'Cars' Exhibit Revs Up at Petersen Automotive Museum

CC and Lightning McQueen at the Petersen Automotive Museum.

CC got up close and personal with Lightning McQueen and a few of his pint-sized "Cars" friends at the opening of the exhibit "From Silver Screen to Die-cast: Disney*Pixar Cars Imagined by Mattel" at the Petersen Automotive Museum.

On Friday, we joined local children, parents and designers of the die-cast toy line while surrounded by the extensive collection of little Lightnings and tiny Tow Maters, which will be at the museum for the next six months. CC even found a pink "big rig" in one display case and announced it as her favorite.

Located in the Hollywood Gallery alongside a selection of auction items from Bonhams -- including the 1949 Triumph Trophy TR5 Scrambler Custom motorcycle ridden by The Fonz in the TV series "Happy Days!" -- the "Cars" exhibit sported several fun dioramas and hundreds of mini coupes, pickups and buses.

We even got to meet Scott Derman, the designer of Mattel's new "Cars 2 Lightning McQueen Alive," a motorized car that zooms, spins and talks (and sometimes taunts!), complete with moving eyes and mouth. Derman said the car took about a year and half to make, particularly because it needs three motors to move its various parts.

CC was lucky enough to be able to take home one of the toys. She's been zooming around with it ever since.

Petersen Automotive Museum

6060 Wilshire Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA 90036