo Interceptor – Another PPG Indy Pace Car, the M4S is often considered the pinnacle of 1980s Turbo Dodge engineering. This car featured a custom aerodynamic body, bespoke chassis, and a highly tuned 2.2L turbo engine. However, the one at Petersen is one of the six replicas built for the cult classic movie The Wraith. It was one of two working stunt cars, and it was incredibly cool to see in person.

Second Floor Highlights

After taking the elevator to the second floor, we were immediately greeted by a very special Mopar:

• 1966 Plymouth Barracuda Cocnept – This particular Barracuda was commissioned by Plymouth to showcase the potential of customizing the first pony car to hit the market (yes, it beat the Mustang!). It was a treat to see this well-preserved concept in person. Take a look at the photos and see if you can spot the subtle design tweaks both inside and out.

Driven To Win Exhibit

The racing exhibit was impressive, but one car in particular stole the show:

• 1969 Dodge Charger Daytona Stock Car – Believed to be the #88 car raced by Buddy Baker in 1969 and 1970, this stock car was fully restored to period specs, including the textured roof paint. Chrysler was testing how texture affected aerodynamics. One famous example was the 1968 Plymouth Road Runner driven by Richard Petty, which had a textured roof that peeled mid-race.

More Concept Cars

Back in the main hallway, we saw a few more Mopar concepts:

• 1996 Chrysler Lugano Concept Mockup – A clay styling study that clearly influenced late ’90s and early 2000s Chrysler sedans.

• 2004 Chrysler ME Four-Twelve – This one blew me away. It was extremely close to production and reportedly embarrassed Daimler executives. Sadly, it was shelved before it could hit the streets. It’s easily one of the most important American concept cars of the modern era. Seeing it in person is worth the visit alone.

Cars on Film

The next room celebrated Hollywood cars, and Mopar had some great representation:

• 1958 Plymouth Fury “Christine” – One of the actual hero cars from the movie. Gorgeous and terrifying. Standing in front of it, you half expect the high beams to flicker on.

• 1976 AMC Pacer “Mirthmobile” – Yes, the original from Wayne’s World. The cassette tapes on the dash were a great detail.

• 1966 Chrysler Imperial “Black Beauty” – One of the two cars used in the original Green Hornet TV show. Bruce Lee’s Kato spirit definitely lingers around this one.

• 1968 Fiat 500L – Used in Mission Impossible: Dead Reckoning – Part One. The car still has all the camera mounts attached from the Tom Cruise chase scene.

The Vault – Hidden Mopar Treasures

The Vault is essentially the Petersen’s basement garage, filled with hundreds of vehicles not on the main floors. You’ll need an extra ticket to get in—but it’s well worth the cost.

Highlights included:

• 1992 Dodge Viper – One of the very rare pilot cars. Mopar history in raw form.

• 1967 Dodge Coronet WO23 HEMI – A real-deal 426 HEMI with a column shift and bench seat. Total sleeper. The ’66–’67 B-body roofline is underrated.

• 1952/1956 Chrysler Imperial Parade Phaeton – Originally built for presidential use, this one was later updated to 1956 styling. It was used by Presidents Eisenhower and Nixon.

• 1951 Plymouth Savoy Wagon – Absolutely beautiful. I’d love to daily this with a modern Gen III HEMI swap.

• 1965 DeSoto Conquest – This one stumped me. I thought I was looking at a 1965 Chrysler 300 or New Yorker, but it turns out it’s an art car by Lewis DeSoto, built from a real Chrysler.

• 1968 Dodge Super Bee – A simple, clean first-year Bee with steel wheels and dog dish caps. This is what the Road Runner and Super Bee were all about—no fluff, just muscle.

Final Thoughts

I hope you enjoyed this rundown and the photos of the Mopars currently on display at the Petersen Museum. I highly recommend visiting if you’re ever in the area. Parking is easy and affordable, and you can also walk down to the La Brea Tar Pits from the museum.

And if you’re wondering—where’s the Chrysler Turbine Car? I asked. Turns out it was on loan to the Petersen from the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County and has since been returned. No word on whether it’s in storage or back on display elsewhere.