Michael Satterfield
The Petersen Automotive Museum will team with Ford Performance and Microsoft for an interactive new experience, providing guests with an opportunity to try a first-of-its-kind HoloLens technology and take a journey through the history of Ford’s renowned GT Sports Car. The new “An American Supercar” exhibit will premiere at the Los Angeles Auto Show and feature a 1967 GT40 Mark III and 2017 GT. Following the L.A. Auto Show, “An American Supercar” will return to the Petersen, where it will be on display until Fall 2018.
Each year, the L.A. Auto Show offers an array of new models and innovative technologies at the Los Angeles Convention Center. This year, the Petersen Museum will incorporate the new HoloLens experience—imagined by application developer Zengalt (Bellevue, WA) and supported by Ford Performance—as a significant component of its booth. Exclusively featuring a 2017 Ford GT, the presentation will replicate a portion of the museum exhibition for Auto Show attendees.
“Our compelling new HoloLens experience will be a wonderful addition to the museum, as we set out to include more interactive displays to enhance our storytelling capabilities,” said Petersen Executive Director Terry L. Karges. “We are inspired by Microsoft’s innovation and wanted to include an experience for our guests that will meld Ford’s incredible racing history with a progressive new technology.”
Visitors will be equipped with transparent HoloLens devices, overlaying holographic imagery on the demonstration space. HoloLens blends the real with the virtual, creating a multi-dimensional encounter lasting four minutes. A genuine 1967 Ford GT40 Mark III and 2017 Ford GT will be brought to life for participants, detailing their vibrant histories on the race track. The unique mixed reality experience will offer a true-to-life account of how the two cars are historically linked and what makes each remarkable.
“It’s been a privilege collaborating on this experience with innovative leaders from Ford Performance, Petersen Automotive Museum, and Microsoft,” said Ivan Evdokimov, CEO and Founder of Zengalt. “Our goal was to deliver a consumer experience unlike any other in the world, and this story is the result of that.”
Originally produced to compete in long-distance races against Ferrari, the Ford GT40 earned four consecutive wins at the 24 Hours of Le Mans from 1966 to 1969. The 1967 GT40 Mark III is adapted for road use by including a softer suspension to improve interior comfort and an extended rear deck to accommodate a luggage compartment. Unlike its predecessors, the 2017 GT features a twin-turbocharged Ecoboost V-6, carbon-fiber body and advanced aerodynamic form that lets air pass through and around the body. The new Petersen feature commemorates more than 50 years since Ford’s original GT40s’ triumphant victories at the iconic 24 Hours of Le Mans race.
“The Ford GT is not only a racing legend, it is a rolling laboratory where our engineers can push the boundaries for new technologies that could be developed for other Ford vehicles one day,” said Henry Ford III, global marketing manager, Ford Performance. “The Microsoft HoloLens Ford GT experience at the Petersen Museum is the perfect way to bring that story to life since our designers plan to use this mixed reality technology to create even better-looking cars quicker and more collaboratively.”
The Petersen Automotive Museum is thrilled to present a creative, original immersive mixed reality automotive experience as a central exhibit. To learn more about “An American Supercar” and more exhibits at the Petersen Automotive Museum, please visit www.petersen.org.
