Carstories by The Petersen Automotive Museum

Petersen Automotive Museum

The Petersen Automotive Museum's CarStories podcast is committed to bringing you the best interviews and automotive stories from celebrities, racers, actors, artists, designers, musicians, enthusiasts and industry professionals. The Petersen Automotive Museum is dedicated to the exploration and presentation of the automobile and its impact on American life and culture using Los Angeles as the prime example. Encompassing more than 300,000 square feet, its exhibits and lifelike dioramas feature more than 400 rare and classic cars, trucks and motorcycles.

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104 episodes
Updated April 27

Episodes104

Newest first

Apr 6, 2023 · 50 min
Chief Designer of the Ford GT & Artist | Camilo Pardo | Legacy Episode
Camilo Pardo is famous for having been the lead designer of the 2005-2006 Ford GT supercar but as it turns out, he's one of the most dynamic and fun and eccentric car designers we've talked to and we had an incredible time conversing with him. He is a bit of a renaissance man, with interest and skill in not only car design but also painting, furniture design, fashion design and more. He's an awesome guy and we're thrilled we got hang out with him.
Mar 30, 2023 · 41 min
Photographer, Artist & Petrol Head | Aloisa Ruf
Daniel and Patrick sat down with photographer, artist and petrol head Aloisa Ruf. They talk about the family business Ruf Automobile, collaborations and Formula 1. Listen now! To learn more about Aloisa Ruf visit: www.aloisaruf.net
Mar 28, 2023 · 35 min
Hot Rod and Custom Car Builder | Troy Ladd | Legacy Episode
Troy Ladd is an American designer and builder of custom cars and hot rods originally from Newport Beach, CA known for building traditional styled vehicles. After obtaining a Bachelor's degree in business from Vanguard University, Troy formulated a business plan for Hollywood Hot Rods, taking into account location, size of the building and equipment. In 2002, headquarters for Hollywood Hot Rods were set up in Burbank, CA. Industry magazines took notice of the cars being built at Hollywood Hot Rods and titles such as Street Rodder Magazine, Hot Rod Magazine and Rod & Custom were responsible for getting the word out about Troy Ladd’s shop.
Mar 22, 2023 · 45 min
MEGA Automotive Influencer | "What Do You Do for a Living" | Daniel Mac
Daniel and Patrick sat down with Daniel MacDonald aka Daniel Mac, who is one of the largest automotive and entrepreneurial content creators on the internet today. He has been asking luxury auto owners and celebrities “What do you do for a living” for over a couple years. Listen now!
Mar 14, 2023 · 30 min
Racing Legend, Indy 500 & Baja 1000 Winner | Parnelli Jones | Legacy Episode
In 2015 racing legend Parnelli Jones joins A.J. on the CarStories.com podcast to talk about his incredible career in motorsports and his new documentary, Godspeed: The Story of Page Jones, which is about his son’s 20 year battle with a brain injury.
Mar 8, 2023 · 36 min
Founder of the Mullin Automotive Museum, Businessman & Philanthropist | Peter Mullin | Legacy Episode
Carstories sat down with Peter Mullin in 2016 at the Petersen Automotive Museum. Peter Mullin was the current chairman of the Petersen's board of directors as well as the founder of the Mullin Automotive Museum in Oxnard, California. He has an incredible passion for and a nearly encyclopedic knowledge of pre-war French automobiles. He is the man behind the Art of Bugatti exhibition which was called the best ever celebration of the Bugatti family history and achievements. We were thrilled to have Mr. Mullin as a guest during the media preview of Art of Bugatti, we hope you enjoy the interview.
Mar 5, 2023 · 49 min
Chairman & CEO of Fisker Inc, Automotive Designer & Entrepreneur | Henrik Fisker | Legacy Episode
Henrik Fisker is one of the most famous and best regarded automotive designers in history. His work with vehicles such as the BMW Z8, the Aston Martin DB9 and V8 Vantage and the Fisker Karma is both well documented and widely admired as being some of the most beautiful modern automobiles. Henrik is a fantastic guy with an incredible eye for design and we were honored to have him stop by the Petersen Museum to talk cars. You're going to love this one!
Mar 1, 2023 · 38 min
The Urban Outlaw & Porsche Collector | Magnus Walker
Celebrating the 10th anniversary of “Urban Outlaw,” the award-winning documentary, Petersen Automotive Museum's executive director, Terry Kargas sits down with Magnus Walker to talk about his exhibit at the museum. Magnus Walker is one of the world’s most well-known Porsche builders and collectors. He found fame with his popular clothing brand, Serious, prior to building a career in real estate, cars and filmmaking. His Petersen exhibit included 10 cars and a series of objects personally selected by Walker. Highlights included his iconic red, white, and blue Porsche “277,” his Porsche 993 Art Car, his co-designed Nike SB dunks, and other art and automotive items curated by Walker himself.
Feb 26, 2023 · 1 hr 18 min
President & CEO of Justice Brothers | Broadcaster | Photographer | Ed Justice Jr
Ed Justice Jr. of the legendary Justice Brothers joins Chris and A.J. to talk about his family's rich history in automotive racing. Known for being behind vehicles involved in almost every kind of racing venue, from mid-west dirt tracks to the Indianapolis 500, Daytona 500 and the 24 Hours of Le Mans, the company has developed a reputation for being true supporters of motorsports for more than seven decades. The colorful Justice Brothers logo has adorned some of the most famous racecars to ever hit the track. But it wasn’t always that way. It was their mother that encouraged their curiosity with the then growing world of the automobile. The young Justice Brothers quickly got involved in cars and mechanics. This was in rural Kansas in the 1930′s and hot rodding had yet to catch on nationwide. Still, the brothers got ahold of an old Whippet automobile and proceeded to strip it down, removing the fenders and doing some elementary modifications. They even sent away to Floyd Clymer Publications for mail order plans on how to build a midget race car at home. After a near collision with the mayor of the town, their dreams were put on hold. Instead they were persuaded to open a bicycle rental and repair shop. All of this helped to hone their mechanical skills. Justice Brothers supported drivers and teams won the first NASCAR race on Daytona Beach, the first 500-mile NASCAR race; the Southern 500, the first NASCAR road race, the first victory by a foreign car in NASCAR and the first NASCAR championship. The winning by Justice Brothers supported teams in NASCAR continues to this day. The company, the Justice Brothers themselves and Ed Justice, Jr. were recently honored to be inducted into the West Coast Stock Car Hall of Fame.
