Petersen Museum Opens First-Ever Aston Martin Exhibit: “Performance and Prestige”

The Petersen Automotive Museum will celebrate one of the most storied names in motoring this fall with Performance and Prestige: A History of Aston Martin, the first-ever dedicated Aston Martin exhibition in the museum’s history. Opening October 26, 2025, in collaboration with Aston Martin Lagonda, the showcase will explore the brand’s 112-year journey—from handcrafted prewar racers to futuristic hypercars and the modern F1 era.

A Century of Speed and Sophistication

The exhibition will take over the Meyers Gallery at the Petersen, featuring more than a dozen significant modelsspanning Aston Martin’s evolution. Each tells a story of design daring, racing achievement, and cultural influence that has shaped the British marque’s legacy.

Among the centerpiece vehicles:

• 1949 DB2 Prototype – the postwar racer that secured a class podium at Le Mans and established the DB lineage.
• 1961 DB4GT Zagato – one of only 19 lightweight GTs, born from a collaboration between Aston Martin and Italian design house Zagato.
• 1979 Bulldog – a one-off twin-turbo V8 concept with gullwing doors and a top speed target of 200 mph.
• 2015 Vulcan – the 800-hp, track-only V12 hypercar built in just 24 units.
• 2021 Valkyrie Spider – an open-top marvel with over 1,000 horsepower, bridging F1 technology and road legality.

Rounding out the collection is Aston Martin’s AMR23 Formula One® car, driven by Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll, which earned eight podiums in the 2023 season—a contemporary symbol of the brand’s competitive resurgence.

Heritage Meets Modern Craft

From its 1913 founding by Lionel Martin and Robert Bamford, Aston Martin has embodied a balance between hand-built craftsmanship and cutting-edge innovation. Through icons like the DBR1, DB5, and Vanquish, the marque became synonymous not only with grand touring elegance but also motorsport excellence and cinematic allure.

“Aston Martin’s legacy is defined by more than a century of heritage, craftsmanship, and performance,” said Marek Reichman, Chief Creative Officer of Aston Martin Lagonda. “This exhibit celebrates the vehicles that made Aston Martin a symbol of prestige while highlighting our innovation in motorsport and modern road cars.”

Petersen Automotive Museum Executive Director Terry L. Karges added, “From its century-long history to its current position on the Formula One grid, this exhibit captures Aston Martin’s relentless pursuit of performance and design distinction.”

Exhibit Details

Performance and Prestige: A History of Aston Martin opens October 26, 2025, and will run through October 2026. Visitors can explore the exhibit at the Petersen Automotive Museum, located at 6060 Wilshire Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90036.

Admission is $21 for adults, $19 for seniors, $13 for youth (12–17), and $12 for children (4–11), with free entry for active military, personal care attendants, and children under four.

For tickets and more information, visit petersen.org/exhibits.

The Petersen Automotive Museum will open Performance and Prestige: A History of Aston Martin on October 26, its first-ever Aston Martin exhibition. Spanning 112 years of innovation—from the DB2 and DB4GT Zagato to the Valkyrie Spider and AMR23 F1 car—the exhibit captures the timeless fusion of performance, luxury, and design that defines the British marque.