The Petersen Automotive Museum has unveiled the Mullin Family Gallery featuring automobiles from the legendary Mullin Collection inside the museum’s Vault, offering visitors a rare opportunity to experience what is widely regarded as one of the finest, rarest and most valuable collections of pre-war French automobiles ever assembled, museum officials said in a press release.
The exhibition celebrates the Mullin Family Foundation’s landmark gift to the Petersen and fulfills collector, philanthropist and longtime museum champion Peter Mullin’s vision that these automotive masterpieces would one day be preserved and shared with the broadest possible audience at the museum he helped shape.
A Legacy Nearly Three Decades in the Making
Over nearly three decades, Peter and Merle Mullin assembled an unparalleled collection of Bugattis, Delahayes, Delages, Talbot-Lagos, Voisins, Hispano-Suizas and other masterpieces that celebrated the artistry, innovation and elegance of France’s Art Deco era. Together, they founded the Mullin Automotive Museum in Oxnard, California, creating an institution dedicated to preserving and sharing what Peter often described as “sculpture in motion.”
Peter believed automobiles represented one of the purest forms of industrial art, and he viewed the French Art Deco movement as one of the greatest periods of artistic and engineering achievement of the twentieth century. Long before his passing, he envisioned the Petersen Automotive Museum becoming the steward of the collection, ensuring these extraordinary automobiles would continue inspiring future generations while reaching a global audience in Los Angeles. Today, that vision is being realized through the leadership of Merle Mullin and the Mullin Family Foundation, whose landmark gift ensures the collection will remain accessible to the public for generations to come.
A Landmark Gift to the Petersen
“Peter believed these automobiles belonged to history, not to us,” said Merle Mullin, co-founder of the Mullin Automotive Museum, trustee of the Mullin Family Foundation, Petersen Automotive Museum board member and internationally respected automotive collector. “Together, we built this collection with the dream of preserving the extraordinary artistry, innovation and craftsmanship of French Art Deco automobiles. It was equally important to us that these masterpieces would one day be shared with the broadest possible audience. Peter always believed the Petersen Automotive Museum was the right steward for that responsibility, and it is deeply meaningful to see that vision fulfilled. We are proud to know this collection will continue inspiring generations of enthusiasts, historians and future collectors.”
The gift represents one of the most significant moments in the Petersen Automotive Museum’s history and ensures that one of the world’s foremost collections of French automotive art will remain publicly accessible for generations to come, noted the release. Peter Mullin played a pivotal role in shaping the modern Petersen, championing its transformation into one of the world’s leading automotive museums. His vision for the museum extended beyond its galleries and exhibitions, making it fitting that his collection would ultimately find its home there.
“It would be difficult to overstate Peter Mullin’s impact on the automotive world and on the Petersen Automotive Museum itself,” said Terry L. Karges, executive director of the Petersen Automotive Museum. “Peter helped build the museum we know today, and it is an incredible honor to fulfill his vision by becoming the steward of this extraordinary collection. There is no better place to preserve these remarkable automobiles and share their beauty, history and artistry with visitors from around the world.”
The inaugural exhibition, now open in the Petersen Vault, celebrates the Mullin Family Foundation’s gift while offering visitors an exclusive first look at many of the collection’s most celebrated automobiles in an intimate setting. It also serves as a preview of a much larger exhibition planned for 2028.
In 2028, the Petersen’s existing Mullin Family Gallery will host a major exhibition featuring nearly 30 vehicles from the collection, transforming the museum’s signature gallery into one of the most significant presentations of French Art Deco automobiles ever assembled, museum officials said. Together, the two exhibitions represent Peter Mullin’s enduring vision of making these automotive masterpieces accessible to enthusiasts, scholars and the general public alike.
Vehicles on Display
Among the vehicles debuting this summer are the legendary 1937 Delahaye Type 145 “Million Franc Delahaye,” the award-winning 1934 Voisin C27 Aerosport Coupe, and an extraordinary selection of Bugatti, Talbot-Lago, Delage, Peugeot and Hispano-Suiza masterpieces. The vehicles that will go on display in 2026 include:
- 1922 Hispano-Suiza Type H6B “Skiff Torpedo”
- 1926 Bugatti Type 37A
- 1931 Bugatti Type 50S by Million-Guiet
- 1934 Voisin Type C27 Aérosport Coupé Reconstruction
- 1934 Voisin Type C27 Grand Sport Roadster
- 1935 Voisin Type C25 Aérodyne
- 1936 Delahaye Type 135CS
- 1937 Hispano Suiza K6 Break de Chasse
- 1937 Peugeot 402L Eclipse by Pourtout
- 1937 Peugeot 302DS Darl’Mat Cabriolet by Pourtout
- 1937 Delahaye Type 135 M Cabriolet
- 1937 Delahaye Type 145
- 1937 Talbot Lago T-150-C-S “Teardrop” Coupe
- 1938 Delahaye Type 145 “V-12 Coupe” by Henri Chapron
- 1939 Delahaye T-165 V-12 “World’s Fair”
- 1939/49 Bugatti Type 57SC Atalante
- 1950 Talbot-Lago T26C Grand Sport by Stabilimenti Farina
- 1951 Delahaye Type 235 Cabriolet by Saoutchik
- 1951 Bugatti Type 101C by Gangloff
- 1951 Talbot-Lago T26 Grand Sport by Stabilimenti Farina