Written by Andy Wasif
September 2026 celebrated what would have been the centennial birthday of a man who may be considered among the most influential in spreading car culture throughout the country. Known affectionately as “Pete,” Robert E. Petersen, who died in 2007, remains prevalent today through the museum that bears his name, but originally forged his legacy by founding Petersen Publishing. More than two dozen magazines spanning the automotive, hunting, photography, sports, and other enthusiast areas of interest, with brands that included Hot Rod Magazine, Motor Trend, Car Craft, Off-Road, Hunting, Motorcyclist, and Teen.
Photo: Robert & Margie Petersen with their private vehicle collection (1971) | Image provided by Hearst Autos, Inc., photograph by Ralph Gudahl
BACKGROUND
Born in East Los Angeles, Petersen’s family moved to Barstow when he was young. His father, Einar, a Danish immigrant who worked as a truck and equipment mechanic, taught young Pete how to weld and de-coke engines, influencing his fascination with cars.
After serving in the US Army Corps reconnaissance unit as a photographer, Petersen then took his talents to Hollywood. It was there he found a job at MGM Studios as a messenger, which he parlayed into a gig as a publicist for which he had no formal experience, until being laid off when more experienced ex-GIs returned home looking for work.
On his own, Petersen approached Southern California Timing Association secretary, and future Petersen editor, Wally Parks for clients. The new hot-rodding movement, populated by servicemen returning from the war with military salaries and mechanic training who wanted to go “hot and fast,” needed good publicity but had no money. At the time, hot rodding was seen as dangerous, catering to speed-crazed kids racing at the dry lakes and on the street. So, at only 21, Petersen found himself promoting the burgeoning culture of auto-customization in California.
HOT ROD MAGAZINE
In January of 1948, outside the first hot-rod event at the Los Angeles Armory, customers purchased the first copies of Hot Rod Magazine for a mere 25 cents. The magazine was instrumental in the NHRA’s (National Hot Rod Association) early growth, the nation’s largest and most successful drag racing sanctioning organization. Over the years, his publications not only put motorsports in a positive light, but also featured “how-to” stories to help budding enthusiasts become skilled mechanics themselves.
Photo: Customization Gallery "The Petersen Legacy" Museum Display & Artwork | Courtesy of Petersen Automotive Museum (2017)
Petersen continued to promote his new magazine at local speedways, before creating his second magazine a year later aimed at the more upscale market which catered to enthusiasts of production cars—Motor Trend.
Pete “had great instincts for an opportunity,” said long-time friend and current Co-Vice Chairman of the Petersen’s Board of Directors Bruce Meyer. And “that started with Hot Rod, and it never stopped.” It was these instincts that remain a major reason why Petersen is recognized in the Motorsports Hall of Fame in Daytona, Florida.
EXTRACURRICULAR
Petersen and his wife Margie were also extremely charitable, giving to numerous children charities including the Boys’ and Girls’ Clubs, along with the Thalians social society which raises money for the mental health programs at UCLA and Cedars-Sinai Medical Center. The couple also contributed to the Music Center of Los Angeles and Los Angeles County Museum of Art.
Perhaps most notably, Petersen didn’t just oversee the promotion of vehicles, he was an avid collector of them himself, amassing scores of exotic and classic vehicles and unique rarities, most of which now reside in the museum that bears his name.
MUSEUM
After selling the majority stake of his publishing company, Petersen sought a place to fulfill his greatest mission: to share his passion with the world. He found it only a few doors down from his offices in the form of the former Ohrbach Department store. Located along the Miracle Mile in the heart of Los Angeles, it would be the perfect place to house Petersen’s vehicles, along with the Natural History Museum’s growing, but undisplayed collection of historic automobiles.
On June 11, 1994, Petersen Automotive Museum opened its doors to the community, representing a lifetime of vision, dedication, and philanthropy. Filled with stories of vehicles and people who have influenced the American love affair with the automobile, it serves to educate and excite generations of auto enthusiasts. Currently, it serves hundreds of thousands of visitors each year.
Humble and generous throughout his life, the self-taught publicist and entrepreneur who created the largest special-interest publishing company in America, was not only instrumental in the evolution of the hot-rodding culture, but of creating generations of new enthusiasts for all cars, all with an altruistic desire to share his passion with the world. Though he has passed on, his legacy will live forever.
