Robert E Petersen, US motor magazine magnate

LOS ANGELES – Robert E Petersen, the publishing magnate whose Hot Rod and Motor Trend magazines helped shape America’s car culture and who gave millions to a museum dedicated to his passion, died on Friday.

He was 80. “Mr Petersen helped create and feed the American obsession with the automobile, delivering gasoline-powered dreams to the mailboxes of millions,” Dick Messer, Director of the Petersen Automotive Museum in Los Angeles said.The son of an auto mechanic, Petersen came of age in Southern California as the region and its cultural innovations – be it drag racing, drive-through restaurants or freeways – developed out of the car.Starting out as a publicist, he founded Hot Rod magazine in 1948 while trying to promote the custom-designed car show at the Los Angeles Armory.The following year, he launched Motor Trend for automobile enthusiasts.A dozen of other specialty consumer magazines followed, including Guns & Ammo, Sport, Motorcyclist, Hunting, Mountain Biker, Photographic, Teen and Sassy.By the time his publishing empire was sold in 1996, Petersen Publishing’s annual revenue was about US$275 million.Some of the magazines Petersen started reflected his other interests, which included sport shooting, aviation and real estate.But it was his love affair with cars that drove his involvement with Los Angeles’ shrine to the automobile.The Petersen Automotive Museum opened in 1994, showcasing dozens of cars and exploring the automobile’s impact on American culture.When the museum, operated by the Los Angeles County Museum of Natural History, ran into financial trouble in 1999, Petersen and his wife Margie made a US$25 million gift to pay off the museum’s debt.”Our intention is the ensure that the museum is a viable educational and social centre, a growing institution for the community, its children, businesses and all visitors to the city of Los Angeles,” Petersen told the Associated Press at the time.Nampa-AP”Mr Petersen helped create and feed the American obsession with the automobile, delivering gasoline-powered dreams to the mailboxes of millions,” Dick Messer, Director of the Petersen Automotive Museum in Los Angeles said.The son of an auto mechanic, Petersen came of age in Southern California as the region and its cultural innovations – be it drag racing, drive-through restaurants or freeways – developed out of the car.Starting out as a publicist, he founded Hot Rod magazine in 1948 while trying to promote the custom-designed car show at the Los Angeles Armory.The following year, he launched Motor Trend for automobile enthusiasts.A dozen of other specialty consumer magazines followed, including Guns & Ammo, Sport, Motorcyclist, Hunting, Mountain Biker, Photographic, Teen and Sassy.By the time his publishing empire was sold in 1996, Petersen Publishing’s annual revenue was about US$275 million.Some of the magazines Petersen started reflected his other interests, which included sport shooting, aviation and real estate.But it was his love affair with cars that drove his involvement with Los Angeles’ shrine to the automobile.The Petersen Automotive Museum opened in 1994, showcasing dozens of cars and exploring the automobile’s impact on American culture.When the museum, operated by the Los Angeles County Museum of Natural History, ran into financial trouble in 1999, Petersen and his wife Margie made a US$25 million gift to pay off the museum’s debt.”Our intention is the ensure that the museum is a viable educational and social centre, a growing institution for the community, its children, businesses and all visitors to the city of Los Angeles,” Petersen told the Associated Press at the time.Nampa-AP