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Yahoo
21-02-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Petersen Museum's Brilliant New Ken Block Exhibit Helped Me Grieve The Passing Of A Childhood Hero
The tragic passing of American rally legend, vehicular Gymkhana innovator, Hoonigan founder and DC Shoe co-founder Ken Block in early 2023 devastated car enthusiasts. Block and his series of Gymkhana videos brought the excitement of motorsport to an audience of over half a billion people around the world, including this humble writer. Born in my hometown of Long Beach, California, Block's jovial, unpretentious attitude and passion for motorsports resonated with me as an already car-obsessed early adolescent. The Petersen Automotive Museum in Los Angeles, California has a new exhibit dedicated to his myriad contributions, called "People's Champ: The Impact Of Ken Block." Open from now through October, it's a fitting ode to the motorsports legend. I expected the exhibit to be impressive, but I didn't expect it to help me process and grieve the passing of Block, one of my childhood heroes. The Petersen is widely regarded as one of the finest automotive museums in the world, but the current selection of exhibits might be the most compelling I've ever seen there. The Ken Block exhibit is housed on the museum's second floor in the Meyer Family Gallery, but crossing the threshold feels entirely transformative. When you enter the gallery, you get the same feeling that you do when you pass from Frontierland into Star Wars land at Disneyland California; you walk through the entrance and it's as though you've entered the Ken Block dimension, where nothing else in the world exists or matters. Read more: This SEMA Ford Maverick Show Truck Is A Symphony In Teal Three of his race suits stand tall on display as his affable voice plays over the speakers in the form of interviews and other sound bites. The interviews are broken up by the sound of Block vaporizing tires and turning fuel into noise as clips of his famous Gymkhana videos play on massive screens. Eight of the monumental vehicles that acted as his chariots of vehicular badassery in different eras of his career sit silently atop plinths, as though paying respects to their fallen champion. One of my favorite things about Block was his openness to different marques. Many car guys have a firm allegiance to one or two brands, but this exhibit alone include Fords, Subarus, Porsches, and Audis. From the 2005 Subaru Impreza WRX STI that starred in the very first Gymkhana to the Hoonipigasus Porsche 911 SVRSR that was built for the 2022 Pikes Peak International Hill Climb, Block's noble chariots stand proudly on display. Various pieces of memorabilia are encased in class along the perimeter of the exhibit, and a comprehensive timeline of his storied career occupies an entire wall. The floorplan is peppered with cars, including his 1965 Hoonicorn Ford Mustang, 1994 Ford Escort RS Cosworth, 1986 Ford RS200 Evolution, 2016 Ford Focus RS RX, 2022 Audi S1 E-Tron Hoonitron, 1977 Ford F-150 Hoonitruck, and my personal favorite, the 2008 Subaru Impreza WRX STI featured in Gymkhana Two. As I sit on the bench facing the "Ain't Care" wall of shrapnel that still vaguely resemble the car parts they were before Block pushed them to their limit, it finally sits in. Block's voice comes across the gallery speakers, chills make their way across my skin, and I start to feel a lump in my throat; this man who brought joy, excitement, and inspiration to me and millions of other car nerds across the globe really has passed. I was fortunate enough to share spaces with Ken a couple times in my life, and though I never personally knew him, I felt intrinsically connected to him. I was 12 when the first Gymkhana video made waves on YouTube, and as a giant gawky pubescent car nerd it gave me hope. It inspired me to own my inexplicable infatuation with the automobile, and almost made it cool. This exhibit gives closure to those who have a personal connection to the cultural contributions of the late, great Ken Block, and gives the next generation a chance to learn about and witness why he was such an impactful figure. Along with "People's Champ," The Petersen has several other brilliant and enthralling exhibits on display right now including "Best In Low: Lowrider Icons of the Street and Show," "Cars are Beautiful: Mr. Brainwash @ The Petersen," and "Modern Concepts: Future Visions from the Recent Past." Each of these exhibits are beautifully curated and contain brilliant artwork and of course, unique, rare, and tantalizing cars. A docent told me that the current array of exhibits has drawn in a remarkably diverse crowd of car fans, including folks who wouldn't normally feel at home in a museum, and I believe it. I implore anyone in the LA area to pay the museum a visit. There will be a cruise-in event on Saturday, April 5 and other events throughout the week that includes 4/3, National Ken Block Day. Visit the Petersen Automotive Museum website to learn more about ticket prices and hours. Read the original article on Jalopnik.
