Petersen Museum Celebrates 50 Years of Long Beach Grand Prix with Historic Race Car Exhibit
In honor of the 50th anniversary of the Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach, the Petersen Automotive Museum has unveiled a free-to-see exhibit featuring five legendary open-wheel race cars that have defined the Southern California street race through its many competitive eras.
Running from March 20 to April 8 in the museum's lobby, the temporary display brings together a trio of motorsports milestones—Formula 5000, Formula 1, and IndyCar—with each era represented by a historically significant machine that once tore through the coastal streets of Long Beach.
Among the standout entries is the 1974 Dan Gurney All-American Racers Eagle 755, the very first race car to ever compete on the Long Beach circuit. Piloted by Vern Schuppan to pole position in the inaugural 1975 Formula 5000 race, the car is now owned by Southern California collector Tom Malloy.
Formula 1's golden years at Long Beach are represented by two machines: the 1976 March 761, once driven by Italy's Vittorio Brambilla and now owned by Richard Griot, and the 1980 McLaren M30 driven by a young Alain Prost, currently in the hands of Sean Allen.
The IndyCar era comes alive through the 1981 AAR Eagle 8100, owned and driven in-period by Dennis Firestone, and a 1999 Reynard raced by Bryan Herta, now part of Erich Joiner's collection.
What makes the exhibit even more unique is that all five cars are set to return to the track during the Long Beach race weekend's Historic Formula Exhibition. It will mark the first time machines from all three major racing eras will compete together on the storied circuit.
'This is a rare opportunity for fans to see and hear the very cars that made Long Beach a staple of American motorsport,' said Jim Michaelian, president and CEO of the Grand Prix Association of Long Beach.
Located along Los Angeles' Miracle Mile, the Petersen Automotive Museum continues to be a driving force in automotive preservation and education, offering car enthusiasts an immersive look at the vehicles and stories that shaped history.
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