Whole Lotta ‘Rust’: ‘Black Pearl’ a ’48 Jaguar Art Deco Masterpiece
Aluminum-bodied Jaguar combines three decades of Art Deco and vintage hot rod styling elements into one masterpiece.
Most of us have doodled up at least one sketch of a car in our lifetime. Perhaps when you were younger, dreaming of one day becoming an automotive designer. Or maybe you enjoy putting pen to paper today. Metallica frontman James Hetfield is no different than the average automotive enthusiast, other than perhaps the fact that he has more means than most. In fact, this custom 1948 Jaguar started out as a simple sketch by the singer before blossoming into a veritable rolling piece of art.
Recently, before the world’s focus shifted, we had a chance to attend the Petersen Museum‘s newest exhibit, “Reclaimed Rust,” where this Jaguar joins nine other cars from Hetfield’s own personal collection. Needless to say, they’re all incredible customs. But this Jaguar stands out for a number of reasons. For one, the fact that it started out as Hetfield’s personal interpretation of the ultimate automotive shape is pretty cool. But the car also combines styling elements from multiple eras of automotive design in a very unique way.
Hetfield and the car’s builder, Rick Dore Kustoms, originally intended to simply customize a 1948 Jaguar sedan. But that project quickly escalated to the point where they decided to construct an entirely new body for the car out of aluminum.
Considering how much design went into the shell, that actually makes perfect sense. Hetfield wanted to heavily feature the Art Deco design that dominated the ’20s and ’30s, while also integrating elements of ’50s American hot rod style. Needless to say, they pulled it off masterfully.
A host of Art Deco elements are present here. Including the teardrop-shaped fenders, pillarless windows, rear fins, and sloping, curvy roofline. Combine that with rear fender skirts, wide white wall tires, and an aggressive stance, and you’ve got a Jaguar that perfectly meshes together three decades of styling influences in one machine.
This Jaguar is quite the stunning masterpiece, without a doubt. But so are the other nine customs Hetfield has donated for Reclaimed Rust: The James Hetfield Collection, which is scheduled to run through November 1, and once the world gets back to its usual pace, we highly recommend it. For now, check out the Petersen online.
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