The National Motor Museum at Beaulieu tells us:
(All words from the National Motor Museum; photograph credits to the Petersen Automotive Museum).
L.A. display as World Land Speed Sunbeam 1000hp arrives at Petersen Automotive Museum
Fresh from its appearance at the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance the restored Sunbeam 1000hp – the first car to ever break 200 mph – has moved to the Petersen Automotive Museum where it will be on display for the rest of the year, on loan from Britain’s National Motor Museum.
The vehicle is on display in the lobby of the prestigious Californian car museum accompanied by a film showing historical footage and more recent restoration videos from the National Motor Museum Trust film archive.
“Having the Sunbeam 1000hp exhibited in 2026 at the Petersen, as part of its USA tour, is a great celebration of the car’s restoration project,” says Jon Murden, the National Motor Museum’s Chief Executive. “The Sunbeam 1000’s post-restoration debut at the 75th Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance, its visit to Jay Leno’s Garage and now its display at the Petersen Automotive Museum has undoubtedly put the National Motor Museum back on the global stage. Being displayed in Los Angeles gives motoring enthusiasts on the west coast of America a once in a lifetime chance to see the car before it then attempts a centennial run at Daytona in the spring of 2027.”
“Our mission is to provide visitors access to some of the rarest vehicles ever assembled,” said Petersen Automotive Museum Executive Director Terry L. Karges. “Having the World Land Speed Record-breaking Sunbeam 1000hp on display perfectly reflects our commitment to showcasing only the extraordinary.”
The legendary vehicle was restored by the workshop team at the National Motor Museum at Beaulieu. The Museum is to return the British engineering icon to Daytona Beach, Florida, in 2027, marking 100 years since it broke the 200mph Land Speed Record in 1927. The car was driven by Sir Henry Segrave – one of the most famous international motoring heroes of his day. Significant challenges to its restoration were overcome including having the car’s two colossal 22.4 litre Matabele V12 aero engines roar to life once again.
The Museum’s logistics partner in the USA, CARS (Classic Automotive Relocation Services) transported the car from Beaulieu to California – crossing the North Atlantic Ocean by ship from Southampton to New York as it did in 1927.
The Petersen Automotive Museum is widely regarded as one of the top rates automotive museums in the World – located on Wilshire Boulevard along Museum Row in the Miracle Mile neighbourhood of Los Angeles. Founded in 1994, by magazine publisher Robert E. Petersen and his wife Margie, it is owned and operated by the Petersen Automotive Museum Foundation. Originally a department store the museum building was redeveloped to house the car collection and in 2015 the building was redesigned with a new configuration and a striking stainless-steel ribbon façade.
For more information on the Petersen Automotive Museum, please visit www.petersen.org.
For more information on the National Motor Museum, please visit www.nationalmotormuseum.org.uk.
About Petersen Automotive Museum
The Petersen Automotive Museum Foundation is a non-profit 501(c)(3) charity. The museum is located at 6060 Wilshire Blvd. (at Fairfax) in Los Angeles, 90036. Admission prices are $21 for general admission adults, $19 for seniors (62+), $13 for youth (12-17) and $12 for children ages 4 to 11. Active military with ID, personal care attendants and children under age four are admitted free. Museum hours are 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily. For general information, call 323-930-CARS or visit www.petersen.org.
About the National Motor Museum
The National Motor Museum Trust Limited is a charitable organisation founded in 1972, which runs the National Motor Museum at Beaulieu in the New Forest. Continuing the work of the flagship Montagu Motor Museum, the Trust has a world-famous collection of 280 vehicles and associated motoring items on display at the National Motor Museum. An Accredited Museum, all its collections have been designated by Arts Council England as being of national and international importance. Its internationally acclaimed collection of more than 1.9 million items is cared for by the National Motor Museum Trust and includes historically significant motoring artifacts, film footage, images, documents and books. The nearby Collections Centre houses and cares for a vast array of motoring artifacts, photographic images, a specialist reference library, and a film and video library. For more information about its collection and services, see www.nationalmotormuseum.org.uk.