On Sunday, December 7, the Petersen Automotive Museum in Los Angeles will open its most extensive off-road exhibit to date. Called Legends of the Dirt, the collection of vehicles predominantly draws from the desert racing world though disciplines like rock crawling and rally are also represented.

“Contested across deserts, forests, mountains, and purpose-built courses around the world, off-road motorsport is automotive competition at its most demanding,” reads a description of the exhibit from the museum. “It pushes drivers and machines to the limit such that simply reaching the finish line is often seen as an achievement in itself.

“Legends of the Dirt features some of the most accomplished off-road racers from a wide variety of disciplines, each representing the one-time pinnacle of engineering in its respective field, built for the singular purpose of navigating an adversarial landscape more quickly or more precisely than any other. Though these machines differ significantly in their construction and capabilities, each tailored to the specific demands of the competition for which it was designed, they share a legacy of innovation, influence, and success that has earned them the status of legend.”

Headlining the exhibition is Terrible Herbst Motorsport’s “Land Shark” Class 1 that was one of SCORE’s most iconic racers in the 1990s. It proved to be so legendary that the team developed a smaller “Baby Shark” successor which was revealed last year.

“Big Oly”, a 1969 Ford Bronco that Parnelli Jones drove to victory in the 1971 and 1972 Baja 1000s, will also be present. Once owned by Meyers Manx, it still races today in NORRA.

From the short course side is the #36 Monster Energy-sponsored Toyota Pro 4 driven by the late Rick Huseman. He won the 2009 TORC title in the category with the truck.

The rock crawling world will get a shout via Coleworx’s “Screamin’ Blue” buggy and a Ford Bronco that’s competed in King of the Hammers’ Every Man Challenge.

Lancia’s Rally 037 that won them the 1983 WRC constructor’s title with Markku Alén and Walter Röhrl will be there too, as is the Suzuki Cultus Pikes Peak Special that Nouhiro Tajima raced in the namesake hillclimb and Tanner Foust’s Volkswagen Beetle from Global Rallycross. Bikes are also expected in the collection.

The opening will take place at 10 AM. After loading in the vehicles at 9, the festivities begin an hour later with a “Cruise-In”, where everyone can bring in their vehicles, followed by a welcome announcement at 10:30. A fireside chat is held at 11:30, an awards ceremony at noon, and the event wraps up at 1 PM.

Featured image credit: Petersen Automotive Museum