PORTLAND, OR.- This summer it is hoods up and tops down at the
Portland Art Museum. The Allure of the Automobile brings 16 of the world’s most luxurious, rare, and brilliantly conceived automobiles to the galleries of the Museum. From the avant-garde 1937 Hispano-Suiza owned by French apéritif baron André Dubonnet to the ultra-cool convertible 1957 Jaguar XK-SS roadster once owned by Hollywood legend Steve McQueen, the exhibition spans the 1930s to the 1960s and showcases developments in automotive design and engineering.
The exhibition is the first to consider the stylistic development of cars in the context of prominent design movements such as Art Moderne and Postwar Modernity. Visitors can learn about the contrasts between European and American design and the significant changes in automotive styling and engineering before and after World War II.
Visitors are able to consider the cars in a variety of ways: the artistry of the design, the marvel of the engineering, and the drama of the unique stories behind the cars.
The exhibition experience is enhanced with an audio tour featuring Jay Leno. Download the free App on iTunes or rent an iPod Touch at the Museum. The exhibition is accompanied by a beautiful catalogue documenting each of the cars with stunning photography and essays.
Featured Automobiles:
•1930 Bentley Speed Six Gurney Nutting Coupe
Lent by Jolene and Bruce McCaw
Bellevue, Washington
•1937 Mercedes-Benz 540K Special Roadster
Lent by Lee and Joan Herrington
Bow, New Hampshire
•1933 Pierce-Arrow Silver Arrow
Lent by Don Williams and the Blackhawk Collection
Danville, California
•1937 Hispano Suiza H-6C “Xenia” Coupe
Lent by Merle and Peter Mullin and the Peter Mullin
Automotive Museum Foundation
Beverly Hills, California
•1931 Duesenberg SJ Derham Convertible Sedan
Lent by Tom and Susan Armstrong
Issaquah, Washington
• 1937 Bugatti Type 57S Atalante
Lent by William E. (Chip) Connor II
Deepwater Bay, Hong Kong
• 1937 Talbot-Lago T150-C-SS “Teardrop” Coupe
Lent by Arturo and Deborah Keller
Petaluma, California
• 1953 Porsche 550, Prototype
Lent by Miles Collier and the Collier Collection
Naples, Florida
• 1938 Alfa Romeo 8C2900B Touring Berlinetta
Lent by Jan and Mary Shirley
Bellevue, Washington
• 1954 Plymouth Explorer Sports Coupe
Lent by Margie Petersen and the
Petersen Automotive Museum
Los Angeles, California
• 1948 Tucker Model 48 Torpedo
Lent by The LeMay Family Collection,
Compliments of LeMay—America’s Car Museum
Tacoma, Washington
• 1955 Mercedes-Benz 300 SLR Roadster
Lent by the Mercedes-Benz Museum
Stuttgart, Germany
• 1957 Jaguar XK-SS Roadster
Lent by Margie Petersen and the
Petersen Automotive Museum
Los Angeles, California
• 1961 Ferrari 250 GT Comp./61 Short-wheelbase
Berlinetta
Lent by Bruce and Raylene Meyer
Beverly Hills, California
• 1959 Chevrolet Corvette Sting Ray Prototype
Lent by the General Motors Heritage Center
Warren, Michigan
• 1961 Aston Martin DB4GT Zagato Coupe
Lent by David and Ginny Sydorick
Beverly Hills, California