Feb 23, 2023 · 44 min
Collector, President & CEO for Galpin Motors Inc. | Beau Boeckmann | Legacy Episode
Beau Boeckmann is the President and COO of Galpin Ford. He was a consulting producer on Pimp My Ride and is the driving force on Discovery Channel’s Car Kings.
Feb 21, 2023 · 1 hr 16 min
Fastest Woman on Four Wheels, TV Personality & Metal Fabricator | Jessi Combs | Legacy Episode
Jessi Combs had more than one job description to her name! She was most famous as a television show host and was equally well-known as a metal fabricator. She was also a popular brand representative. Jessi rose to fame as a co-host of the popular television show ‘Xtreme 4x4’ which she hosted from 2005 to 2008. Together with Ian Johnson, she co-anchored more than 90 episodes. Other popular television shows featuring her include ‘All Girls Garage’, ‘Mythbusters’, ‘1001 Car Things to do Before You Die’, and ‘How to Build...Everything’. Jessi is a brand representative of several companies like Bosch, Dodge, Nissan, Mobil 1, XX Chromes All Women’s Bike, and Lincoln Electric among many others. Her expertise as a metal fabricator was well known. After acquiring a degree in Custom Automotive Fabrication from WyoTech, she participated in Las Vegas SEMA show. She owned a fabrication shop in California. Jessi Combs first love was fast cars. She was a trained racer as well and excelled in performance racing, stunt driving, evasive driving, and drifting. In 2013, she set a world record as the fastest woman on 4-wheels, reaching a speed of 440 mph.
Feb 16, 2023 · 38 min
Robert E. Petersen Assistant & President of the Margie and Robert E. Petersen Foundation | GiGi Carleton | Legacy Episode
GiGi Carlton was Robert E. Petersen's right hand woman and President of the Margie and Robert E. Petersen Foundation . She joins A.J. on the CarStories.com podcast to talk about her life by Mr. and Mrs. Petersen's side, growing up around cars in Hollywood and how her involved with the 1984 Summer Olympics is one of her greatest accomplishments.
Feb 14, 2023 · 1 hr 21 min
World Champion Motorcycle Road Racer & Motorsports Hall of Famer | Wayne Rainey
Born in Southern California, Wayne Rainey started his dirt racing career in 1977, when clinched the AMA Superbike Championship (Kawasaki) in 1983 after a fierce battle with Kenny Roberts and Freddie Spencer. Rainey was introduced to GP racing by Roberts who had only recently retired at the time, and began competing full-time in World GP from the 1984 season (250cc). Rainey then returned to the AMA Superbike and won the series again in 1987 (on a Honda). He then got a regular seat in the GP500 with Team Roberts. Over the next three years Rainey worked at refining his racing technique with amazing level headedness and a great fighting spirit. A "Rainey Pattern," where he would take the lead and stay ahead all the way to the finish, was established after some intense battles with Suzuki's Kevin Schwantz, who had been Rainey's former rival in his AMA years. From 1990 through 1992 he was able to match with Roberts' achievement by winning three consecutive championships in the 500cc class. However, a sudden accident in 1993 with his fourth victory in sight ended his racing career. Thankfully, Rainey's passion for racing did not end there, and he returned as the team manager the following year. This team consisted of Tetsuya Harada, Kenny Roberts Jr. and Norifumi Abe. Wayne was inducted into the Motorcycle Hall of Fame in 1999.
Feb 9, 2023 · 41 min
Co-Founder of Bring-A-Trailer | Randy Nonnenberg | Legacy Episode
Randy Nonnenberg is the Co-founder and President of Bring a Trailer, an online auction marketplace for collectible vehicles and more. He is from Northern California and worked in engineering and production at Audi and BMW for 10 years before taking the leap and working at Bring a Trailer full time starting in 2010. He got the car bug from his dad while living in Stuttgart, Germany at a very early age. BaT, as we regulars call it, brings automotive enthusiasts a daily dose of automobiles that are available for sale from around the world
Feb 7, 2023 · 51 min
Legendary Television Producer of America's Funniest Home Videos & MacGyver | Vin Di Bona
Vin Di Bona is the chief executive officer of Vin Di Bona Productions and chairman of his new enterprise, FishBowl Worldwide Media. A four-time Emmy award-winning producer and eight-time Emmy nominee, Di Bona is the recipient of the prestigious George Foster Peabody Award for his work in documentary programming. However, it is as a pioneer in comedic reality television for which Di Bona is recognized worldwide. As the creator of America’s Funniest Home Videos (AFV), Di Bona has the distinction of executive producing the longest-running primetime entertainment show on ABC. AFV is seen in 33 countries. During his forty-two year career in television, Di Bona’s diversified experience in producing and directing includes television movies, broadcast and cable series, network specials, music award shows, and variety programming. In 1981 Di Bona became the producer of a new, fledgling show called Entertainment Tonight, which like AFV, is still on the air. Following that success, he was supervising producer and second unit director on MacGyver. Di Bona was truly honored when asked to produce Papal Spacebridge ’87, which documented Pope John Paul II’s visit to the United States and his two-way satellite discussions with young adults across the country. As a testament to Di Bona’s contribution to the television community, he received a “Star” on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2007. Two years later AFV became part of history when the Smithsonian Institution selected the show for inclusion in their permanent entertainment collections. The camcorder used to shoot the first winning video is on display in the lobby of the National Museum of American History.
