The Petersen Automotive Museum in Los Angeles is auctioning five historic hot rods, including four past winners of the America’s Most Beautiful Roadster award, at the Mecum Glendale event in 2026. The vehicles, displayed at the museum, represent key moments in hot rod evolution and will go on the block on March 20. This sale offers collectors a chance to acquire pieces of automotive craftsmanship from the 1980s to 2010s.
The Petersen Automotive Museum is consigning five notable hot rods to the Mecum Auctions event in Glendale, Arizona, scheduled for March 20, 2026. Four of these vehicles are former recipients of the America’s Most Beautiful Roadster (AMBR) award, highlighting the progression of hot rod design and fabrication over decades.
The 1990 AMBR winner, a 1932 Ford Roadster named 'Passion,' was designed by Thom Taylor and built by Boyd Coddington as his first all-aluminum roadster for owner Butch Marion. Originally finished in DuPont Plum, it now sports an orange and yellow flame livery and is powered by a 5.7L L98 Tuned-Port-Injected V-8 with an automatic transmission (Lot F130). The 2010 AMBR winner, 'Possessed,' a 1933 Ford Model 40 Roadster, features a hand-built body with an elongated nose, designed by Gary Ragle and constructed by Scott's Hot Rods & Customs. It includes a 392-inch fuel-injected V-8 from Ford Racing, custom Breitling-inspired gauges by Ron Mangus, and Kugel Komponents suspension (Lot F127).
From 1988, the 'Orange Twist' 1932 Ford Roadster, built by Ernie Immerson, has an all-steel body with a vibrant flame paint scheme and 32,215 miles on the odometer. It is equipped with a 284 CI Mercury flathead V-8 featuring Ardun overhead-valve heads and six Stromberg carburetors, paired with a three-speed manual transmission (Lot F128). The 2001 AMBR winner, 'Impact,' a 1933 Ford Roadster designed by Chip Foose and built by Barry White of Street Rod Repair Company, boasts clean Euro-inspired lines, a 5.7L LS1 V-8, and independent suspension on all wheels (Lot F128).
The fifth vehicle, a non-AMBR 1932 Ford Model B Hi-Boy Roadster built by So-Cal Speed Shop, evokes 1950s hot rod style with a fenderless body, Chevrolet 350-cubic-inch V-8 crate engine, and traditional interior including a rumble seat (Lot F131). These cars, stored in the museum's vault, come with documentation, awards, and trophies, providing insight into hot rodding's history from traditional builds to modern customs.
