New Exhibition at LeMay – America’s Car Museum Features Heavy Metal…and Glass, Rubber

January 24, 2022 1:30 am
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“SLOW BURN” SPECS: 1936 AUBURN 852 BOATTAIL SPEEDSTER (MODERN REPLICA) BUILDER: RICK DORE KUSTOMS INTERIOR: EGYPTIAN LEATHER BY BOB DEVINE/RICK DORE ENGINE: 350-CUBIC INCH CHEVROLET V-8 <em>Image courtesy LeMay-America’s Car Museum, Petersen Automotive Museum and the Hetfield Family</em> Bio: “Slow Burn” was crafted from an official Glen Pray recreation of an Auburn Boattail. The fiberglass body made it difficult to alter extensively, so Hetfield and Dore instead added details, like a sloped, Carson-style convertible top, to emphasize the car’s curving lines. The root beer paint color of the fenders, in contrast with the darker body color, highlights their sinuous shape. Accents like the geometric grille, taillight trim, and personally designed wheels exemplify Hetfield’s personal style.
“SLOW BURN” SPECS: 1936 AUBURN 852 BOATTAIL SPEEDSTER (MODERN REPLICA) BUILDER: RICK DORE KUSTOMS INTERIOR: EGYPTIAN LEATHER BY BOB DEVINE/RICK DORE ENGINE: 350-CUBIC INCH CHEVROLET V-8 Image courtesy LeMay-America’s Car Museum, Petersen Automotive Museum and the Hetfield Family Bio: “Slow Burn” was crafted from an official Glen Pray recreation of an Auburn Boattail. The fiberglass body made it difficult to alter extensively, so Hetfield and Dore instead added details, like a sloped, Carson-style convertible top, to emphasize the car’s curving lines. The root beer paint color of the fenders, in contrast with the darker body color, highlights their sinuous shape. Accents like the geometric grille, taillight trim, and personally designed wheels exemplify Hetfield’s personal style.

Tacoma, WA – When the doors of LeMay – America’s Car Museum opened on Thursday, Jan. 20, visitors got a brush with greatness: 10 otherworldly, custom-built hot rods of rock-star proportions from an exhibition titled Reclaimed Rust: The James Hetfield Collection.

On public display for just the second time ever, Reclaimed Rust is the product of decades of design and building collaboration between rock music icon James Hetfield and some of the best-known custom car builders in the world, including Rick Dore (Rick Dore Kustoms), Scott Mugford (Blue Collar Customs) and Marcel De Lay (Marcel’s Custom Metal).

Consisting of vehicles designed and custom-built by and for Hetfield, Reclaimed Rust pushes the limits of automotive design with billowing fenders, removed pillars, chopped tops, shaved handles and sinewy silhouettes that the original manufacturers could never have envisioned.

“The sleek lines and one-of-a-kind designs in Reclaimed Rust could stand on their own celebrity,” said David Madeira, Vice Chairman and CEO of America’s Automotive Trust. “However, anyone who sees this exhibition will feel the creative horsepower of James Hetfield and his team in these cars. In any art, whether it’s music, visual or automotive design, you can tell when an artist sees the potential of their tools and materials, rather than limitations.”

The collection includes vehicles that live up to their heavy-hitting names such as Skyscraper (a 1953 Buick Skylark), VooDoo Priest (a 1937 Lincoln Zephyr), Slow Burn (a 1936 Auburn 852 Boattail Speedster), Crimson Ghost (a 1937 Ford Coupe), the Dead Kennedy (a 1963 Lincoln Continental built by Hetfield himself) and the Black Pearl and Aquarius (both special constructions hand built from a drawing).

The collection is owned by and was first displayed at the Petersen Automotive Museum in 2020. It is on display at LeMay – America’s Car Museum Jan. 20, 2022 through Jan. 31, 2023.

For more information about this exhibition and LeMay – America’s Car Museum, visit www.americascarmuseum.org.

About LeMay – America’s Car Museum

LeMay – America’s Car Museum is an international destination for families and auto enthusiasts to experience the past, present, and future of the automobile and learn how it shapes our society. Based in Tacoma, Washington, the stunning 165,000-sq.-ft., four-level facility has been recognized as one of MSN’s 10 Best Automotive Museums worldwide, USA Today’s 10 Best Attractions for Car Lovers and KING5’s Best Museum in Western Washington. It is known for its educational outreach serving more than 30,000 students annually, world-class rotating exhibits, stunning event spaces, and an outdoor show field for hosting community events. LeMay – America’s Car Museum is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) and an entity of America’s Automotive Trust. For more information, visit www.americascarmusueum.org. Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and LinkedIn.

Reclaimed Rust: The James Hetfield Collection was organized by the Petersen Automotive Museum.

– LeMay – America’s Car Museum

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