Advertise on podcast: Carstories by The Petersen Automotive Museum

This week on CarStories, we sit down with Ben Paull. The average American owns a car for between 8 and 9 years for Ben he has owned his El Camino for over 59 years. Buying the car in his early 20s, Ben takes us through his journey with his 67 (or six seven) El Camino. #CarStories #ElCamino #SixSeven

This week on CarStories, we sit down with Jamie Howe, motorsports presenter. Jamie has been reporting from the paddock for over 20 years. During this time she has been lucky enough to cover many different motorsports disciplines, from Le Mans to MotoAmerica. Jamie sits down with us to share her experiences. #TVReporter #JamieHowe #Carracing #motoamerica #Pitlane For more details from Jamie please check out: www.jamiehowe.com

This week on CarStories, Bea sits down with Michael McCardle to talk about the curation of the newest exhibit: Legends of the Dirt supported by Optima Batteries. Michael shares stories about some of the key vehicles in the exhibit and their contributions to Off Road Racing. The exhibit is now open at the Petersen Automotive Museum in LA. #Offroadracing #OnlyatthePetersen #Rallycars #TrophyTrucks

This week on CarStories, we sit down with friend of the museum Jeff Zwart. Jeff Zwart is an award-winning filmmaker, photographer, and celebrated motorsport competitor best known for his iconic Pikes Peak victories and decades of storytelling for Porsche. A lifelong enthusiast with a career that spans commercial directing, rally racing, and automotive publishing, Zwart brings a uniquely cinematic lens to car culture—both behind the wheel and behind the camera. We talk about how motorsport was the lure ignited his passion, how Road and Track became his home, taking home a Countach at the age of 23 for work and a whole lot more! #JeffZwart, #PikesPeak, #CarStoriesPodcast, #PorscheCulture, #RallyRacing, #AutomotiveLegends, #MotorsportHistory, #PorscheLife, #DrivingPassion, #CarCulture Follow his adventures @Zwart on Instagram.

This week on Car Stories, Bea sits down with the brilliant curation team behind the Petersen’s latest exhibit — Aston Martin: Performance & Prestige — a celebration of over a century of craftsmanship, innovation, and speed. From silver screen legends to Le Mans victories, the team shares how they brought Aston Martin’s story to life — diving into the art of curation, the emotional journey they want visitors to experience, and the brand’s unmistakable blend of design, culture, and motorsport heritage. #AstonMartin, #CarStories, #PetersenMuseum, #PerformanceAndPrestige, #DesignExcellence, #BritishIcons, #CarCulture, #MotorsportHeritage, #LuxuryAndSpeed, #AutomotiveArt

Part 2 - This week on Car Stories, we sit down with friend of the museum Larry Chen. In part two of a two-part episode we explore how Larry met Ken Block, the partnership he has with Canon and what's coming up in the future. #LarryChen #photographer #CarStories #PetersenAutomotiveMuseum #onlyatthepete

Part 1 - This week on Car Stories, we sit down with friend of the museum Larry Chen. In part one of a two-part episode we explore where it all started for Larry, career parallels between him and Jeff Zwart and what it takes to get the edge on his competition. #LarryChen #photographer #CarStories #PetersenAutomotiveMuseum #onlyatthepete

This week Bea Ross interviews our own Director of Marketing at the Museum. Dan Pilling has always been a car guy. Dan grew up in the UK, and spent some of his most informative years - visiting manufactures and chasing internships. After nearly 20 years in tech, founding his own business he recently joined the Petersen. We talk, Porsche, McLaren, VW to name as few as well as J-a-g-u-a-r.

This week on Car Stories, we sit down with Marek Reichman the Chief Creative Officer of Aston Martin Lagonda. This season of the podcast, we’re highlighting the designers and creators behind some of the most iconic marques in the world. At the end of October, we will celebrate the opening of our newest exhibit: Performance and Prestige: A History of Aston Martin, presented in partnership with Aston Martin Lagonda. Our guest is someone whose name is synonymous with Aston Martin design. Marek Reichman, Chief Creative Officer of Aston Martin Lagonda, has shaped modern automotive design while honoring the brand’s deep heritage. From concept cars to production icons, his influence can be seen across the lineup and around the world.

