Sidewalk Speedsters: The Grown-Up World of Children’s Cars” features kids’ competition cars.
Los Angeles (December 18th, 2017) – The Petersen Automotive Museum today announces the opening of a special exhibit dedicated to children and their longstanding fascination with fast cars. Showcased in the Charles Nearburg Family Gallery, “Sidewalk Speedsters: The Grown-Up World of Children’s Cars” offers guests a look at kids’ competition cars.
Presented by Lucas Oil, the display features a diverse range of child-sized race cars—from old to new, electric- to gas-powered to sophisticated, and affordable to luxurious. A $430 million per year industry as of 2015, kids’ vehicles have become a phenomenon, populating the shelves, catalogs and online inventories of toy and game retailers worldwide. While many adults may wonder whether owner-driven automobiles will continue to be part of the everyday driving landscape, small, powered children’s cars are growing in popularity among youths.
“’Sidewalk Speedsters’ marks a playful change of pace for the museum,” said Petersen Chief Historian Leslie Kendall. “I had so much fun choosing the vehicles on display, as I grew up racing similar cars. The whimsical selection will perfectly juxtapose the more serious presentations, adding an exciting element of surprise to the museum’s overall atmosphere.”
Key vehicles that are featured include a 1927 Bugatti Type 52 “Baby,” a 1995 Meyness Bentley and a 1977 Porsche 936 Le Mans Jr. The exhibit will also showcase a 1968 Disneyland Autopia buggy, a 1931 Custer, a 1945 Plexiglas Lucas, a 1938 Maytag, a 1955 “Homemade,” a 1939 Motokar, a 1934 National Junior Racer, a, “The Lad’s Car,” “The Junior Automobile,” a Chevy Jr., a 1934 Cannonball Racer, a 1954 Vanguard Sidewalk Racer, and a 1955 Viking Craft.
To learn more about this exhibit and the Petersen Automotive Museum, please visit www.petersen.org.
ABOUT THE PETERSEN
The Petersen Automotive Museum Foundation is a non-profit 501(c)(3) charity. The Museum is located at 6060 Wilshire Boulevard (at Fairfax) in Los Angeles, California, 90036. Admission prices are $16 for general admission adults, $13 for seniors and students with ID, $8 for children ages 3 to 12. Active military with ID, personal care attendants and children under three are admitted free. Museum hours are 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. For general information, call 323-930-CARS or visit www.petersen.org.
