SACRAMENTO REGION, CA (MPG) - From the days of the Keystone Kops piling into their squad car to Steve McQueen as “Bullitt,” hair-racing through the alpine streets of San Francisco, the automobile has played an essential supporting AND starring role on the silver screen, and solidified its (parking) place in American lore.

And guess what? We got ‘em. 

The selection of vehicles in the Museum's new Reel Cars Exhibit was chosen to illustrate how Movieland's filming process happens, employing historically iconic vehicles. The exhibit also features 3 videos depicting the use of cars in films. 

Running now through July 6, 2020, is a cast of famous cars:

The 1963 Shelby Cobra Replica from the Oscar-nominated Ford v Ferrari, which recounts the legendary battle between the two manufacturers on the world's racing circuits, especially Le Mans;

The 1967 VW Bus driven by stoned surfer-dude, Jeff Spicoli, played by Sean Penn in Fast Times at Ridgemont High. To quote Spicoli, “This is US History. Totally awesome.”

A 1951 Nash Rambler Rollltop used by Marilyn Monroe to promote 1952s “Monkey Business" in that year's Miss America Pageant parade, where she served as Grand Marshal;

A Ferrari 250 Testa Rossa replica as seen in the film based on the best selling book, The Art of Racing in the Rain;

The 1994 Chevy Van from the film version of “The A-Team,” directed by Sacramento’s own Joe Carnahan.

A 1965 Dodge Coronet taxi cab featured in Mad Men and countless other TV shows and films.

The exhibit also includes a number of other vehicles seen in popular movies and TV shows that already have delighted our guests who are not only car lovers but fans of these films and programs as well.

"We are privileged to have on display a representative selection of vehicles as used in the movies, from those that performed grunt work as camera cars to stars in their own right such as the Cobra replica from last year's Academy Award-winning film "Ford vs. Ferrari" or, from another era, a Nash Healey used in 1954's "Sabrina". These and other fascinating examples illustrate that the role of the automobile in film is almost as old as the film industry itself.” 

—Mark Steigerwald/Executive Director/California Automobile Museum

The California Automobile Museum, located at 2200 Front Street, Sacramento, invites one and all to explore the history and process behind the scenes of cars in Hollywood.

Since opening in 1987, the California Automobile Museum has told the story of over 130 years of automotive culture and history. Exhibiting makes and models of all kinds (including continuously changing special exhibits), the Museum strives to preserve, exhibit, teach and tell the stories of the automobile and its influence on our lives.