This week on Car Stories, Bea and I catch up with J Ryan. J is a staple of LA Car Culture and a great guy to boot! J was destined for a "career" in entertainment and soon found how to combine it with his love of cars. We talk about building DeLorean's with the founders of Back to the Future, creating a movement in The Good Vibes Breakfast Club and caring for his wide Nicole when diagnosed with MS. If you want to follow J on socials go to: https://www.instagram.com/porschelife111/ Thanks for listening!

This week on Car Stories, we sit down with John Clinard, a man whose name is synonymous with Ford’s rich automotive legacy. Over a career spanning more than four decades, John’s fingerprints can be found on everything from motorsport strategy to market research, from the Mustang SVO to the rebirth of the Ford GT. His passion for the brand and the culture of driving made him one of Ford’s most versatile voices—willing to do whatever job needed to be done to connect the company with enthusiasts worldwide. In our conversation, John reflects on the moment that changed his life as a young fan—meeting Carroll Shelby at the racetrack—and how years later he played a pivotal role in bringing Shelby back into the Ford family. We also explore how his curiosity and hands-on approach allowed him to thrive in roles ranging from product planning to motorsport communications. And in a special guest appearance, John’s wife joins us on the mic to set the record straight on a couple of stories, adding her own perspective to the journey. From personal heroes to professional milestones, from Cars & Coffee to Ford’s global racing efforts, this is a conversation about passion, persistence, and the power of automotive culture. Tune in to hear John’s remarkable story, only on Car Stories: The Official Podcast of the Petersen Automotive Museum. Please check out:Ford Racing - Motorsports, Racing, Performance Vehicles And for the Mustang Experience: American Icon: An Immersive Mustang Experience — Petersen Automotive Museum

In this episode of Car Stories, we sit down with Michael Simcoe, the recently stepped down as Global Vice President of Design at General Motors. With a remarkable 42-year career that began at Holden in Australia and culminated in shaping the future of Cadillac, Chevrolet, GMC, and more, Simcoe has left an indelible mark on automotive design. We explore his journey from early career highlights to leading GM’s design team through the electric vehicle revolution. Michael shares insights on the role of concept cars, his perspective on the “wedge era” of automotive styling, and what he hopes people feel when they see one of his creations on the road. Join us as we reflect on the stories behind some of his most iconic work, his thoughts on design’s future, and how he plans to embrace life after his time at GM.

In honor of our new Wedge Exhibit, Bea and Dan catch up with Ken Okuyama, world famous designer and former head of design at Pininfarina. Ken was clearly relaxed with us as he told us stories about how Lexus influenced Porsche car development and how Porsche had a direct influence in the development of the Ferrari Enzo. Designing a car for Luca di Montezemolo came with high risk of losing the project but taking a break for lunch made all the difference! All that and a whole lot more! If you want to follow Ken, his Instagram is @Okuyama0527 or his website is: www.kenokuyamadesign.com

Dan and Bea catch up with Podcast Host and Car Personality Spike Feresten. In honor of our current exhibit, Totally Awesome, Spike takes us back to the 90s and shares with us how he bonded over cars with both Letterman and Sienfield. We also talk a little about culture in California. Check out Spike on Instagram Spike’s Car Radio (@spikescarradio) • Instagram photos and videosor his show on YouTube: Spike's Car Radio - YouTube

In this special solo episode of Car Stories, Dan sits down with none other than Alois Ruf—the visionary behind Ruf Automobile—to dive deep into the origin story of the legendary Yellowbird. Alois shares how a now-iconic Road & Track article nearly featured a Ruf car painted a completely different color, how that last-minute decision changed everything, and what the ripple effect of that article was on Ruf’s global reputation. They also revisit the groundbreaking Faszination on the Nürburgring video, a viral sensation before the internet even knew what “viral” meant. It’s a rare, firsthand look at the moments that made Ruf a cult icon—and a must-listen for any enthusiast of performance, history, and automotive storytelling. Please check out Ruf at: RUF Automobile: Sports cars in perfectionOr on Instagram: RUF Automobile GmbH (@rufsince1939) • Instagram photos and videos Thanks to Kahn Media for enabling the interview: www.kahnmedia.com