Feb 2, 2023 · 31 min
Pikes Peak Winner, Photographer & Cinematographer | Jeff Zwart | Legacy Episode
Jeff Zwart is a commercial film director, racer, photographer, cameraman, and author. He’s shot commercials for Porsche, BMW, Cadillac, GM, Hyundai, Ford, and many others. He’s collaborated with David Bull Publishing on many automotive books. He has driven in numerous races and rallies including 7 championships at Pikes Peak International Hill Climb, the Panama-Alaska Rally, the Baja 1000, and the TransSyberia Rally.
Jan 31, 2023 · 35 min
American Car Restorer, Star of the Chasing Classic Cars | Wayne Carini | Legacy Episode
With a lifetime of experience in automobile restoration under his belt, master car restorer Wayne Carini has a resume that includes body and paint work on rare car collections owned by the likes of David Letterman, tennis great Ivan Lendl and the DuPont family. He's been featured in the New York Times as well as numerous automobile magazines, and starred in two one-hour television specials. Now, Chasing Classic Cars gives viewers a true insider's look into Wayne's inner circle as he embarks on his personal mission to uncover the world's most rare and exotic cars. Filmed entirely in high definition, Chasing Classic Cars welcomes you into the elite club of car restorers and collectors as Wayne buys, restores and sells vintage rides, and the owners of the most exclusive and secret garages open up their doors only to Wayne. Wayne's passion for cars started when he was a child, working alongside his father on such classics as Duesenbergs, Lincolns, Packards and Ford Model As. Then, at just 9 years of age, he experienced a life altering event: he went for a ride in his first Ferrari, a 1960 Rosso Chiaro 250 SWB to be exact. Wayne has been the owner and operator of three companies in Portland, Conn.: F40 Motorsports , Continental Auto Ltd. and Carini Carozzeria. F40 Motorsports buys and sells vintage and classic automobiles. Continental Auto Ltd. is a collision shop specializing in high-end and exotic automobile repair. Carini Carozzeria is the restoration shop where Wayne spends most of his time. And while Wayne loves restoring cars to perfection, his personal preference is for unrestored, original cars. Often shown in the elite "preservation class" at concourses nationwide, these increasingly rare cars are the focus of Wayne's private collection.
Jan 26, 2023 · 55 min
Television Writer, Screenwriter, Comedian & Television Personality | Spike Feresten | Legacy Episode
Spike Feresten is a television writer, screenwriter, comedian and television personality, who is best known for his work on Seinfeld, writing for David Letterman, and hosting the late night Talkshow with Spike Feresten from 2006 to 2009 on Fox. He is the former host of Esquire Network's series Car Matchmaker with Spike Feresten. He currently hosts the podcast Spike's Car Radio with Paul Zuckerman. He was also a screenwriter for the 2007 animated film Bee Movie. His career took on a Hollywood fable quality when his job as the receptionist for "Saturday Night Live" led him to pass jokes he had written to "Weekend Update's" Dennis Miller. Eventually, Feresten's full-time job at SNL led to a staff-writing position in 1990 at "Late Night with David Letterman," where he wrote for five years and earned five Emmy nominations.
Jan 24, 2023 · 40 min
Businessman, Racer & CEO of McLaren Racing | Zak Brown
Zak Brown was born and raised in Southern California. He raced professionally around the world for 10 years before developing his skills in motorsport’s business and commercial worlds. In 1995, he founded JMI, which grew to become the largest and most successful motorsport marketing agency in the world. When JMI was acquired by CSM, a division of Chime Communications, in 2013, Brown became the company’s Chief Executive Officer. In 2016, Brown was announced as executive director of McLaren Technology Group. In 2018, Brown became the chief executive officer of McLaren Racing as part of an operational restructure of the McLaren Group.
Aug 2, 2022 · 1 hr 2 min
ESPN Nascar Host, Pike Peak Hill Climber, & Pebble Beach Concours Winner | Ray Evernham
Ray Evernham has more than four decades of experience in the automotive and racing industries. He has worked with the biggest names in motorsport history, including Gordon, Andretti, Foyt and Earnhardt, was a vital force in resurrecting the International Race of Champions (IROC) series, won three NASCAR Sprint Cup championships as a crew chief for Jeff Gordon, and partnered with Dodge to build Evernham Motorsports into one of the most successful teams in NASCAR. Evernham has also held many roles in the television industry, including serving as a NASCAR analyst for SPEED, ESPN, ABC, FOX and NBC and hosting his own television series, AmeriCarna, on the Velocity channel. He also served as voice talent and a consultant for Pixar’s Cars 3. In January of 2018, Ray received the most significant honor of his career when he was inducted into the NASCAR Hall of Fame. Currently, Evernham hosts the television series Glory Road on NBCSN, participates in several racing events as a driver, restores classic cars and vintage race cars through his company Big Iron Garage, and is the CEO and majority owner of JRi Shocks. Two of Ray's most notable accomplishments of recent include winning his class in the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb with his custom-built race car nicknamed "The Ghost" and claiming Best in Class at the historic Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance with his 1965 Brawner Hawk IndyCar, which Mario Andretti drove to his first IndyCar race and championship wins. In addition, Ray is very active with his foundation, Evernham Family – Racing for a Reason, which funds a community center in Davidson, NC for young adults with high-functioning Autism or Asperger’s Syndrome called IGNITE.

