A HISTORY OF ASTON MARTIN AT THE PETERSEN
The Petersen Automotive Museum presents “Performance and Prestige: A History of Aston Martin” through October of 2026.
By Christopher Carreiro
Fri, Oct 31, 2025 06:00 AM PST
Featured image above: A 1955 Aston Martin DB3S, on display at the Petersen Automotive Museum's “Performance and Prestige: A History of Aston Martin” exhibit through October of 2026 (Christopher Carreiro photograph).
The Petersen Automotive Museum has just unveiled its first ever Aston Martin exhibit. “Performance and Prestige: A History of Aston Martin” brings together a painstakingly curated selection of cars celebrating Aston Martins 112-year history.
Founded in 1913 as a racing and tuning outfit by British racer Lionel Martin and fellow automotive engineer Robert Bamford, Aston Martin forged its legacy elevating performance through elegance.
The gallery greets you with one of Aston Martin’s most iconic collaborations, the DB4GT Zagato. One of just 19 created in concert with the bespoke Italian coachbuilder Zagato, the DB4GT is arguably one of the most beautiful cars ever produced.
From postwar prototypes to a return to F1, all Aston Martin has to offer is on full display. A One-77 sets itself apart from the sea of British Racing Green in Blue Moon Peal, a one of one finish. Of note, Sean Connery or rather James Bond’s DB5 sits coolly to the back of the gallery. Driven in Goldfinger, the DB5 became the quintessential Bond car.
The summit of the gallery sits proudly in the center of the room with what the gallerist calls its hero car, the Valkyrie Spider. Aston’s Martín’s entire lineage is funneled into this true F1 performance-for-the-road hypercar. This already outrageous creation is made even rarer by removing its carbon fiber roof, making the Aston Martin Valkyrie Spider displayed one of just 85 to be produced.
The Petersen dedicated its Meyers Gallery for Aston Martin’s Performance and Prestige exhibit for one year, running through October 2026. Whether you are a fan of classic sports cars and grand tourers or have an affection for futuristic and fast, or if you simply love British Racing Green, the new Aston Martin exhibition is something not to be missed.
* If you ever wondered why so many Aston Martins have names that start with a V, it evidently started with the 1950 DB2 as a performance upgrade from the ’49 DB2 (the prototype is in the gallery #27) and as such they designated this upgrade the Vantage specification. Hence forth, performance and prestige were signified by a V, be it Vanquish or Vulcan, Valour or Valkyrie. – Christopher Carreiro
Performance and Prestige: A History of Aston Martin
Experience over a century of iconic British design and innovation at the museum's first dedicated Aston Martin exhibit
WHAT:
Located in the Museum’s Meyers Gallery, the exhibit traces the British marque’s evolution from its founding in 1913 to its current status as a leader in performance and luxury. In collaboration with Aston Martin, the display features more than a dozen rare and notable vehicles from Aston Martin’s 112-year history.
Highlighted vehicles include:
· 1949 DB2 Prototype: a post-war sports car that competed at the 24 Hours of Le Mans, securing a class podium and paved the way for production of the DB2 series.
· 1961 DB4GT Zagato: one of just 19 lightweight grand tourers designed in collaboration with Zagato.
· 1979 Bulldog: a one-of-a-kind wedge-shaped concept powered by a twin-turbo V8 and fitted with gullwing doors.
· 2015 Vulcan: a track-only V12 hypercar, limited to 24 units globally, one for each hour of the 24 Hours of Le Mans.
· 2021 Valkyrie Spider: an open-top hypercar with true F1 performance for the road with over 1,000 horsepower from a naturally aspirated V12 powertrain.
· 2023 Aston Martin AMR23: which achieved eight podium finishes with two-time Formula 1 World Driver's Champion Fernando Alonso and teammate Lance Stroll.
WHEN:
Now open to the public through October of 2026
WHERE:
Petersen Automotive Museum
6060 Wilshire Blvd.
Los Angeles, Calif. 90036
See Christopher Carreiro’s photo gallery on the Petersen exhibit at LACar’s Facebook site.
For more information about the museum, see Petersen Automobile Museum.
About The Author
Christopher Carreiro is a photographer and life long car enthusiast, passions for which he combines around the LA car scene in equal measure. Born in Long Beach, Chris feels lucky to attend the Grand Prix his city hosts at his leisure, however, he prefers checking out the dazzling array of cars that show up annually at the Japanese Classic Car Show, held on the same grounds. Further marrying his hobbies of cars and photography he has turned to writing about the car scene in LA to offer a unique glimpse into the culture from the lens of a native Angeleno.
