MTV News 6/1/2001

One of the better ways to
attract members of the
opposite sex, many believe, is
to cruise around in a fly ride.
Strapping on a curvy, rad
guitar and rockin' the paint off
the walls is another
time-tested method, especially
for those lacking the green for
a quality driving machine.

Guitar Center and the Petersen
Automobile Museum,
institutions that understand
the allure of power steering
and power chords, have joined
forces to present an exhibition
devoted to these ubiquitous
20th-century phallic symbols.

"Cars & Guitars of Rock 'n'
Roll" will be on display June 15 to December 31 at the Petersen
Automobile Museum in Los Angeles. The show features more
than 35 hot autos and 40 axes lent by such artists as Madonna,
Blink-182, Rage Against the Machine's Tom Morello, Flea,
Creed, Coolio, Eric Clapton and Melissa Etheridge.

Standout wheels include Elvis Presley's 1971 DeTomaso
Pantera, Jeff Beck's 1932 Ford Roadster, Elton John's 1949
Delahaye, Morello's 1971 Dodge Demon, Slash's 1936 Ford
custom and '66 Lincoln convertible, Clapton's 1940 Ford coupe
and Rod Stewart's 1983 Ferrari 400.

Beside the high-style vehicles, "Cars & Guitars" will exhibit
memorable autos from music history such as the 1966
Monkeemobile from the pop group's TV show, the 1932 Ford
gracing the cover of the Beach Boys' 1963 album Little Deuce
Coupe, the 1932 Ford Phantom seen in Van Halen's "Hot for
Teacher" video and the Lincoln limo Madonna used onstage in
her February Grammy Awards performance. 

Event organizers opted not to include the limo in which the
Notorious B.I.G. was shot and killed in 1997 while departing a
Soul Train Award party at the Petersen Museum.

While the cars may prove the highlight of the exhibit, the
show's axes are nothing to spit at. Prized guitars on display will
include the only all-rosewood Fender Stratocaster made for Jimi
Hendrix, a white Mosrite guitar owned by Johnny Ramone, a
Paul Reed Smith signature model from Creed's Mark Tremonti,
Flea's Music Man bass, Brian Setzer's 6120 Gretsch with hot rod
flames, a custom Jack Daniels bass from Michael Anthony of
Van Halen and the Martin acoustic guitar once owned by Ricky
Nelson on which Jeff Beck first learned to play.



                        —Jon Wiederhorn