The exhibition features a rare 1936 Crocker Speedway Racer.
(photo courtesy of Kahn Media)

The Petersen Automotive Museum presents “The American Motorcycle: Pioneering Machines from the Bunch Family Collection” opening on Saturday, March 15.

The new exhibit showcases more than 25 rare motorbikes from the turn of the century to the 1930s. The motorcycles are from the Bunch Family Collection, one of the most extensive and internationally renowned collections in the world. The exhibition will be on display in the Richard Varner Family Gallery on the museum’s second floor. Some of the rarest and most historically significant motorcycles ever produced are included, exploring contributions by American motorcycling pioneers.

Featured motorcycles include a 1898 Cleveland Tricycle, one of America’s oldest motorized cycles from a pioneering manufacturer, featuring the first front spring fork suspension. A 1904 Thomas Auto-Bi, created by the E.R. Thomas Company, is also included. The E.R. Thomas Company was the first motorcycle manufacturer in America to design and build its own bikes.

Also features is a 1905 Nelk, one of the few surviving models from the Palo Alto manufacturer, featuring advanced technology for its time such as a rubber-mounted engine, water-cooling and an overhead camshaft. The exhibit from the Bunch Family Collection also includes a 1911 Marvel, designed by the legendary Glenn Curtiss; a 1908 Indian Single, a purpose-built motorcycle owned by stuntwoman CeDora, famous for performances in the “Globe of Death”; and a 1936 Crocker Speedway Racer, produced by Crocker, a legendary motorcycle manufacturer in Los Angeles. Crockers are among the most valuable and rare motorcycles in existence.

The Petersen Automotive Museum is located at 6060 Wilshire Blvd. For information, call (323)930-CARS, or visit petersen.org.