New exhibit at Petersen Automotive Museum celebrates cars and culture of the '80s and '90s

LOS ANGELES (KABC) -- While some might reflect on the 1980s as not all that long ago, the Petersen Automotive Museum is celebrating the significant cars of that time, which are now considered classics.

"Much like Baby Boomers were collecting cars from the '50s, now Gen-Xers are collecting cars from the '80s and even the '90s," said Jonne Eisen, co-curator of a new exhibit called "Totally Awesome! Cars and Culture of the '80s and '90s."

The most special cars were curated for this exhibit, not just run-of-the-mill transportation. Rare exotics from private collections, cars featured in magazines, and concept cars from manufacturers are featured.

Front and center is the poster-worthy supercar of the day: the Lamborghini Countach.

"One of the most 'eighties-rific' cars possible. Everybody my age, when we were a kid, we had a poster of the Countach. I think it was the car that kind of invented the car poster," noted curator Eisen.

Step into the Mullin Family Grand Salon on the museum's ground floor, and you'll be taken back to the culture of those earlier decades. A period in time now being celebrated, partly for its innovations and new style, which young people embraced at the time as the trends.

"Personal electronics such as the Walkman and boom boxes, suddenly they were bringing their music around with them. There were also new fashions -- a brightness, neon, day-glow, fun fashions. Those are what you think of when you think of the '80s," said Autumn Nyiri, the exhibit's co-curator.

Back in the 1970s, there was a lot of nostalgia for the 1950s in movies like "American Graffiti" and TV shows like "Happy Days." They celebrated the cars and culture from only 20 years earlier. Think about this: today, the mid-1990s was 30 years ago, and the mid-1980s was 40 years ago.

Nostalgia for the '80s and '90s is running strong through the auto world. Ford has unveiled a special Mustang for 2026 that honors the legendary Fox-body Mustangs of the past. Fans of those cars will spot the touches right off the bat, and the Mustang FX sports a retro color called Adriatic Blue Metallic, which is essentially the teal hue that was ubiquitous in showrooms in the 1990s.

Toyota is paying tribute to a special Corolla of the '80s called the FX with an upcoming tribute version of today's Corolla Hatchback.

The Petersen exhibit will run through April, so pay a flashback visit to take in not only the cars but also the curated memorabilia. You can even play a period automotive video game of the day, for free, just like people did in video arcades. And feel free to dress in period '80s or '90s clothes for some totally awesome selfies.