History tells us that the Lamborghini Miura was the first exotic to be labeled a “supercar.” This hyperbole was fitting, considering its ground-breaking transverse mid-mounted V-12 engine and breathtaking Marcello Gandini-penned styling. Of course, the term has been applied to many exotics since the mid-1960s, even retroactively, to describe those ultra-expensive, limited-production sports cars with special coachwork and technically advanced mechanicals – cars like the 1963 Ferrari 400 Superamerica long-wheelbase Series II.

Los Angeles, California’s, famed Petersen Automotive Museum will be hosting a new exhibit called Supercars: When Too Much Is Almost Enough, which will run from March 5 through October 16 of this year, and will include a display of supercars valued at $16 million. As the Petersen describes it:

Included in the exhibition will be examples of supercars ranging from the big-bore monsters of almost a century ago to the more recent and recognizable small-bore, forced-induction supercars. Even though such vehicles could never be considered even remotely practical, the panache and prestige they confer upon their owners effectively guarantees that there will always be a steady, if minuscule, market for them.

The list of cars to be displayed includes these gems:

Bizzarrini Manta
Bugatti 57C Atalante
Bugatti Veyron
Ferrari 400 Superamerica
Ferrari F40
Ferrari F50
Ford GT-40 Mark III
Jaguar XJ220
Lamborghini Miura
Lamborghini Countach
Maserati MC-12
Mercedes-Benz CLK GTR
Mercedes Targa Florio
Pagani Zonda
Pegaso Z-102B
Porsche 959
Vector W8

A special public program will be held on Tuesday, April 2, at 7:30 p.m. in the Museum’s Grand Salon, in which Museum Curator Leslie Kendall will give a tour through several examples of supercars, “ranging from the big-bore monsters of almost a century ago to the more recent and recognizable Lamborghini Miura, Pagani Zonda, and Bugatti Veyron.”

The Museum is located at 6060 Wilshire Boulevard (at Fairfax) in Los Angeles. Admission prices are $10 for general admission adults, $5 for seniors and students with ID, and $3 for children ages 5 to 12. Museum members and children under five are admitted free. Covered parking is available for $2 per half hour, with an $8 maximum for Museum visitors. Museum hours are Tuesday through Sunday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. For general Museum information, call 323-930-CARS.

History tells us that the sublime Lamborghini Miura was the first exotic to be labeled a “supercar.” This hyperbole was fitting, considering its ground-breaking transverse mid-mounted V-12 engine and breathtaking Marcello Gandini-penned styling. Of course, the term has been applied to many exotics since the mid-1960s, even retroactively, to describe those ultra-expensive, limited-production sports cars with special coachwork and technically advanced mechanicals – cars like the 1963 Ferrari 400 Superamerica long-wheelbase Series II.