Carstories by The Petersen Automotive Museum

Chief Designer of the Ford GT & Artist | Camilo Pardo | Legacy Episode

Photographer, Artist & Petrol Head | Aloisa Ruf

Hot Rod and Custom Car Builder | Troy Ladd | Legacy Episode

MEGA Automotive Influencer | "What Do You Do for a Living" | Daniel Mac

Racing Legend, Indy 500 & Baja 1000 Winner | Parnelli Jones | Legacy Episode

Founder of the Mullin Automotive Museum, Businessman & Philanthropist | Peter Mullin | Legacy Episode

Chairman & CEO of Fisker Inc, Automotive Designer & Entrepreneur | Henrik Fisker | Legacy Episode

The Urban Outlaw & Porsche Collector | Magnus Walker

President & CEO of Justice Brothers | Broadcaster | Photographer | Ed Justice Jr

Collector, President & CEO for Galpin Motors Inc. | Beau Boeckmann | Legacy Episode

Fastest Woman on Four Wheels, TV Personality & Metal Fabricator | Jessi Combs | Legacy Episode

Robert E. Petersen Assistant & President of the Margie and Robert E. Petersen Foundation | GiGi Carleton | Legacy Episode

World Champion Motorcycle Road Racer & Motorsports Hall of Famer | Wayne Rainey

Co-Founder of Bring-A-Trailer | Randy Nonnenberg | Legacy Episode

Legendary Television Producer of America's Funniest Home Videos & MacGyver | Vin Di Bona

Pikes Peak Winner, Photographer & Cinematographer | Jeff Zwart | Legacy Episode

American Car Restorer, Star of the Chasing Classic Cars | Wayne Carini | Legacy Episode

Television Writer, Screenwriter, Comedian & Television Personality | Spike Feresten | Legacy Episode

Businessman, Racer & CEO of McLaren Racing | Zak Brown

ESPN Nascar Host, Pike Peak Hill Climber, & Pebble Beach Concours Winner | Ray Evernham