Months after temporarily closing its doors, the Petersen Automotive Museum in Los Angeles resumed business on Friday, June 19—and it teamed up with Tesla to have the Cybertruck welcome visitors back to the premises. By showcasing the Cybertruck in its first public appearance following a private unveiling at the Tesla Design Center, the Petersen Museum confirmed the wild concept’s place among the car-as-art set. There is good reason for that, too, as no other vehicle right now delivers the same visual impact of the all-electric Tesla Cybertruck.
On display for one week from June 20 through the 26, I dropped by the Petersen on Father’s Day, looking to see if my not-so optimistic outlook on the highly criticized angular pickup might change after seeing it in person. I texted a photo of the Cybertruck to a few of my friends; the women seemed to dig it, while one of my male friends immediately responded negatively: “No broken windows,” he joked. “I think it is an ugly truck, [but] it has shock value.”
Indeed, a description of the Tesla Cybertruck on a museum plaque read: “Designed to resemble the futuristic vehicles in the science-fiction film Blade Runner (1982) and James Bond’s aquatic Lotus Esprit in The Spy Who Loved Me (1977), the Cybertruck is Tesla’s first pickup-truck model. The Cybertruck combines utility with performance, featuring an all-wheel-drive electric powertrain and a durable exterior made of stainless steel and Tesla armor glass. The truck’s bed, or ‘vault,’ is engineered with 100 cubic feet of lockable storage space and has an innovative automatic tonneau cover.”
Observing other museum visitors’ reactions to seeing the Tesla Cybertruck up close, the consensus was excitement and bewilderment, followed by fixation. Kids loved it, and adults would not stop taking selfies with the Cybertruck in the background.
I waited for the crowd to disperse, and then I made the rounds to view and photograph the pickup from every perspective possible. I crouched, paused, moved closer, and circled the unapologetically futuristic electric machine. I can’t wait for our first opportunity to get behind its wheel. For now, though, these photographs of it on public display will have to suffice. Sigh.
The post In Photos: Tesla Cybertruck Steps Out in Public at Petersen Automotive Museum appeared first on MotorTrend.