Yahoo
12-02-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Ken Block Exhibit Slides into the Petersen Museum Feb. 15
The life and cars of video star and rallymeister Ken Block are being celebrated at a new exhibit at the Petersen Automotive Museum in Los Angeles that opens Feb. 15. Block is best known for his Gymkhana driving videos, where the Hoonigan co-founder rallies through city streets, country roads, and abandoned military bases all over the world, snapping off jumps and barely missing various fixed objects, basically doing what we all think we could do, too, given the right circumstances. But of course, we couldn't do it. It's just that Block made it look so easy. The exhibit was already in the planning stages years ago, before Ken Block's untimely death in a snowmobiling accident two years ago. Enthusiasm for the show never really waned, especially at the Petersen, so it has come full circle. The Petersen calls the exhibit 'the most comprehensive public display of Block's collection ever assembled' and says it 'celebrates the enduring legacy of one of motorsport's most legendary figures.' In 2013, just five years into his fame, Block received the Petersen's Inspiration Award for 'his contributions to growing and inspiring the next generation of auto enthusiasts,' according to exhibit assistant curator Michael McCardle. While a handful of Ken Block's cars were shown at The Henry Ford as part of a larger motorsports exhibit, this Petersen showing will be the first one that has been done specifically focusing on the life and career and impact of Ken Block. 'It's certainly the largest gathering of any of his most famous vehicles that's ever been put together,' McCardle said. Among the cars on display are: 1965 Ford Mustang RTR 'Hoonicorn' featured in Gymkhana SEVEN, Gymkhana TEN, and Climbkhana. This was the world's first all-wheel-drive performance Mustang, the Hoonigan team said at the time. Following its debut in Gymkhana SEVEN, it earned a reputation as one of the most iconic custom vehicles ever built. 2022 Porsche 911 SVRSR 'Hoonipigasus' is a 1,400-hp Porsche built for the 2022 Pikes Peak International Hill Climb. Unfortunately, after promising practice runs, the engine failed just before race day and Block didn't get to see what it would do in competition. 2005 Subaru Impreza WRX STI featured in Gymkhana: Practice (or Gymkhana ONE) and 2008 Subaru Impreza WRX STI featured in Gymkhana TWO. These vehicles were constructed as successors to Ken Block's original 1991 Ford Escort Cosworth Group A rally car, which he competed in and used as one of five vehicles in Gymkhana TEN. The 1977 Ford F-150 Hoonitruck was created for Gymkhana TEN, partially out of Block's general love for trucks, and also as a tribute to his late father who had the exact same base truck back in the day. The 3.5-liter, twin turbocharged, Ford Performance/Roush Yates EcoBoost V6 makes 914 hp and 702 lb-ft of torque. The custom-tuned engine features a billet-aluminum block lifted directly out of the Ford Racing Ford GT Le Mans development program, according to Hoonigan. 2022 Audi S1 E-Tron Quattro 'Hoonitron' Inspired by the Audi Sport Quattro S1 rally car of the 1980s, Ken Block and Audi created an entirely new car for a series of Gymkhana spinoffs called Electrikhana. In addition to the cars, there will be a number of screens throughout the Bruce Meyer Family Gallery playing Gymkhana videos on a loop. You could spend hours in there. The exhibit opens Feb. 15 and will run through October.
Yahoo
31-01-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
New Museum Exhibit Honors Ken Block's Lasting Legacy
Read the full story on Backfire News If anyone had doubts about the lasting impact the late Ken Block has had on the car hobby, a new museum exhibit should clear things up. Hosted at the Petersen Automotive Museum in Los Angeles, 'People's Champ: The Impact of Ken Block' celebrates the man and his incredible contributions to motorsports and casual part of the exhibit, visitors will be able to see numerous vehicles owned by Block all in one place. Not only will his rally race cars be on display, so will rides used in the wildly popular Gymkhana films as well as some of the man's personal vehicles. The museum in a release calls this 'the most comprehensive public display of Block's collection every assembled.' One of the highlights is unsurprisingly the Hoonicorn, a 1965 Ford Mustang RTR famously used in Gymkhana SEVEN and Gymkhana TEN. Fans will also be happy to see Hoonipigasus, a 2022 Porsche 911 SVRSR which was built for the rigorous Pikes Peak International Hill Climb in 2022. Going back further in his career, we'll see the car that stared in Gymkhana ONE, a 2005 Subaru Impreza WRX STI, plus a 2008 Subaru Impreza WRX STI used in Gymkhana TWO. Not only will the public be able to get up close to some of Ken Block's cars, the display space has been fashioned to mimic the man's race headquarters and offices located in Park City, Utah. Photos and memorabilia never seen in public before will also be shared in the exhibit, adding to the draw for fans. The official public opening of 'People's Champ: The Impact of Ken Block' will be Saturday, February 15. Per Petersen Automotive Museum, the exhibit will run until October 2025. Image via Larry Chen/Petersen Automotive Museum
