Metallica co-founder, lead singer, guitarist and songwriter James Hetfield Rocks The Petersen with 10 of his favorite customs.
The Petersen Automotive Museum debuted a new exhibit – Reclaimed Rust: The James Hetfield Collection – on February 1, 2020 which features 10 custom vehicles donated from the rock star’s personal collection. Located in the Bruce Meyer Family Gallery, the show celebrates Hetfield’s creativity as a world-renowned artist through his handcrafted custom cars and unique photos.
Key vehicles on display include: the ‘48 Jaguar Black Pearl; ‘34 Packard Aquarius, below, ‘53 Buick Skylark Skyscraper, ‘37 Lincoln Zephyr VooDoo Priest, ‘36 Auburn Slow Burn, top, ‘36 Ford Iron Fist, ‘37 Ford Crimson Ghost and ‘32 Ford Blackjack. Along with the custom vehicles, the exhibit features images displaying the build process of each car and a video of Hetfield talking about the cars.
“Like his music, James Hetfield’s car collection is a reflection of his creativity as an artist,” said Petersen Automotive Museum Executive Director Terry L. Karges. “Paying homage to classic silhouettes with a hint of disregard for convention, each car on display in Reclaimed Rust tells a unique story. We are thrilled to present this collection in an exhibit of rock star proportion.”
The museum hosted an opening reception and media preview on January 30, 2020. A ribbon cutting highlighted the reception that included a fireside chat with Hetfield and an auction featuring two signed, limited-edition ESP guitars. The show is sponsored by ESP Guitar Company, runs through October 2020. For more information about the Petersen Automotive Museum and JAMES HETFIELD ROCKS THE PETERSEN, please visit https://www.petersen.org/